Sometimes, you may need to send each subscriber a unique link in your email. This could be a personalised payment link, customer-specific landing page, tracking link, referral link, registration link, or redemption link.
In Enginemailer, you can do this by using custom fields and merge tags.
There are two ways to send personalised links:
- Use a merge tag as the full URL
- Embed a merge tag inside a URL
This article explains both methods and helps you choose the right option for your use case.
When to Use This
Use personalised links when each subscriber needs to receive a different URL in your email.
For example, you may want to send:
- A unique payment link
- A customer-specific landing page
- A referral link
- A tracking link
- A registration or redemption link
Before You Begin
Before setting up personalised links, make sure you have:
- Created the relevant custom fields in your account
- Imported or updated your subscriber list with the correct field values
If you have not created your custom fields yet, refer to: [How to Create Custom Fields]
Two Ways to Send Personalised Links
| Option 1: Full URL Merge Tag | Option 2: Embedded Merge Tag | |
| Use when | Every subscriber has a completely different URL | The base URL is the same, but part of it changes |
| Field value contains |
The full URL, for example: https://example.com/customer/abc123 |
A short code, ID, or token, for example: abc123 |
| Best for | URLs from external systems or dynamically generated links | Tracking links, referral codes, customer IDs, or tokens |
💡 Not sure which option to use?
Option 2 is recommended for most users because it is easier to manage and less prone to data entry errors.
Option 1: Use Merge Tag as Full URL
Use this option when each subscriber has a completely different URL stored in their custom field.
For this method, the custom field name must include url so Enginemailer can recognise it as a URL field.
✅ Valid field name examples:
customer_urltracking_urlfast_track_url
Example setup:
| Custom Field Name | Field Value |
fast_track_url |
https://example.com/customer/abc123 |
Usage in your email (HTML/Code view):
<a href="{fast_track_url}">Access Now</a>Important:
- The field value must include the full URL, starting with
https:// - The custom field name must include
url - If the field value is incomplete or invalid, the link may not work correctly
Option 2: Embed a Merge Tag Inside a URL
Use this option when all subscribers share the same base URL, and only part of the link changes for each subscriber.
For example, you can use this for referral codes, customer IDs, tracking tokens, or other unique values.
Example setup:
| Custom Field Name | Field Value |
fast_track_link |
abc123 |
❌ Incorrect field value: https://example.com/abc123
✅ Correct field value: abc123
Embedding a merge tag inside a URL
Usage in your email (HTML/Code view):
<a href="https://example.com/{fast_track_link}">Access Now</a>Important:
- The field value should only contain the personalised code, ID, or token
- Do not include
https://in the field value for this option - Including the full URL in the field value may break the final link
What If a Field Value Is Empty?
If a subscriber’s custom field has no value, the merge tag will not be replaced. This may result in a broken or incomplete URL.
To avoid this, make sure your subscriber list is fully populated with the correct custom field values before sending your campaign.
Still Need Help?
If you are unsure which option fits your use case, or if your personalised links are not working as expected, please contact our support team for assistance.
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