How to personalize outbound emails using dynamic fields in AtozEmails

If you’re sending cold emails or outbound campaigns that sound like they were written by a robot, you’re doing it wrong. People can spot a generic blast a mile away—and they ignore it. But personalizing every email by hand? No one has time for that. This guide is for anyone using AtozEmails who wants to send better, more personal emails without losing their mind (or their whole day).

Let’s get into how dynamic fields actually work in AtozEmails, how to set them up, and what’s worth doing (and what’s a total waste of time).

Why Bother With Dynamic Fields?

You’ve seen those emails that say “Hi [First Name],” right? That’s the bare minimum. Dynamic fields let you drop in custom info—like company names, job titles, pain points, or anything else you’ve collected—so every message feels less like spam and more like something a real human wrote.

Used right, dynamic fields:

  • Make your emails stand out in a crowded inbox.
  • Help you avoid the “spray and pray” look of mass emails.
  • Increase replies (not just opens—you want action, not vanity metrics).
  • Save you hours over manual editing.

But don’t go crazy. Too many variables make your emails look weird and can backfire fast. Stick to what matters.

Step 1: Get Your Contact Data in Order

Dynamic fields are only as good as your data. If your contact list is a mess, your emails will be too. Before you even touch AtozEmails, do this:

  • Use a spreadsheet (CSV) with clear columns: Typical columns are First Name, Last Name, Company, Job Title, and Email. Add more if you want, but keep it tight.
  • Check for blanks: If a field is missing for some contacts, you’ll end up with “Hi ,” or “I see you work at .” Not a good look.
  • Standardize entries: Make sure companies aren’t listed as “ACME Inc.” in one row and “Acme” in another, unless you like chaos.

Pro tip: For fields that are missing for lots of contacts, set a default value (more on that later).

Step 2: Import Your Contacts into AtozEmails

Here’s how to get your list into AtozEmails without pulling your hair out:

  1. Log in and go to Contacts.
  2. Click Import. Upload your CSV file.
  3. Map your columns to fields. This is important—if “first_name” in your CSV gets mapped to “last_name” in AtozEmails, your emails will be embarrassing.
  4. Check your data. AtozEmails will show a preview. Scan for anything weird before you hit confirm.

If you’re syncing from a CRM, double-check that field names match up. Don’t assume your CRM and AtozEmails use the same labels.

Step 3: Create Your Email Template Using Dynamic Fields

This is where the magic happens. In AtozEmails, you’ll use placeholders for your dynamic fields. The syntax is usually double curly braces, like this:

Hi {{first_name}}, I noticed you work at {{company}}.

Common dynamic fields:

  • {{first_name}}
  • {{last_name}}
  • {{company}}
  • {{job_title}}
  • Anything else in your contact file (as long as it’s mapped).

How to add them:

  1. Go to Campaigns > New Email.
  2. Write your email. Wherever you want a dynamic field, type the placeholder.
  3. AtozEmails has a field picker. Use it. It reduces typos (nobody wants to send “Hi {{frist_name}}”).
  4. Add fallback/defaults: For example, {{first_name | fallback:"there"}} will say “Hi there,” if the first name is missing.

Pro tip: Don’t overuse. One or two dynamic fields is usually enough. More than that, and things start to look forced or break easily.

Step 4: Test Your Dynamic Fields (Seriously, Test Them)

This is the step most people skip. Don’t. Even a small error can make you look sloppy or automated.

  • Send a test to yourself: In AtozEmails, there’s a “Send Test” option. It’ll use the first row of your list.
  • Preview several contacts: Use the built-in preview tool to see what the email looks like for different recipients.
  • Look for empty fields and weird formatting. “Hi ,” is worse than “Hi there.”
  • Check fallback values: Did you set them? Do they actually make sense in context?

If you spot a problem, fix your data or tweak your template. Don’t just hope nobody notices.

Step 5: Launch (and Watch for Glitches)

Once you’re sure everything looks good, hit send. But don’t walk away just yet.

  • Monitor the first batch: If you’re sending to thousands, try a smaller test segment first.
  • Watch replies—and bounces: If you get a lot of weird responses or bouncebacks, something’s off with your fields or data.
  • Be ready to pause: If you see a problem, stop the campaign and fix it. Better to delay than to look unprofessional.

What Works (and What’s Overrated)

Here’s the honest breakdown:

  • Works: First name, company, a single specific detail (like an industry or recent event).
  • Doesn’t Work: Cramming in a dozen fields. People see right through “Hi {{first_name}}, as a {{job_title}} at {{company}} in {{city}}...”
  • Ignore for now: Hyper-personalized “icebreakers” unless you have the data. Don’t auto-fill with junk like “I saw your recent post about .”

A little personalization beats fake personalization every time.

Advanced Moves (If You’re Feeling Brave)

When you’re ready, try these (but only if your data is solid):

  • Conditional logic: Show different text based on the value of a field. E.g., “As a fellow developer...” only for people with “Developer” in their title.
  • Custom fields: If you’ve got niche info (like favorite product), you can use it. Just don’t get creepy.
  • Personalized subject lines: Use {{company}} or {{first_name}} in the subject, but only if it fits naturally.

But if you’re just starting out, skip this stuff for now. Complexity = more ways to screw up.

Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)

  1. Bad data: Garbage in, garbage out. Clean your list.
  2. Missing fallbacks: Always use a default for fields that might be empty.
  3. Typos in field names: Double-check your placeholders.
  4. Trying too hard: If it reads like a Mad Lib, rewrite it.

And remember: nobody expects a cold email to know their life story. You just want to sound like you put in a little effort.

Keep It Simple and Iterate

Personalizing outbound emails in AtozEmails isn’t rocket science, but it does take some setup. Start small: get your data right, use a couple of dynamic fields, and test before you send. Once you’ve got the basics down, tweak and improve as you go. The best campaigns are the ones you actually ship—not the ones you overthink until you’re stuck.

Now, go send something that doesn’t feel like spam.