How to set up custom variables in Hyperise for advanced personalization

If you’ve ever wished your outreach or landing page felt less cookie-cutter and more like it was built just for the person seeing it, you’re in the right place. This guide is for anyone using Hyperise who’s tired of bland “Hi [First Name]” personalization and wants to get more advanced—without losing their mind in the process.

We’ll walk through setting up and using custom variables in Hyperise, so you can move past the basics and actually stand out. I’ll share what’s actually useful, what to skip, and how to avoid common headaches.

Why Custom Variables Matter (and Where People Mess Up)

Before diving in, let’s get clear: Hyperise is all about image personalization—think dynamic images that swap in the viewer’s name, company, or even their logo. By default, you get a handful of built-in variables (name, email, company, etc.), but most real campaigns need more.

Custom variables let you bring in anything unique to your leads: industry, interests, pain points, locations, favorite pizza toppings—you name it. But here’s the catch: if you overdo it or set things up wrong, you’ll end up with broken images or embarrassing “Hi {custom_field}” moments.

So, use custom variables to add real value—not just to show off that you can.

Step 1: Map Out What You Actually Need

Don’t just start adding variables for the sake of it. Ask yourself:

  • What extra info do I have about my audience that’s actually useful in my message?
  • Am I trying to be clever, or will this make my outreach genuinely more relevant?
  • Do I have this data for most of my list, or just a handful?

Pro Tip: If you only have a variable for 5% of your list, you’ll spend more time fixing issues than reaping the benefits.

Step 2: Understand How Hyperise Handles Variables

Hyperise uses a simple variable system: anything in curly braces becomes a placeholder for your data. For example, {first_name} or {company}.

There are two types of variables:

  • Standard variables: Built-in stuff like {first_name}, {email}, {website}.
  • Custom variables: Anything you define, like {industry} or {favorite_drink}.

Custom variables can be pulled in from CRM data, CSV uploads, or passed in via URL parameters. You’ll need to know where your data is coming from before you set this up.

Step 3: Create Custom Variables in Hyperise

Here’s how you actually set up and use a custom variable:

3.1. In Your Image Template

  1. Open or create your image: Go to your Hyperise dashboard, pick an image, or start a new template.
  2. Add a text element: Click “Add Text,” then type your variable (e.g., {job_title}).
  3. Position and style it: Make it look good, but keep it readable. Don’t go overboard with fancy fonts—clarity wins.

That’s it. Hyperise doesn’t make you pre-define custom variables in a settings menu; you just use them in your image. The magic happens when you feed those variables data from your integration or CSV.

3.2. In a CSV Upload

If you’re uploading a CSV (say, for a cold email campaign):

  • Make sure your CSV columns match your custom variable names exactly.
    • For example, if you use {job_title} in your image, your CSV should have a job_title column.
  • Upload your CSV when you set up your campaign.
  • Hyperise will swap out each variable with the data from your CSV for each recipient.

Heads up: If you misspell a column name, or your data’s missing for a lead, you’ll get blanks or ugly placeholders in your images.

3.3. Passing Variables via URL Parameters

If you’re using Hyperise in your website, chatbots, or links from outreach tools:

  • Add variables to your image URL as query parameters.
    • Example:
      https://img.hyperise.com/i/your-image.png?job_title=VP%20of%20Sales&industry=SaaS
  • Match parameter names to your custom variables.
  • This works great for integrations with tools like Lemlist, Woodpecker, or even your own website.

Pro Tip: URL encoding matters. Spaces should be %20, and weird characters can break things. Test your URLs before blasting out a campaign.

Step 4: Set Default Values (and Avoid Awkward Blanks)

Let’s say you don’t have data for every custom variable. You don’t want your image to say “Hi {favorite_drink}!” when you don’t have that info.

Hyperise lets you set fallback (default) values right inside the variable:

  • Use the pipe | character inside your variable to define a fallback.
    • Example: {favorite_drink|coffee}
      If favorite_drink is missing, it’ll show “coffee.”

When to use defaults:

  • When it won’t sound weird (e.g., “your business” instead of “{company}”).
  • Don’t get too clever—defaults should feel natural, not forced.

What to avoid:
Don’t set “Friend” or “Legend” as a fallback for {first_name}. It sounds fake and kills credibility.

Step 5: Integrate with Your Outreach or Website Tool

Hyperise works with a ton of outbound tools and CRMs. Here’s how to make sure your custom variables actually get used:

5.1. For Cold Email Tools (Lemlist, Woodpecker, etc.)

  • Map your CRM fields to Hyperise variables during integration.
  • Double-check field names. Some tools use double curly braces ({{job_title}}), while Hyperise uses single ({job_title}). Usually, the mapping UI handles this, but don’t assume—it’s a common source of bugs.
  • Test with a real contact before sending a campaign.

5.2. For Landing Pages or Websites

  • Install the Hyperise script on your site.
  • Set up “Dynamic Website Personalization” in the dashboard.
  • Hyperise can pull variables from the URL, cookies, or your CRM if connected.
  • Again, test with sample URLs to make sure images personalize correctly.

Watch out:
If you embed a Hyperise image without passing data, your custom variables won’t fill in—they’ll just show as placeholders. Always test the live version.

Step 6: Test (Seriously—Don’t Skip This)

You’d be amazed how often personalized campaigns go out with broken variables. Before you launch:

  • Preview your image with different data (Hyperise lets you do this).
  • Send yourself a test email or visit the live page using sample URL parameters.
  • Check what happens when a variable is missing—does your fallback work?

Pro Tip:
Check on mobile and desktop. Sometimes text gets cut off in images, especially with longer custom variables.

Step 7: Launch, Measure, and Tweak

Once you’re live, keep an eye on:

  • Are your images rendering correctly?
  • Any complaints about weird personalization?
  • Are key variables missing more often than not? Maybe you need stronger defaults or to ditch that variable.

Don’t be afraid to simplify. It’s better to use two custom variables that work perfectly than five that break half the time.

What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore

What works:

  • Personalizing with info you know is accurate (industry, role, known preferences).
  • Adding small touches that make your image feel “for them,” not just “for anyone.”

What doesn’t:

  • Over-personalizing with sketchy data or guesswork (“Hey {dog_name}, tell your owner...”).
  • Using variables you only have for a tiny fraction of your audience.
  • Setting defaults that sound robotic.

Ignore the hype:
You don’t need to jam every data point you have into your images. Good personalization is about relevance, not showing off.

Keep It Simple and Iterate

Personalization is powerful, but overcomplicating it leads to mistakes and wasted time. Start with a few custom variables, test, and see how people react. If it’s working, add more. If it’s breaking, pull back.

The best campaigns feel natural and effortless—even if you sweated the details behind the scenes.