Step by step guide to setting up dynamic content blocks in Braze emails

If you’re tired of sending the same old emails to every subscriber, you’re not alone. Personalization isn’t just about slapping someone’s name in the subject line anymore. You want your emails to actually feel relevant—without making life harder for your team. If you’re using Braze, this guide is all about setting up dynamic content blocks so you can send smarter, not harder. Whether you’re a marketer, a CRM manager, or the “email person” who wears too many hats, this is for you.

Why Dynamic Content Blocks Matter (and When They're Overkill)

Dynamic content blocks let you show different content to different users—think personalized recommendations, custom offers, or local news. Done right, they can bump up your engagement and keep your list from tuning out. But let’s be honest: not every email needs this. For a basic newsletter, you might be better off keeping things simple. Dynamic blocks shine when your audience segments are clear, your data is solid, and you actually have something useful to show.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Don’t skip this part. Setting up dynamic content only works if you’ve got a few basics in place:

  • Your user data is in Braze: If you want to show, say, different promotions based on purchase history, make sure that info is already in your user profiles.
  • You know your segments: Don’t try to personalize for “everyone.” Pick a few clear segments to start.
  • An idea of what you want to swap out: Are you switching headlines? Images? Full sections? Be specific.

Step 1: Map Out Your Dynamic Content Plan

Before you touch Braze, sketch out exactly what you want to change in your emails. This avoids a mess later.

  • What’s the variable? (e.g., product recommendation, location, subscription status)
  • How many variations do you need? (Don’t go wild—three to five is manageable)
  • Which audience gets what? (Be clear, or you’ll end up with content Frankenstein)
  • Do you have fallback content? (For users who don’t fit any group—trust me, there will be some)

Pro tip: Write out your logic in plain English first. If you can’t explain it simply, it’s too complicated.

Step 2: Set Up Your User Segments and Custom Attributes

Dynamic content is only as good as your data. Here’s how to get your house in order:

  1. Check Your Custom Attributes
    In Braze, custom attributes are little data points you’ve attached to each user—like location, last purchase, or favorite category. Go to “User Profiles” and make sure the attributes you need are showing up.

  2. Create User Segments

  3. Head to the “Segments” tab.
  4. Create segments based on the attributes you’ll use for personalization.

  5. Give them clear names (“Frequent Buyers - Last 30 Days”, not “Test Segment 4”).

  6. Test Your Segments
    Look at the user count and sample members. If the numbers look off, fix it now. It’s a pain to redo this later.

What can go wrong:
- Missing attributes (data not syncing) - Overlapping segments (users get weird combos of content) - Segment rules too complicated (hard to troubleshoot)

Step 3: Build Your Email in Braze

Now, the fun part—putting your email together. You’ll use Braze’s email editor and a bit of their templating language (Liquid).

  1. Start a New Email Campaign
  2. Go to “Campaigns” → “Create Campaign”.
  3. Choose “Email” as your channel.

  4. Pick “Drag & Drop Editor” or “HTML Editor” based on your comfort. If you’re not technical, Drag & Drop is safer.

  5. Add Content Blocks

  6. Each content block can become dynamic.

  7. For the section you want to personalize (say, a hero banner), add a new block.

  8. Set Up Dynamic Logic with Liquid
    Here’s where you’ll use the Liquid templating language. It looks intimidating, but it’s mostly just “if this, show that.”

Example:
Let’s say you want to show different banners based on whether someone is a “Premium” user.

liquid {% if custom_attribute['subscription_tier'] == 'Premium' %} Premium Deal {% elsif custom_attribute['subscription_tier'] == 'Free' %} Free Deal {% else %} Default Deal {% endif %}

  • Paste this in the block’s HTML (or use the “Insert Personalization” feature in the editor).

  • Adjust the attribute names to match your data.

  • Repeat for Each Dynamic Section
    Don’t try to make every part dynamic. Start with one or two blocks; you can always add more later.

Pro tip:
Keep your logic readable. If you have nested IFs inside more IFs, you’re asking for headaches.

Step 4: Test Every Variation (Don’t Skip This)

Testing is not optional. Dynamic content can break in subtle ways—like showing no content, or the wrong banner.

  1. Preview with Test Users
  2. In the email editor, use the “Preview As User” feature.

  3. Enter different user IDs or emails to see what each segment gets.

  4. Send Test Emails

  5. Set up test users in Braze with the right attributes.
  6. Send the campaign to these test accounts.

  7. Open the email on desktop and mobile (some rendering issues only show up in one or the other).

  8. Check Fallbacks
    Make sure users who don’t fit any segment still get something sensible.

What to look out for:
- Broken images or missing sections - Personalization tags not populating (shows as blank or raw code) - Users getting the wrong content (usually a segment logic issue)

Step 5: Launch, Monitor, and Iterate

You’re ready to go live. But don’t set it and forget it.

  1. Launch to a Small Group First
    Use a “staged rollout” (Braze calls this a “Holdout” or “Test” group) to catch issues before blasting everyone.

  2. Monitor Engagement

  3. Watch open rates, clicks, and—most important—complaint rates.

  4. If metrics look weird, check your segment logic and test again.

  5. Collect Feedback

  6. Ask your team (or a few users) if the content felt relevant.

  7. Ignore vanity metrics; look for real behavior change (clicks, conversions).

  8. Iterate

  9. Don’t be afraid to dial back complexity if things get unwieldy.
  10. Add more dynamic blocks only if you’re getting real value.

What’s not worth your time:
- Micromanaging every possible variation for tiny segments - Overcomplicating logic to cover edge cases no one cares about - Chasing personalization for its own sake (sometimes, “one size fits most” is fine)

Troubleshooting: Common Pitfalls and Quick Fixes

  • Blank spaces or missing content: Usually a logic error or empty attribute. Add more robust fallback content.
  • Liquid code shows up in the email: Means Braze didn’t process it—check your syntax.
  • Slow email loads: Too many images or heavy content in dynamic blocks. Optimize your assets.
  • Confusing reporting: If you can’t tell which users saw what, your segments are too broad or overlapping.

If you hit a weird edge case, Braze’s documentation is decent, but their support can be slow. Community forums often have real-world workarounds.

Wrapping Up: Don’t Overthink It

Dynamic content blocks in Braze are powerful, but they’re not magic. Start small, get your basics right, and test like your job depends on it (because sometimes it does). The more you try to personalize, the more chances you have to break things—so keep it simple, watch your results, and tweak as you go. You’ll end up with smarter emails that actually matter to your audience, without driving yourself nuts.

Good luck—and remember: sometimes “done” is better than “perfect.”