Variables allow you to quickly customize a landing page or outgoing email without having to type the reader’s name, book title, or your author name into the body of the message.
A variable on BookFunnel uses double curly brackets on each side like this {{variable}}. When a variable is used, BookFunnel will automatically replace the variable with the correct text when sending an email or displaying a private landing page.
The variable {{title}} will be replaced with the title of your book.
Your author name (or author pen name) will be displayed when you use the variable {{author}}.
When you use a variable, the curly brackets {{ }} are never displayed.
What You Can Do With Variables
Use variables to customize your landing pages. With variables, the text on your page can address a reader by name, countdown the number of remaining copies, and more.
Here are a few examples:
- Hi, Ashlyn! I hope you love the book.
- Download today! Only 3 more copies left.
- This book is only free for the next 38 minutes!
- Only 1 more day and this offer will be gone.
How did we do that? Like this:
- Hi, {{first_name}}! I hope you love the book.
- Download today! Only {{copies_more_remaining}} left.
- This book is only free for the next {{time_remaining}}!
- Only {{time_more_remaining}} and this offer will be gone.
You can use variables on any BookFunnel page or Certified Mail campaign, and even use them to send custom data to your mailing list if you have direct integration on your account. Use a variable to:
- Host a “Flash Giveaway” for 10 copies of your book and count down the number of remaining copies
- Count down the days, and then hours, and finally, minutes left to download a book on a download page
- Thank your new subscriber by name on the “thank you page” of your email signup page
- Send the book title as a custom field to your mailing list service
How To Use a Variable
Add double curly brackets like this {{variable}} around the variable you want to use. Not all variables are supported in all places ( for example, we can’t countdown a limited number of downloads if you don’t set a limit on your landing page), so check the table below to see which variables are supported.
Here are more examples of variables and how they will look to the reader:
Thank You Page Heading
Thank you for subscribing, {{first_name}}! You’re a gem. You have {{time_more_remaining}} to download your reserved copy of my book.
Thank you for subscribing, Damon! You’re a gem. You have 13 more days to download your reserved copy of my book.
Download Countdown
Hurry! Hurry! Only {{copies_remaining}} left. Grab your free download before its gone!
Hurry! Hurry! Only 9 copies left. Grab your free download before its gone!
Limited Copies Countdown
There are only {{limit}} free copies of Alice available and {{claimed}} have been claimed. Hurry before they are all gone!
There are only 9 free copies of Alice available and 6 have been claimed. Hurry before they are all gone!
Limited Downloads
{{num_downloaded}} copies have already been downloaded! Get yours now.
9 copies have already been downloaded! Get yours now.
Which Variables Are Supported and Where Can They Be Used?
Some variables, like the {{first_name}} variable, can only be used on landing pages that require an email address (obviously, because we don’t know the reader’s first name unless they provide it first).
Here is the full list of all of the variables we support:
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| {{author}} | Contains the author’s name. Valid In: All Pages, Certified Mail, Integration Fields |
| {{author_email}} | Contains the author’s email address. Valid In: All Pages, Certified Mail, Integration Fields |
| {{author_url}} | Contains the author’s website. Valid In: All Pages, Certified Mail, Integration Fields |
| {{copies_more_remaining}} | Contains the number of copies still available in the format “X more copies” (download limit required). Example: 16 more copies or 1 more copy Valid In: All Pages |
| {{copies_remaining}} | Contains the number of copies still available (requires a download limit) in the format “X copies”. Example: 5 copies or 1 copy Valid In: All Pages |
| {{country}} | Contains the country name of the reader based on their IP address. Example: United States of America, Germany, United Kingdoms Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{country_code}} | Contains the two-digit country code of the reader based on their IP address. Example: US, DE (for Germany), or GB (for Great Britain) Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{date}} | Contains the date the reader signed up to receive the book in the format Year-Month-Day. Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Certified Mail, Integration Fields |
| {{date_expires}} | Contains the date the page link will expire in the format Year-Month-Day (expiration date required). Valid In: All Pages, Certified Mail, Integration Fields |
| {{date_time}} | Contains the date and time the reader signed up to receive the book in the format Year-Month-Day and time GMT. Example: 2017-11-30 09:30 GMT Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{email}} | Contains the reader’s email address. Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Certified Mail, Integration Fields |
| {{eu_country}} | Contains YES if the reader is from a country within the European Union, or NO otherwise. Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{expires}} | Contains the day the link will expire in the format Month-Day (expiration date required). Example: April 21st or May 3rd Valid In: All Pages, Certified Mail |
| {{first_name}} | Contains the reader’s first name (first name must be required on the email signup page). Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Certified Mail, Integration Fields |
| {{last_name}} | Contains the reader’s last name (last name must be required on the email signup page). Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{limit}} | Contains the total download limit set for the page (download limit required). Valid In: All Pages |
| {{name}} | Contains both the reader’s first name and last name (both first and last name must be required on the email signup page). Example: Jane Smith Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{num_claimed}} | Contains the number of readers that have claimed the book. Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages |
| {{num_downloaded}} | Contains the number of times the book has been downloaded. Valid In: All Pages |
| {{num_remaining}} | Contains the number of remaining copies available (download limit required). Valid In: All Pages |
| {{page_id}} | Contains the unique ID of the download page or email signup page. Example: 7kh10vq0ec Valid In: All Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{page_link}} | Contains the download page link or private link the reader received. Example: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/7kh10vq0ec Valid In: All Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{time}} | Contains the exact time a reader signed up to receive the book GMT. Example: 09:30 GMT Valid In: Email Required Landing Pages, Integration Fields |
| {{time_more_remaining}} | Contains a countdown of the remaining time in the format “X more days/hours/minutes” (expiration date required). Example: 1 more day or 37 more minutes Valid In: All Pages |
| {{time_remaining}} | Contains a countdown of the remaining time in the format “X days/hours/minutes” (expiration date required). Example: 12 Days or 1 hour Valid In: All Pages |
| {{title}} | Contains the book title. Valid In: All Pages, Certified Mail |
Variables are not (yet) supported on BookFunnel Promos or private bundle pages.
FAQ
Variables are a power feature and not necessarily a tool you want to use on every page (or at all). You can experiment with your pages to craft exactly the reader experience you want. Play with the variables we support and have fun! If these {{brackets}} are intimidating or not something you want to mess with, that’s ok too.
The variable will not be displayed.
Some variables can be used in book descriptions, but be cautious. Variables that pertain to the reader or number of downloads are not a good idea. Any text, including variables, that you include in the book description or tagline will be carried forward to every page you create for that book.
We cringe when we see those errors too, so we built the variables to be handy and grammatically correct. For example, use {{time_more_remaining}} and the countdown will display 2 more days and then 1 more day. We also created {{copies_remaining}} and {{copies_more_remaining}} so that copy and copies would always be correct.