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Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

We used a Marketo email template to create our email and for some reason, the first token we insert in what would be an email signature line will not populate. It continues to display as text so for example we see this: {{lead.Lead Owner First Name:default=Sales}}. It doesn't matter what token we use; as long as it is the first token showing, it will not populate yet the remainder of the signature line will. We tried to troubleshoot with the customer service people but they haven't been able to determine the issue. Has anyone else encountered this? We are trying not to need to use a totally new email template so if anyone has suggestions of what to look for, that would be great!

Thanks!!

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

After escalating the issue within Marketo, it appears that they have an issue with their templates whenever they refer to the tokens as being within {{}}. If you actually have the brackets typed in the body of your email/landing page in that manner, the first token following that will not populate. If you want to refer to the tokens as being within brackets, only use {} so the system does not get confused. I'm not sure why this isn't a more widespread answer since it seems it happens a lot, but that should correct it. I hope that helps anyone else with this issue!

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8 REPLIES 8
Josh_Hill13
Level 10 - Champion Alumni

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

did you check the underlying code?

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

I'm not a person who codes, and we didn't code the email--the email template is a Marketo "Breaking News 2.0" template that came with the program. What would I be looking for?

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

Are you testing this with a real email, or with a Send Sample, or in lead-specific Preview?

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

We've tested a real email and lead-specific preview. They all display the first token as text. It's the strangest thing since I can put the same exact token next to it and the second one will populate but the first will continue to show as text.

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

What is the character directly before the signature line?  Show the exact HTML if you can.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

When we look in the HTML source editor for the free text box, this is what we see:

<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #f6f6f6; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">{{lead.Lead Owner First Name:default=Sales}} </span>{{lead.Lead Owner Last Name:default=Team}}</span><br /></div>

<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">{{lead.Lead Owner Job Title:default=Sales}}</span></div>

<div><span style="font-size: 14px;">Phone: {{lead.Lead Owner Phone Number:default=}}</span></div>

<div><span style="font-size: 14px;">{{lead.Lead Owner Email Address:default=}}</span></div>

Trevor_Parsell
Level 6

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

Hey Nacole,

I've seen issues arise from all the additional code added by the Marketo WYSIWYG editor. Can you try using this code instead and see if it works:

<div style="color: #000000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">

{{lead.Lead Owner First Name:default=Sales}} {{lead.Lead Owner Last Name:default=Team}}<br/>

{{lead.Lead Owner Job Title:default=Sales}}<br/>

{{lead.Lead Owner Phone Number:default=}}<br/>

{{lead.Lead Owner Email Address:default=}}<br/>

</div>

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Token won't populate - keeps appearing as text

After escalating the issue within Marketo, it appears that they have an issue with their templates whenever they refer to the tokens as being within {{}}. If you actually have the brackets typed in the body of your email/landing page in that manner, the first token following that will not populate. If you want to refer to the tokens as being within brackets, only use {} so the system does not get confused. I'm not sure why this isn't a more widespread answer since it seems it happens a lot, but that should correct it. I hope that helps anyone else with this issue!