How to add a first name to an email, SMS, or push message

Personalizing messages with a recipient’s first name can help increase engagement and connection. In this guide, you’ll learn how to add a first name variable to your emails, SMS, or push notifications in Klaviyo, and customize it for better personalization.

Step 1: Add a First Name Variable

1. Open your message – Start by opening an email, SMS, or push notification in Klaviyo where you’d like to add the first name.
2. Click Personalization – Inside the text field of your message, click the Personalization button.
3. Select First Name – From the list of options, select First Name.
4. Add Default Text (Optional) – In case a recipient’s first name is not available, add default text. For example, in a greeting like “Hey FIRST_NAME,” you could use “there” as the fallback, making the message read “Hey there” instead of leaving a blank space.
5. Adjust Capitalization (Optional) – Choose how the first name should appear from the Capitalization menu:
   • As Typed: Name appears exactly as entered in the profile.
   • Title Case (Ag): Capitalizes the first letter of the name (e.g., John).
   • Upper Case (AG): Converts the name to all capital letters (e.g., JOHN).
   • Lower Case (ag): Converts the name to all lowercase letters (e.g., john).
6. Click Insert – Once you’ve chosen your settings, click Insert. You’ll see a tag like {{ first_name|title|default:'there' }} appear in the message.

When the message is sent, Klaviyo will replace the tag with each recipient’s first name, or the default text you specified.

Step 2: Customize the First Name Variable

The tag format {{ first_name|title|default:'there' }} allows further customization. In this example:

• |default:'there' ensures “there” appears if no first name is available.
• |title converts the first name to title case.

Klaviyo provides a wide range of filters to further customize the appearance of variables. You can explore more options by learning about Klaviyo filters.

Conclusion

By following these simple steps, you can easily personalize your messages with a recipient’s first name, enhancing the impact and relevance of your communications.