TidyCal Email Template Variables Reference

Customize your TidyCal confirmation and reminder emails with template variables. Personalize messages with booking details, guest information, and dynamic content.

Prerequisites

Account: Logged into TidyCal
Plan: Individual Plan or Agency Plan required for custom email editing
Access: Navigate to booking type settings to edit email templates

What Are Email Template Variables?

Email template variables are dynamic placeholders that automatically insert booking-specific information into your confirmation and reminder emails. They use double-brace syntax like {{variable.name}} and are replaced with actual data when emails are sent.

Example: When you write "Hi {{contact.name}}, your booking with {{host.name}} is confirmed," TidyCal automatically replaces these with the guest's name and host's name.

Complete List of Available Variables

Booking Variables

Use these variables to display booking-specific information:

{{booking.date}} - The booking date in the guest's preferred format (e.g., "Monday, January 15, 2025")
{{booking.time}} - The booking time in the guest's time format preference (e.g., "2:00 PM" or "14:00")
{{booking.timezone}} - The booking's timezone (e.g., "America/New_York", "Europe/London")
{{booking.hours_until}} - Number of hours until the booking starts (rounded, useful for reminders)
{{booking.minutes_until}} - Number of minutes until the booking starts
{{booking.meeting_url}} - The video meeting link (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
{{booking.location}} - The booking location (physical address or meeting platform name)
{{booking.reschedule_url}} - Link for guests to reschedule or cancel their booking

Contact and Guest Variables

Display information about the person who made the booking:

{{contact.name}} - The guest's full name
{{contact.email}} - The guest's email address

Booking Type Variables

{{booking_type.title}} - The name of your booking type (e.g., "30-Minute Consultation")

Host and User Variables

Important: These variables behave differently for team bookings vs individual bookings.

{{host.name}} - The host's name
- Team bookings: Shows the assigned team member's name
- Individual bookings: Shows the booking type owner's name
- Recommended for: Team booking emails where you want to show the specific host
{{user.name}} - The booking type owner's name
- Always shows the account owner's name, regardless of assigned host
- Best for: Individual bookings or when you want to show the account owner

Custom Question and Answer Variables

If you've added custom intake form questions to your booking type, you can display the questions and answers:

{{questions.0}}, {{questions.1}}, {{questions.2}} - The text of your custom questions (zero-indexed)
{{answers.0}}, {{answers.1}}, {{answers.2}} - The guest's answers to your custom questions (zero-indexed)

Note: Question and answer numbers start at 0. Your first question is {{questions.0}}, second is {{questions.1}}, and so on.

Team Bookings vs Individual Bookings

Best Variables for Team Bookings

When setting up email templates for team booking types (round-robin or collective), use these recommended variables:

Confirmation Email Example:

Hi {{contact.name}},

Your booking with {{host.name}} is confirmed!


{{booking_type.title}}
Host: {{host.name}}
Date: {{booking.date}}
Time: {{booking.time}} ({{booking.timezone}})

Meeting Link: {{booking.meeting_url}}

Need to reschedule? {{booking.reschedule_url}}

Thanks,
{{host.name}}

Why use {{host.name}} for teams? It automatically shows the assigned team member's name, making emails more personal and accurate.

Best Variables for Individual Bookings

For personal booking types, you can use either {{host.name}} or {{user.name}} - they'll show the same name.

How to Use Template Variables

Editing Confirmation Emails

Go to Booking Types → Select your booking type
Scroll to Confirmation Email section
Click Edit to customize the email template
Type variable names using double braces: {{variable.name}}
Preview your changes using the preview function
Click Save to apply your changes

Editing Reminder Emails

Go to Booking Types → Select your booking type
Scroll to Email Reminders section
Enable reminders and set timing (e.g., 1 hour before, 24 hours before)
Click Edit to customize the reminder template
Add template variables as needed
Click Save

Editing SMS Reminders

Go to Booking Types → Select your booking type
Scroll to SMS Reminders section
Enable SMS reminders (requires phone number collection)
Edit the SMS template with variables like {{contact.name}}, {{booking.hours_until}}
Keep SMS messages short - template variables help personalize brief messages
Click Save

Common Use Cases and Examples

Include Timezone Information

Why: Helps guests confirm they booked in the correct timezone

Your appointment is scheduled for {{booking.date}} at {{booking.time}} ({{booking.timezone}}).

Create Urgent Reminder Emails

Why: Reduce no-shows with time-sensitive reminders

Hi {{contact.name}},

Your booking with {{host.name}} starts in {{booking.hours_until}} hours!

Don't forget to join: {{booking.meeting_url}}

Display Custom Question Responses

Why: Send confirmation emails that reference the guest's specific needs

Thanks for booking, {{contact.name}}!

You mentioned: "{{answers.0}}"

We'll address this during your {{booking_type.title}} session on {{booking.date}}.

Team Member Signature

Why: Make team emails feel personal

Looking forward to meeting you!

Best regards,
{{host.name}}

Limitations and Plan Requirements

Plan Required: Custom email editing requires Individual Plan ($29) or Agency Plan ($79)
Free Plan: Uses default TidyCal email templates (not customizable)
Variable Format: Must use exact double-brace syntax: {{variable.name}}
Custom Questions: Question/answer indexing starts at 0, not 1
HTML Support: Email templates support HTML formatting for styling

Troubleshooting

Issue: Variable showing up as {{variable.name}} instead of actual data

Fix: Check your spelling and ensure you're using the exact variable names listed above. Variables are case-sensitive and must use double braces.

Issue: {{host.name}} showing wrong person's name in team bookings

Fix: Ensure your booking type is properly configured as a team booking type with team members assigned. The variable shows the first assigned host for that specific booking.

Issue: Custom question variables ({{questions.0}}) not working

Fix: Remember that indexing starts at 0, not 1. Your first custom question is {{questions.0}}, not {{questions.1}}. Also verify you've added custom questions to your booking type.

Issue: Can't edit email templates

Fix: Custom email editing requires Individual Plan or Agency Plan. Upgrade your plan to access this feature. Go to Settings → Billing to upgrade.

Issue: {{booking.meeting_url}} is empty

Fix: This variable only populates when you've connected a video conferencing integration (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams). Configure your video conferencing location in the booking type settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use multiple variables in one email?

A: Yes! You can use as many template variables as you need in your email templates. Mix and match to create the perfect message.

Q: What's the difference between {{host.name}} and {{user.name}}?

A: {{host.name}} adapts to show the assigned team member in team bookings, while {{user.name}} always shows the account owner. For team bookings, use {{host.name}} for more accurate emails.

Q: Can I format dates and times differently?

A: Template variables automatically format dates and times based on your account settings and the guest's locale preferences. The system handles formatting automatically.

Q: Do template variables work in SMS reminders?

A: Yes! All template variables work in SMS reminders, confirmation emails, and reminder emails. Keep SMS messages concise since character limits apply.

Need more help? Contact our support team - we're here to help!