Recipient name variables let you address contacts by name in emails — making automated and manual outreach feel personal without extra effort.
What they do
When you insert a recipient name variable into an email, Tern replaces it with the contact's actual name when the email is sent. Two variables are available:
Recipient First Name - resolves to the contact's first name (e.g., "Jane")
Recipient Last Name - resolves to the contact's last name (e.g., "Smith")
You can use either or both in the same message.
Where you can use them
Recipient name variables are available in:
Trip emails (via Share)
Itinerary share emails
Form share emails
Contact emails
Message templates
Conversation replies
How to insert a variable
Open the email composer for any of the supported surfaces above.
Click the variables dropdown in the rich text editor toolbar.
Select "Recipient First Name" or "Recipient Last Name" from the list. The variable appears as a pill in the editor.
Send the email. The variable resolves to the contact's name automatically.
You're all set! The recipient will see their name in place of the variable.
How recipient name variables resolve
Recipient name variables fill in only when each email goes to a single contact. This happens when you send to one recipient, or when you send to multiple recipients with Send separately turned on and every recipient is a saved contact. Each person then gets their own thread with their own name filled in.
If you send to multiple recipients on one shared thread and your message includes a recipient name variable, the email won't send. You'll see "Recipient name variables are only available when sending to a single recipient." Turn on Send separately, or remove the variable.
Note: A typed email address that isn't saved as a contact has no name to fill in, so a recipient name variable won't work for that recipient even with Send separately on. CC and BCC recipients always receive the main recipient's version of the message, so their names are never personalized.
Using variables in message templates
When building a message template in your Library, you can insert recipient name variables the same way. The variable resolves at send time based on whoever receives that specific email.