Data tags and Segments
Data tags and Segments are how you make your emails personal and relevant. Data tags pull individual Profile data into your content (like a first name or product preference). Segments let you show or hide entire Rows within the same email based on audience rules. Together, they turn a single email into a personalised experience for every recipient.
We support several kinds of Data tags, corresponding to Attributes in the Data model:
Default: APSIS default Attributes, for example first name, last name, email, date of birth.
Custom: These are Attributes created in your individual Section in Account Settings.
System: Attributes generated for each activity. Currently we have time sent as a system Attribute, supporting Unix timestamps and ISO-8601 date formats.
Integrations: Create a Data Tag from the Attributes in your CRM Integration, like Magento Attributes.
In this article
Data tags — personalise your content
A Data tag is a placeholder that gets replaced with a Profile's actual Attribute value when the email is sent. The format is ##attributename##.
Example: If your email contains "Good morning ##firstname##!", a Profile with the First name value "Anna" will see "Good morning Anna!" in their inbox.
Data tags pull from the Attributes stored in your Section's Data Model — both Default Attributes (Email, First name, Last name, Mobile) and any Custom Attributes you've created.
How to add Data tags
In the editor, click inside a text-based Element (Heading, Paragraph, Text, or Button).
If you're working in the Email tool, add an Element to enter your text. In the SMS tool, proceed within the SMS content step to write your message's content.
Place your cursor where you want the personalised value to appear.
In the Inline Text Editor, open the Data tags dropdown.
Select the Attribute you want to insert (e.g. First name, City, Custom Attribute).
The tag appears in your text inside a rounded container (e.g.
##firstname##). It will be replaced with the actual value when the email is sent.
In the preview and report it shows like this:
⚠️ Empty Attributes
If a Profile doesn't have a value for the Attribute you've used, the tag will be replaced with nothing — leaving a blank space in the email. Consider using generic phrasing that still reads well even if the tag is empty (e.g. "Hi there ##firstname##" instead of "Dear ##firstname##",). Check your data quality before sending.
Where you can use Data tags
Location | How to add |
Email body text | Via the Data tags dropdown in the Inline Text Editor (Heading, Paragraph, Text, Button elements). |
Subject line | In Settings → Email tab, type |
Preheader | Same as subject line — type |
Link URLs | As Personalisation tags in link settings. See Link settings. |
Image URLs | As Personalisation tags in the Image element's Image URL field. |
UTM parameters | Type |
Data tags and Sections
Attributes are Section-specific. A Custom Attribute created in one Section only holds values for Profiles within that Section. Assets, on the other hand, are available across Sections and accounts.
This means: if you create an Asset with Data tags in Section A and use that Asset in an email sent from Section B, the Data tags will not resolve — because the Attributes belong to Section A's Data Model.
If you try to use an asset that was created with an attribute as data tag in one section and use it in an email in another, you will see it shown similar to the below:
💡 Rule of thumb
Create and use Assets with Data tags only within the Section where the corresponding Attributes exist. If you use the same Asset across multiple Sections, make sure the Attribute discriminators match.
Row Segmentation — show different content to different Profiles
💡 Want to learn more about segment? Read the full article Segmentation | Apsis Knowledge base
Row Segmentation lets you include or exclude specific Rows in your email for certain Segments of your audience. This means different Profiles can see different content within the same email send — without creating separate emails.
Example: In a single newsletter, VIP customers see a Row with an exclusive discount code, while all other recipients see a standard CTA instead.
Rows without any Segmentation applied are shown to all recipients.
How to segment a Row
Select the Row you want to segment (click it in the Structure Panel or click the vertical line next to it).
In the Row settings (right side), expand Segmentation.
Click Add included segment or Add excluded segment.
Choose Any or All:
Any — the Row is shown to Profiles matching any of the selected Segments.
All — the Row is shown only to Profiles matching all of the selected Segments.
Select the Segment(s) from the dropdown.
Segmented Rows are marked with a + symbol in the Structure Panel. Hover over it to see which Segment is applied.
To remove the segment from the email, click on the "x":
💡 Tip: Preview each version
Use the Preview → View segments option to see how the email looks for each Segment. This ensures your segmented Rows don't create layout gaps or awkward spacing for any audience group.
⚠️ Segmentation is not saved with Templates or Assets
If you save an email as a Template or save a Row as an Asset, the Segmentation settings are not saved. You'll need to reapply them when you use the Template or Asset in a new email.
Segmentation at send time
Row Segmentation (above) controls which content each Profile sees. But you can also segment who receives the email in the Send To step of the wizard:
Include Segments — only send to Profiles matching the selected Segment(s).
Exclude Segments — skip Profiles matching the selected Segment(s).
Filter by Tags — same include/exclude logic based on Tags.
These two types of segmentation work together: Send To segmentation controls who gets the email, while Row Segmentation controls what they see inside it.
Read more: Email: Create and Send — Send To step
Tips
Tip | Details |
Check data quality before personalising | Browse a sample of Profiles in Audience to confirm the Attributes you plan to use are populated. Empty tags leave blank spaces in your email. |
Use Segments for email content, Tags for quick classifications | Segments are dynamic and rule-based — they update automatically. Tags are manual labels. Both can be used for Row Segmentation and Send To filtering. |
Don't over-segment | Every segmented Row adds complexity. Start with one or two targeted Rows per email and build from there. Too many segments make the email hard to manage and test. |
Build Segments in Audience first | Segments used in Row Segmentation and Send To are created in Audience → Segment Builder. Build and test them before using them in an email. |
Troubleshooting
Issue | Cause and solution |
"My Data tag shows <<Attribute>> in the test email" | Test emails are sent to the address you enter, which may not exist as a Profile with that Attribute populated. Use the Preview instead to see Data tags resolved, or create a test Profile with complete data. |
"A Data tag renders as blank in the sent email" | The Profile doesn't have a value for that Attribute. Check the Profile in Audience. Consider using phrasing that works even when the tag is empty. |
"My Data tags from an Asset don't work in this email" | The Asset may have been created in a different Section. Data tags only resolve for Attributes in the Section the email is sent from. Create Assets within the same Section, or ensure the Attribute discriminators match across Sections. |
"My segmented Row isn't showing in Preview" | Use Preview → View segments and select the Segment that the Row is assigned to. |
What's next?
Creating a Segment — Build Segments in the Audience Segment Builder.
Link settings — Use Personalisation tags and Attributes as URL parameters.
Email Assets — Create reusable content blocks (with Data tag considerations).
Email Templates — Save emails as Templates (note: Segmentation not saved).