Templates and {{ placeholders }}

A template is fixed text with placeholders in double curly braces. For each row, every placeholder is replaced by the value in that row's column.

{{ Brand }} {{ Model }}: review and test results

For a row with Brand = Acme and Model = Ketch 30, the title becomes Acme Ketch 30: review and test results.

Choose Template as the field's mode (value modes) to use one. It works for every text field: title, slug, excerpt, content, alt text, custom fields of type text, and so on.

The syntax#

• A placeholder is the column's exact name between {{ and }}. Spaces inside the braces are ignored: {{Brand}} and {{ Brand }} are the same. A column name that contains spaces is written as it is: {{ Publish date }}.
• The names are those in your file's first row. Upper and lower case matter, as for any column name. In a file read without a header row, the names are positions: {{ Column B }} (files without a header row).
• To write the characters {{ literally, put a backslash before them: \{{.
• A template may be up to 262,144 characters long.
• A placeholder for a column that is not in the file stops the row with The template refers to an unavailable column: Brand. In the editor, saving also refuses a placeholder that names a column the sample does not have.
• An empty cell inserts nothing: {{ Brand }} {{ Model }} for an empty Brand gives Ketch 30 with the space left. Plan for it, or build the title from a column that is always filled.

Writing a plain-text template#

Under the field, a text box takes the template, and a row of buttons, one for each column (+ Brand, + Model), puts the placeholder at the cursor. Type around them as you like.

Writing an HTML template (content and excerpt)#

For fields that take HTML (WordPress Content and Excerpt, Joomla Intro Text and Full Text) the template box is a rich text editor that looks like the site's own, on a white page, with a toolbar:

• Source columns above the editor: select a column to put its placeholder at the cursor, or drag it into the text.
• Toolbar: paragraph format (headings 1 to 6, paragraph, preformatted), bold, italic, underline and other text styles, font, size, text and background colour, lists and indentation, alignment, line spacing, tables, links, images (by address), special characters and undo/redo.
• HTML source switches to the raw HTML for exact control, and Visual editor switches back.

A line under the editor says what the template contains. The preview panel and Open in window show the result for a real row (preview).

Placeholders in HTML are inserted as text#

In an HTML template, a placeholder inserts the cell's value as plain text: characters such as <, >, & and quotes are converted to their safe forms. So a placeholder inside HTML shows what is in the cell literally:

If a column already contains HTML, map the field to it directly (Source column) instead of putting a placeholder in an HTML template. To add fixed HTML around a cell that contains HTML, use two columns or add the surrounding HTML to the cell itself.

In a plain-text template (a title, a slug, an alt text) the value is inserted exactly as it is.

Typical uses#

• Titles: {{ Brand }} {{ Model }} ({{ Year }})
• Slugs: {{ Brand }}-{{ Model }} (the site then makes the result URL-safe and unique)
• Alt text for an image: {{ Title }} on the water
• Content with fixed parts: a rich template with a fixed heading and the Summary and Details columns in two paragraphs
• Meta description: {{ Summary }} Read more at Harbor Lane Journal.
• Image addresses: https://cdn.example.com/{{ SKU }}.jpg (see images from web addresses)

Check it#

Open the Preview and choose a row: the resolved value is shown exactly as it will be published. A placeholder with a typo is flagged when you save, and in a row if the file changes.