# Template variables reference

Template variables allow you to customize automation messages with dynamic data from recordings and captures. This guide provides a complete reference of all available variables, organized by category with usage examples.

***

### Overview

Template variables are placeholders you insert into message templates that get replaced with actual data when automations execute. They use double-brace syntax:

```
{{variable.name}}
```

All variables are optional. If data doesn't exist for a recording, the variable will appear empty but won't cause errors.

***

### Recording Variables

Variables that pull data directly from the recording or capture that triggered the automation.

#### Basic Recording Information

| Variable                       | Description                   | Example                                   | Always Available |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{recording.title}}`          | Recording title               | "Checkout page crash"                     | Yes              |
| `{{recording.description}}`    | Recording description         | "Getting error when..."                   | No               |
| `{{recording.url}}`            | Direct link to view recording | "<https://app.screendesk.io/r/abc123>..." | Yes              |
| `{{recording.duration}}`       | Length in seconds             | "45"                                      | Yes              |
| `{{recording.created_at}}`     | Submission timestamp          | "Feb 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM"                  | Yes              |
| `{{recording.created_at_iso}}` | ISO 8601 timestamp            | "2026-02-06T14:30:00Z"                    | Yes              |

#### Customer Information

| Variable                       | Description                        | Example               | Always Available |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- | --------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{recording.customer_email}}` | Email of person who submitted      | "<user@customer.com>" | No               |
| `{{recording.customer_name}}`  | Name of person who submitted       | "John Smith"          | No               |
| `{{recording.customer_id}}`    | External customer ID               | "cust\_12345"         | No               |
| `{{recording.account_name}}`   | Name of customer's account/company | "Acme Corp"           | No               |

#### Technical Details

| Variable                        | Description              | Example                      | Always Available |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{recording.browser}}`         | Browser name and version | "Chrome 121.0.6167"          | No               |
| `{{recording.browser_name}}`    | Browser name only        | "Chrome"                     | No               |
| `{{recording.browser_version}}` | Browser version only     | "121.0.6167"                 | No               |
| `{{recording.os}}`              | Operating system         | "macOS 14.3"                 | No               |
| `{{recording.os_name}}`         | OS name only             | "macOS"                      | No               |
| `{{recording.os_version}}`      | OS version only          | "14.3"                       | No               |
| `{{recording.resolution}}`      | Screen resolution        | "2560x1440"                  | No               |
| `{{recording.screen_size}}`     | Device screen size       | "1920x1080"                  | No               |
| `{{recording.viewport}}`        | Viewport dimensions      | "1440x900"                   | No               |
| `{{recording.platform}}`        | Device platform          | "desktop" or "mobile"        | No               |
| `{{recording.device_type}}`     | Device type              | "MacBook Pro" or "iPhone 14" | No               |

#### Geographic Information

| Variable                     | Description      | Example                | Always Available |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ---------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{recording.country}}`      | Country name     | "United States"        | No               |
| `{{recording.country_code}}` | ISO country code | "US"                   | No               |
| `{{recording.city}}`         | City location    | "San Francisco"        | No               |
| `{{recording.region}}`       | Region/state     | "California"           | No               |
| `{{recording.ip_address}}`   | IP address       | "203.0.113.42"         | No               |
| `{{recording.timezone}}`     | Timezone         | "America/Los\_Angeles" | No               |
| `{{recording.locale}}`       | Browser locale   | "en-US"                | No               |

#### Network Information

| Variable                     | Description               | Example           | Always Available |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{recording.network_type}}` | Network type              | "4g" or "wifi"    | No               |
| `{{recording.isp}}`          | Internet service provider | "Comcast"         | No               |
| `{{recording.downlink}}`     | Network speed (Mbps)      | "25"              | No               |
| `{{recording.is_vpn}}`       | VPN detection             | "true" or "false" | No               |

#### Content Analysis

| Variable                       | Description                           | Example                         | Always Available |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{recording.summary}}`        | AI-generated summary                  | "User encountered..."           | No               |
| `{{recording.suggestion}}`     | AI suggestion/analysis                | "This appears to be..."         | No               |
| `{{recording.ai_sentiment}}`   | Sentiment analysis                    | "frustrated" or "neutral"       | No               |
| `{{recording.transcript}}`     | Full audio transcription              | "The user says: hello..."       | No               |
| `{{recording.console_errors}}` | JavaScript console errors (formatted) | "Uncaught TypeError: Cannot..." | No               |
| `{{recording.network_errors}}` | Failed HTTP requests (formatted)      | "POST /api/checkout 500..."     | No               |

#### Recording Metadata

| Variable                          | Description                 | Example                                   | Always Available |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{recording.session_id}}`        | Unique session identifier   | "sess\_abc123xyz"                         | Yes              |
| `{{recording.user_agent}}`        | Full user agent string      | "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh..."               | No               |
| `{{recording.source}}`            | How recording was submitted | "feedback\_widget" or "chrome\_extension" | No               |
| `{{recording.vendor}}`            | Recording source vendor     | "screendesk"                              | No               |
| `{{recording.impressions_count}}` | Number of times viewed      | "5"                                       | Yes              |
| `{{recording.views_count}}`       | Total view count            | "12"                                      | Yes              |

#### Engagement Metrics

| Variable                   | Description                   | Example           | Always Available |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{recording.first_view}}` | Is first view of recording    | "true" or "false" | Yes              |
| `{{recording.received}}`   | Has recording been viewed     | "true" or "false" | Yes              |
| `{{recording.sent}}`       | Recording sent to third party | "true" or "false" | Yes              |

***

### Folder Variables

Variables that reference the folder the automation is configured on.

| Variable                 | Description           | Example                                      | Always Available |
| ------------------------ | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{folder.name}}`        | Folder name           | "Bug Reports"                                | Yes              |
| `{{folder.id}}`          | Folder ID             | "folder\_12345"                              | Yes              |
| `{{folder.description}}` | Folder description    | "All customer-reported bugs"                 | No               |
| `{{folder.url}}`         | Direct link to folder | "<https://app.screendesk.io/folders/abc123>" | Yes              |

***

### Account/Workspace Variables

Variables that reference the workspace where the automation runs.

| Variable            | Description             | Example                                 | Always Available |
| ------------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{account.name}}`  | Workspace name          | "Acme Corp Engineering"                 | Yes              |
| `{{account.id}}`    | Workspace ID            | "acc\_12345"                            | Yes              |
| `{{account.email}}` | Workspace email/domain  | "acme.com"                              | No               |
| `{{account.url}}`   | Workspace dashboard URL | "<https://app.screendesk.io/dashboard>" | Yes              |

***

### User Variables

Variables related to the user who submitted the recording (if available).

| Variable         | Description        | Example               | Always Available |
| ---------------- | ------------------ | --------------------- | ---------------- |
| `{{user.name}}`  | User full name     | "Alice Johnson"       | No               |
| `{{user.email}}` | User email address | "<alice@company.com>" | No               |
| `{{user.id}}`    | User ID            | "user\_12345"         | No               |

***

### System Variables

Variables that provide system-level information.

| Variable              | Description             | Example                  | Always Available |
| --------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------------- |
| `{{timestamp}}`       | Current execution time  | "Feb 6, 2026 at 2:35 PM" | Yes              |
| `{{timestamp_iso}}`   | ISO 8601 execution time | "2026-02-06T14:35:00Z"   | Yes              |
| `{{automation.name}}` | Automation name         | "Email to Engineering"   | Yes              |
| `{{automation.id}}`   | Automation ID           | "auto\_12345"            | Yes              |

***

### Usage Examples

#### Email Subject Lines

```
# Simple notification
New recording: {{recording.title}}

# Include customer
Bug from {{recording.customer_email}}: {{recording.title}}

# Add urgency
🚨 CRITICAL: {{recording.title}} ({{recording.customer_name}})

# Include folder context
[{{folder.name}}] {{recording.title}} - {{recording.country}}

# Time-based
{{recording.created_at}} - {{recording.title}} from {{recording.customer_email}}
```

#### Slack Message Templates

```
# Simple format
New bug report: *{{recording.title}}* from {{recording.customer_email}}
Folder: {{folder.name}} | Duration: {{recording.duration}}s

# Rich format with emoji
🐛 *{{recording.title}}*
Reported by: {{recording.customer_email}}
Location: {{recording.city}}, {{recording.country}}
Browser: {{recording.browser}}
<{{recording.url}}|View Recording>

# With analysis
*{{recording.title}}*
Sentiment: {{recording.ai_sentiment}}
Summary: {{recording.summary}}
Duration: {{recording.duration}}s
```

#### Webhook Payloads

```json
{
  "event": "recording.created",
  "recording": {
    "title": "{{recording.title}}",
    "url": "{{recording.url}}",
    "duration": {{recording.duration}},
    "customer": {
      "email": "{{recording.customer_email}}",
      "name": "{{recording.customer_name}}"
    },
    "device": {
      "browser": "{{recording.browser}}",
      "os": "{{recording.os}}",
      "resolution": "{{recording.resolution}}"
    },
    "location": {
      "country": "{{recording.country}}",
      "city": "{{recording.city}}"
    }
  },
  "folder": {
    "name": "{{folder.name}}",
    "id": "{{folder.id}}"
  },
  "timestamp": "{{timestamp_iso}}"
}
```

#### Ticket Creation

```
Title: [{{folder.name}}] {{recording.title}}

Description:
Customer: {{recording.customer_email}}
Duration: {{recording.duration}} seconds
Browser: {{recording.browser}} on {{recording.os}}
Location: {{recording.city}}, {{recording.country}}

Summary:
{{recording.summary}}

Link: {{recording.url}}

---
Created automatically by Screendesk automation on {{timestamp}}
```

***

### Variable Placement

#### Valid Placement Locations

Template variables can be used in:

| Feature                   | Supported |
| ------------------------- | --------- |
| Email subject lines       | ✅ Yes     |
| Email body (HTML)         | ✅ Yes     |
| Slack message text        | ✅ Yes     |
| Slack message attachments | ✅ Yes     |
| Webhook JSON payload      | ✅ Yes     |
| Webhook URL path          | ✅ Yes     |
| Webhook headers           | ✅ Yes     |
| Ticket title              | ✅ Yes     |
| Ticket description        | ✅ Yes     |
| Ticket labels             | ✅ Yes     |
| Custom fields             | ✅ Yes     |

#### Invalid Placement

Variables are **not supported** in:

* Automation condition logic (if/when rules)
* Recipient email addresses
* Webhook URLs (base URL portion)
* Channel selection logic

***

### Best Practices

#### 1. Check Variable Availability

Some variables may not be available for all recordings. Use fallback text:

```
# Good - handles missing data
Browser: {{recording.browser}} (if empty, appears blank but doesn't error)

# Risky - assumes data exists
Must use {{recording.summary}} (fails if summary doesn't exist)
```

#### 2. Use Consistent Formatting

Keep template variable spacing consistent:

```
# Good - consistent spacing
{{recording.title}}
{{ recording.title }}

# Bad - inconsistent
{{recording.title }} or {{ recording.title}}
```

#### 3. Escape HTML in Contexts

When using variables in HTML email templates, consider escaping:

```html
<!-- Good - escaped -->
<p>Title: <strong>{{recording.title}}</strong></p>

<!-- Risky - unescaped in attribute -->
<a href="{{recording.url}}">Click here</a>
<!-- Works but URL could break with special characters -->
```

#### 4. Limit Template Nesting

Don't nest variables:

```
# ❌ Invalid - nesting not supported
{{recording.{{dynamic_field}}}}

# ✅ Valid - single variable
{{recording.title}}
```

#### 5. Keep Templates Readable

Format templates for clarity, especially in email bodies:

```html
<!-- Good - clear structure -->
<p><strong>Title:</strong> {{recording.title}}</p>
<p><strong>Customer:</strong> {{recording.customer_email}}</p>
<p><strong>Browser:</strong> {{recording.browser}}</p>

<!-- Less clear - harder to scan -->
{{recording.title}} - {{recording.customer_email}} - {{recording.browser}}
```

#### 6. Test with Sample Data

Always test templates before activating:

1. Send a test email/message
2. Verify all variables populated correctly
3. Check that no `{{}}` brackets appear in output
4. Confirm formatting looks good
5. Test links and buttons work

***

### Troubleshooting Variables

#### Variables Not Populating

**Symptom:** Template shows `{{variable.name}}` instead of actual value

**Solutions:**

1. Check spelling exactly - variables are case-sensitive: `{{recording.title}}` ✓ vs `{{Recording.Title}}` ✗
2. Ensure double braces: `{{ }}` not `{ }` or `[ ]`
3. Verify the data exists (not all recordings have summaries or errors)
4. Check variable is in supported placement location

#### Empty Variables

**Symptom:** Variable appears blank in output

**Possible Causes:**

* Recording doesn't have that data
* Data wasn't captured (e.g., no console errors if page didn't error)
* Field is optional and wasn't filled by customer

**Solution:** This is normal behavior. Use text around variables to add context:

```
# Instead of just: {{recording.summary}}

# Try:
Summary: {{recording.summary}} (or empty if no AI analysis)
```

#### Special Characters Breaking Template

**Symptom:** Email/message formatting breaks when variable contains special characters

**Solution:** If template data might contain quotes, HTML, or special chars:

```html
<!-- Escape in HTML context -->
<p>Title: <strong>{{recording.title | html_escape}}</strong></p>

<!-- Or simpler - use plain text view -->
Title: {{recording.title}}
```

#### URL Parameters with Variables

**Symptom:** URL parameter doesn't work with variable value

**Note:** Variables should not be placed in URL base paths. Always use:

```
# ✅ Correct - variable in query parameter
{{recording.url}}

# ❌ Wrong - would break the URL
/api/webhook?folder={{folder.id}}&recording={{recording.id}}
```

***

### Variable Limits and Constraints

| Aspect                          | Limit             | Notes                                     |
| ------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Variables per template          | Unlimited         | Use as many as needed                     |
| Template size                   | 10,000 characters | Applies to full message/template          |
| Variable name length            | 100 characters    | Technical limit, actual vars much shorter |
| Variable replacement depth      | 1 level           | No nested variables                       |
| Special characters in variables | Supported         | Will be replaced with actual values       |


---

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