Placeholders in Freshdesk enable you to add dynamic content, such as the requester's name or ticket details, to your Canned Responses, Email Notifications, and more. This feature significantly enhances the personalization and relevance of your communications. However, not all placeholders are available in the general Insert Placeholders popup. Some, like comment.body, are intentionally excluded. This article explains why certain placeholders are missing and how to use them effectively.
Reasons for Unavailable Placeholders
Not all placeholders are suitable for every context. Some placeholders require specific references to work correctly. For instance:
- Context Dependency: Placeholders like comment.body and comment.commenter.name display the body and the name of the commenter, respectively. These placeholders need to reference a specific comment, which means they only work in contexts where the comment is already known.
- Notification Relevance: These placeholders are particularly useful in email notifications corresponding to an agent or requester adding a comment. They are not included in the general Placeholders popup because they might not make sense outside of this context.
Understanding Different Placeholders
Understanding how different placeholders work and their appropriate contexts is crucial for effective use. Here are some commonly used placeholders and their specific functions:
- {{ticket.description}}
This placeholder displays the original description of the ticket. It is useful in canned responses, notifications, and scenarios where the initial ticket content needs to be referenced.
For example:
Allen from Gourmet Chocos sends a support email stating, "The packaging of the order was bad. I've been ruing the fact that I waited so long and happened to get this."
Using {{ticket.description}} in a Canned Response or Email Notification will display:
"The packaging of the order was bad. I've been ruing the fact that I waited so long and happened to get this." - {{comment.body}} and {{comment.commenter.name}}
These placeholders display the body of a comment and the commenter's name, respectively. They are particularly useful in email notifications that follow an agent or customer adding a comment.
For example:
Sara, the support agent, adds a comment to the ticket: "We apologize for the inconvenience and will replace the order immediately."
Using {{comment.body}} and {{comment.commenter.name}} in an Email Notification will display:
Comment by Sara: "We apologize for the inconvenience and will replace the order immediately."
These placeholders are context-specific and only make sense when the comment they refer to is already known. They cannot be used effectively in Canned Responses without this context. - {{ticket.latest_public_comment}}
This placeholder displays the most recent public comment on a ticket. It is useful for keeping communication focused on the latest update without repeating the entire comment thread.
For example:
Allen replies, asking for a different time slot to discuss the issue: "Can we schedule a call for tomorrow at 10 AM?"
Using {{ticket.latest_public_comment}} will display:
"Can we schedule a call for tomorrow at 10 AM?"
This is helpful in notifications and updates where only the latest information needs to be highlighted.
Practical Application and Usage Tips
To effectively use these placeholders, consider the following:
- Contextual Relevance: Ensure that placeholders like comment.body and comment.commenter.name are used in contexts where the specific comment is already referenced. This is typically in email notifications triggered by a new comment.
- Appropriate Placement: Use placeholders like ticket.description in scenarios where the original ticket details are necessary. This is useful for providing context in responses and notifications.
- Dynamic Updates: Utilize placeholders such as ticket.latest_public_comment to keep communications concise and focused on the latest update, which is ideal for ongoing ticket interactions.