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Using the Merge Field Test Tool

You can use the Merge Field Test Tool to verify that merge fields you're using are merging the correct information.

Note: When completing the steps below, you will need to know the merge field name you want to test on. You can access a list of all available merge fields in your system by going to Admin > Document Assembly and clicking Manage in the Merge field list section. The Merge Field List page appears, showing all available fields. See Viewing the List of Actionstep Merge Fields to learn more.

 

To use the merge field test tool:

  1. In Actionstep Practice Management, go to Admin > Document Assembly. The Document Assembly page appears.
  2. On the right side of the page, click Merge field test tool. The Merge Field Test Tool page appears.
  3. Click the Template type drop-down and choose the type of template you want to test. The option you select here determines what other fields are available.

  4. Click the [Type of] ID drop-down list and choose the ID for the type of data you want to merge. For example, if you want to test merge fields for a check, enter the Check ID. (Trust-related templates will require Trust account names.)

    Note: Make sure you select the correct ID for the type of data you are attempting to merge. Otherwise, you might pull the wrong information and your test will not produce the kind of results you're expecting.

  5. Complete any other template-specific fields based on the template type you selected.
  6. Click the Source drop-down list to choose whether you want to test the merge field as it would appear in an Actionstep field (Text box), an existing template (Document template), or a new document file you want to upload for testing (Uploaded DOCX file).
  7. Based on your selection in Step 5, complete any additional fields related to the source.
  8. In the Merge Text field, enter the merge field, including any options you want applied. Surround the merge field between double square brackets [[ ]].
  9. Once you've entered your merge field code, click Generate Output. Actionstep attempts to process the merge field and show you the data you are requesting in the Output section.

If you know you are using the correct merge field code but you are seeing ***** as the output, this means the code is correct but the underlying data is not entered correctly or may not exist for the type of record you are trying to access. For example, you may be trying to merge the address for John Smith from Matter 3. However, if you review John Smith's contact card, you may see that his address is not entered. Enter the information and perform the test again.

 

Additional Resources:

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