Merge fields allow you to pull information from matters for the purposes of document templates and custom view lists. If you have worked with 'mail merge fields' in Microsoft Word, you will already be familiar with this concept. All kinds of information can be pulled this way, including but not limited to:

• Matter Names
• Participant Data
• Custom Data
• Sale / Purchase Data
• All kinds of dates

How Do They Work?

Merge fields function based off of two criteria:

1. Data
2. A data source

What this means is that the name of the merge field will dictate the type of data it is looking for, and where it is placed will determine the data source.

For example, if you wanted to reference the matter number in a document template or email template. You would enter the merge field as shown below. 

On the generated document, the merge field would be replaced by the data that it found, as per the screenshot below. 

In this example, the data that the merge field is looking for is specified through the name, and the source does not have to be defined because the document sits within a specified matter. 

Let's look at a different merge field that will require you to specify a source. 

[[FirstName|pt=Client]]

The above merge field features a vertical slash between the first and second parts. The first half of the field is the name of the merge field and specifies what kind of data should be pulled. The second half of the field is referred to as the 'Merge Field Option' and specifies the data source for this merge field. 

When added to a document template, the merge field will be replaced with the first name of the 'Client' party type on the matter that the document is generated from.

List of Available Merge Fields

You can find which merge fields are available by navigating to:

Admin -> Document Templates -> List Of Merge Fields

You can also refer to the video below for more information.

The Merge Field Testing Tool

To test out merge fields, navigate to:

Admin -> Document Templates -> Document Merge Testing Tool

 On this page, you'll be able to specify the type of template you are testing for, as well as the matter ID and a data source. Then, type your desired merge field into the 'Merge Text' field as per the screenshot below, and click 'Generate Output'. Doing so will then refresh the page with a new value under the 'Merge Text' field as the 'Output'.

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Related Articles:

- Merge Field Options

- Merge Field Test Tool