Personalizing your messages in Waitwhile allows you to create dynamic, tailored communication that enhances the customer experience. By using variables, you can insert relevant customer data—such as names, appointment times, or waitlist positions—into messages automatically, making each message feel personal and relevant without manual effort.
What Are Message Variables?
Message variables are placeholders within a message template that dynamically pull data from customer information or booking details. When the message is sent, these variables are automatically replaced with specific values, such as the customer’s name or their scheduled appointment time.
For example:
Template: "Hi {{first_name}}, your appointment is scheduled for {{appointment_time}}."
Sent Message: "Hi Sarah, your appointment is scheduled for 10:30 AM."
Common Variables Available in Waitwhile
Below are some of the most commonly used variables you can include in your messages:
Variable | Description |
| Inserts the customer's first name |
| Inserts the customer's last name |
| Inserts the customer's full name |
| Inserts the name of your business |
| Inserts the customer’s appointment date |
| Inserts the customer’s appointment time |
| Shows the customer’s current waitlist position |
| Displays the estimated waiting time |
| Inserts the ticket ID |
These variables can be applied to both SMS messages and email notifications.
Learn more about more advanced variable placeholders.
How to Use Variables in Waitwhile Messages
Step 1: Access Your Message Settings
Go to your Waitwhile dashboard.
Navigate to Settings > Messages.
Step 2: Edit or Create a Message Template
Select the message type you want to personalize (e.g., confirmation, reminder, or Complete).
Within the message text, insert variables by clicking the
to see available options. 
For example:
"Hi {{first_name}}, your table is ready! Please head to {{location_name}}."
Step 3: Preview the Message
Before sending the message, preview it to ensure the variables are correctly inserted. You can test the message by sending it to yourself or a colleague to verify that the placeholders are replaced with real data.
Warning: The value of your placeholder will count against the character limit restriction, so keep that in mind when adding them to your SMS messages.
Add variables within custom communications
Some of the most common placeholders can be quickly inserted within the custom messaging view in your Visits page when needing to communicate to an individual customer.
Pro Tip: You can also add conditional logic to your message templates so different communications are sent based on various circumstances (e.g. different messages based on the selection of a specific resource, service, etc.) Learn about Advanced message customization with Conditional Logic.
To get help. get in touch with our Support team via chat or by emailing support@waitwhile.com.