Skip to main content
Variables let you capture and display user data throughout your funnel. When someone enters their name, selects their age group, or arrives with tracking parameters - variables store these values so you can use them anywhere.

​
How Variables Work

User provides input → Variable stores it → You display it anywhere Variables are like personalized placeholders. They get replaced with actual values when your funnel runs, creating unique experiences for each visitor.
Most common use: Showing users their own responses. “Thanks for your interest in the {{plan-type}} plan, {{name}}!” feels personal because it uses their actual selections.

​
Quick Example

User selects: "25-34" for age group
Variable created: {{age-group}}
You can now use: "80% of people in {{age-group}} love our product"
User sees: "80% of people in 25-34 love our product"

​
Types of Variables

​
User Input Variables

Created automatically when users interact with input elements:
  • Text Inputs
  • Options
  • Date Picker
Element: Text Input with ID “email” Creates: {{email}} Contains: Whatever user typedExample: User types “[email protected]” → {{email}} displays “[email protected]”

​
URL Query Variables

Automatically captured from your funnel URL: 
URL: https://your-project.fnlfx.com/funnel?utm_campaign=summer&promo=SAVE20
Available variables:
  • {{query.utm_campaign}} → “summer”
  • {{query.promo}} → “SAVE20”
Testing hack: Add ?title=New Headline Test to your URL and use {{query.title}} in your funnel to quickly test different headlines without editing.

​
System Variables

Built-in variables provided by FunnelFox:
VariableWhat it containsUse case
{{user.id}}Unique profile IDTrack users across sessions
{{user.session_id}}Current session IDDebug specific visits
For understanding profiles vs sessions, see Core Concepts.

​
Using Variables

​
In Text Elements

Simply type the variable name with double braces anywhere in your text: 
Welcome back, {{name}}!

Based on your selection of {{plan-type}}, you'll save {{discount-amount}}.

Join {{percent}}% of {{age-group}} year olds who upgraded today!

​
In Actions

Variables work in action parameters:

​
Combining Variables

Mix variables with text and other variables freely: 
"{{percent}}% of people using {{query.device}} in {{city}} are feeling {{mood}}"
Could display as: 
"73% of people using iPhone in New York are feeling motivated"

​
Variable Rules

​
Naming Requirements

✅ Allowed:
  • Letters and numbers: name, email2, step1
  • Hyphens and underscores: first-name, user_age
  • URL-friendly characters only
❌ Not allowed:
  • Spaces: user name won’t work
  • Special characters: email@address won’t work
  • Unicode: 用户名 won’t work
  • Reserved prefixes: user, query, inputs

​
Case Sensitivity

Variables are case-sensitive:
  • {{name}} ≠ {{Name}} ≠ {{NAME}}
  • Be consistent with your element IDs

​
Missing Variables

When a variable doesn’t exist:
  • The literal text {{variable-name}} displays
  • Analytics logs a variable_not_found event
  • User sees the brackets and all
Always test your funnel flow to ensure variables are collected before they’re used. You can’t display {{email}} before the user provides it.

​
Common Patterns

​
Personalized Feedback

Show users how they compare to others like them: 
"People in {{age-group}} who selected {{plan-type}} save an average of ${{savings}} per year"

​
Progressive Profiling

Build understanding across screens:
  1. Screen 1: Collect {{industry}}
  2. Screen 2: “As someone in {{industry}}, you’ll appreciate…”
  3. Screen 3: Collect {{company-size}}
  4. Screen 4: “{{industry}} companies with {{company-size}} employees typically…”

​
Campaign Tracking

Maintain attribution throughout the funnel: 
Arrived with: ?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=summer
Use throughout: "Exclusive {{query.utm_campaign}} offer for our {{query.utm_source}} community"

​
Dynamic Testimonials

Match testimonials to user context: 
"Just like you, Sarah was looking for a {{plan-type}} solution. 
She's now saving {{percent}}% on her {{category}} expenses."

​
Relationship with Dynamic Actions

Variables and dynamic action states are closely related:
  • Variables: Display data as text ({{age-group}} shows “25-34”)
  • States: Control flow logic (if age-group = “25-34”, navigate to screen X)
Both use the same underlying data - user inputs create both a displayable variable and a state for dynamic actions.
Key difference: Variables are for showing content, states are for controlling behavior. Same data, different purposes.

​
Limitations

​
No Transformations

Variables display exactly as stored:
  • Can’t uppercase/lowercase
  • Can’t truncate or substring
  • Can’t format numbers
  • Can’t calculate with them
Need transformations? Use custom JavaScript.

​
No Default Values

Variables don’t support fallbacks:
  • Can’t do {{name|"Friend"}}
  • Empty variables show as {{name}}
  • No conditional display
Need defaults? Collect the data earlier or use custom code.

​
Session Scope

Variables are bound to one session:
  • Persist throughout the funnel visit
  • Lost when session ends
  • Can’t pass between different funnels
  • Restored if same session continues in new tab

​
Best Practices

​
Name Meaningfully

Use clear, descriptive IDs:
  • ✅ first-name, plan-type, budget-range
  • ❌ input1, field2, var3

​
Test Your Flow

Always preview with test data:
  1. Add test parameters to URL: ?name=Test&plan=Premium
  2. Go through entire funnel
  3. Verify all variables display correctly
  4. Check what happens with missing data

​
Examples

​
Personalized Pricing Page

URL: ?source=podcast&code=SAVE20

Headline: "Exclusive {{query.source}} listener discount!"
Subtext: "Use code {{query.code}} at checkout"
After selection: "You've chosen the {{plan}} plan"
Confirmation: "Thanks {{email}}, your {{plan}} plan is ready!"

​
Quiz Funnel Personalization

Question 1: "What's your age?" → {{age-group}}
Question 2: "Main goal?" → {{goal}}
Question 3: "Experience level?" → {{level}}

Results page:
"Perfect! For someone in their {{age-group}}s looking to {{goal}}, 
with {{level}} experience, we recommend..."

​
Multi-Step Form

Step 1: {{first-name}}, {{last-name}}, {{email}}
Step 2: "Hi {{first-name}}, let's set up your account..."
Step 3: "{{email}} will receive a confirmation..."
Final: "All done, {{first-name}} {{last-name}}!"

​
Troubleshooting

The variable doesn’t exist yet. Check:
  • Element ID matches exactly (case-sensitive)
  • User has actually provided input before you use it
  • Query parameter exists in URL
  • No typos in variable name
Variables must be URL-friendly:
  • Remove spaces (use hyphens or underscores)
  • Remove special characters
  • Use only letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores
These are reserved prefixes:
  • user (for system variables)
  • query (for URL parameters)
  • inputs (for user inputs)
Choose different names for your elements.

​
Next Steps

⌘I