Skip to main content

Step 3: Add Placeholders to Your Template

Time to complete: ~3 minutes
What you'll do: Add placeholder markers to your Google Doc template
What you'll need: Your template open in the Gdocify editor

Placeholders are blank spaces in your template that get filled in with data automatically. Think of them like blanks in a form that get filled with each person's information.

What Are Placeholders?​

Placeholders are special text markers in your Google Doc that tell Gdocify "replace this with data from my data source." They look like this: {{placeholderName}}

For example:

  • {{firstName}} becomes "John" or "Sarah" based on your data
  • {{email}} becomes the email address from your spreadsheet
  • {{companyName}} becomes the company name
Where to Add Placeholders

Location: Add placeholders directly in your Google Doc template (the left side of the editor). Simply click where you want the placeholder and type {{yourPlaceholderName}}.

How to Create Placeholders​

Creating placeholders is simple - just type them directly in your Google Doc:

  1. Open your template in the Gdocify editor
  2. Click where you want to add a placeholder
  3. Type the placeholder syntax: {{yourPlaceholderName}}
  4. The placeholder will appear in your document

Example: Resume Template​

Let's say you're creating a resume template. You might add placeholders like:

{{candidateName}}
{{candidateEmail}}
{{candidatePhone}}
{{candidateAddress}}

Experience:
{{experience1}}
{{experience2}}

Skills:
{{skills}}

When Gdocify generates documents, each {{placeholderName}} gets replaced with actual data from your data source.

Placeholder Naming Best Practices​

Use clear, descriptive names:

✅ Good examples:

  • {{candidateName}}
  • {{invoiceNumber}}
  • {{customerEmail}}
  • {{orderDate}}

❌ Avoid:

  • {{name1}} (not descriptive)
  • {{x}} (too vague)
  • {{placeholder}} (doesn't tell you what it is)

Tips for Adding Placeholders​

  • Match your data fields: Use names similar to your data source fields for easier mapping later
  • Be consistent: Use the same naming style throughout (camelCase or snake_case)
  • Test as you go: Add a few placeholders, then test to make sure they work before adding more
  • Use descriptive names: Future you will thank you when you need to update the template

What Happens Next?​

After adding placeholders to your template, Gdocify automatically detects them. Now you need to tell Gdocify which data fields to use for each placeholder. Continue to Step 4: Map Placeholders to Data Fields.

Common Mistakes​

  • Forgetting the double curly braces: Use {{name}} not {name} or [name]
  • Typos in placeholder names: {{firstName}} and {{firstname}} are different
  • Spaces in names: Use {{firstName}} not {{first name}}