Some records may use placeholder values when a person has a single name or when a first name is not known. Liquid markup can help avoid greetings such as Hello fnu by checking for the placeholder value and displaying a better name value instead.
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Before you begin
Identify the placeholder values your institution uses, such as
fnu,lnu, or..Confirm which export should be used when the placeholder appears. In many cases, this is the last name or a full-name export.
Test the Liquid markup with records that have standard names, placeholder values, and blank values.
Use an if statement
The following example displays the last name when the first name is fnu. Otherwise, it displays the preferred name.
{% if {{Person-First}} == 'fnu' %}{{Person-Last}}{% else %}{{Person-Preferred}}{% endif %}For example, this greeting:
Hello {% if {{Person-First}} == 'fnu' %}{{Person-Last}}{% else %}{{Person-Preferred}}{% endif %},prevents the rendered message from addressing the recipient by the placeholder value.
Check for multiple placeholder values
If your institution uses more than one placeholder, include each value in the condition:
{% if {{Person-First}} == 'fnu' or {{Person-First}} == '.' %}{{Person-Last}}{% else %}{{Person-Preferred}}{% endif %}📝 Note
Adjust the placeholder values and fallback merge field to match your institution's data conventions. The example uses
fnuonly because it is a common placeholder for an unknown first name.
Apply the pattern consistently
After testing, use the same name-display logic anywhere the recipient may see their name, such as:
Deliver mailing greetings.
Portal welcome text.
Decision letters.
Event confirmations or form communications.
For more Liquid markup examples, see Getting Started with Liquid Markup.