Klaviyo First Name Tag: 6 Steps to Personalise Emails & Boost Engagement (2025)
Email Marketing · Personalisation

Klaviyo First Name Tag: 6 Steps to Personalise Emails & Boost Engagement

8 min read By Sendora Team

Personalisation is the difference between another campaign in the inbox and an email that feels written just for your customer. “Dear customer” gets ignored. “Hi Sarah, your early access is live” — that sparks attention and a click. The Klaviyo first name tag is the quickest, safest way to make that happen at scale.

What You’ll Learn
  • The exact Klaviyo first name tag syntax and Django-style filters you need
  • How to capture and clean first names at source
  • 6-step setup inside Klaviyo’s editor — subject line, preheader, and body
  • Natural fallback options that keep your brand voice intact
  • A troubleshooting checklist for the most common slip-ups
  • Fast A/B tests to measure open and click uplift

What Is the Klaviyo First Name Tag?

The Klaviyo first name tag is a dynamic placeholder that resolves to the profile’s First Name property at send time. You can use it anywhere a text field appears inside Klaviyo: email subject lines, preheaders, body content, SMS, and push notifications.

It uses Django-style filters — the same templating language Klaviyo uses throughout its personalisation system. You can chain filters together to format the name and set a fallback in a single expression.

Klaviyo First Name Tag Syntax Breakdown

{{ first_name }}
Basic tag — renders the profile’s first name as stored. No casing correction, no fallback if the field is blank.
{{ first_name|title }}
Applies Title Case so “sARAh” renders correctly as “Sarah.” Does not correct spacing or punctuation — only letter casing.
{{ first_name|default:’there’ }}
Shows a fallback word when the first name field is blank. The subscriber sees “there” instead of an empty gap.
{{ first_name|title|default:’Friend’ }}
Recommended. Chains both filters — title-cases the name if present, falls back to “Friend” if the field is empty. This is the safest production-ready format.
Recommended subject line format
{{ first_name|title|default:'Friend' }}, your early access is live.
Important Personalisation variables pull from the recipient’s profile in campaigns, and from the event + profile in flow messages. Event properties only render in event-triggered flows — they won’t populate in one-off campaigns. The first name, however, is a profile property and works in both. Always use the Preview panel to confirm which variables are available for the specific message you’re editing.
Klaviyo text editor showing the personalisation tag insertion panel with first name tag and default fallback field
Klaviyo’s personalisation panel — insert the first name tag and set your fallback in one step Klaviyo Personalisation Guide →
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Related Guide
Klaviyo Flow Triggers 101: Turn Customer Data into Revenue
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How Klaviyo Captures First Names

The Klaviyo first name tag can only resolve if the profile has a first_name property populated. Here are the main ways to make sure it is — and how to keep the data clean.

Sign-Up Forms

Add a Text input mapped to First Name in your Klaviyo form builder. Capturing names at opt-in is the most reliable source for new subscribers.

Checkout Integrations

Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce sync customer name fields into Klaviyo profiles automatically once the integration is connected.

CSV Imports

When importing a list, map your spreadsheet’s “First Name” column to the first_name property exactly — Klaviyo won’t recognise “firstname” or “name” as alternatives.

Zapier & Third-Party Tools

Lead sources like Typeform, Facebook Lead Ads, and Zapier can pass first names to Klaviyo when fields are correctly mapped in the connector workflow.

Profiles API

Update or create profiles programmatically using Klaviyo’s Profiles API to set the first_name attribute at scale from any data source.

Quality Tip

Always use the |title filter at render time to normalise casing from forms — even if you can’t control how the data was submitted at source.

Klaviyo preview panel showing profile data source selection with first name property populated
Klaviyo Preview & Test panel — validate first name renders correctly before every send Klaviyo Preview & Test Guide →
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Related Guide
Shopify x Klaviyo: The Ultimate Integration Guide
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Klaviyo First Name Tag Setup: 6 Steps

Follow these steps to insert, format, and test the Klaviyo first name tag — so every send feels personal, even when data is missing.

1

Open Your Message

In a Klaviyo campaign or flow email, SMS, or push notification, open the editor and click into the subject line, preheader, or a text block where you want personalisation to appear.

2

Insert the First Name Tag

Click the Personalisation icon → select First name. In the Default text field, add a fallback that fits your tone (e.g. “Friend”). Klaviyo generates the correct tag syntax automatically.

Klaviyo editor dropdown showing personalisation fields including first name, last name, and email with default fallback option
The Personalisation dropdown — select First name and set your fallback in the Default text field Klaviyo Personalisation →
3

Refine with Filters

For manual entry, type the full expression directly into the text field:

{{ first_name|title|default:'Friend' }}

This fixes casing and provides a fallback in one clean step. Always chain |title before |default — the order matters.

4

Preview with Real Data

Click Preview & Test. For campaigns, choose a real profile. For flow messages, also select the triggering event. Confirm the name renders correctly — and that your fallback appears for profiles with a blank first name field.

Klaviyo preview screen showing a profile with first name property populated and the rendered email preview
Always preview with a real profile — not a test profile with missing data Preview & Test in Klaviyo →
5

Run Inbox Testing (Optional but Recommended)

Use Klaviyo’s Inbox Testing to preview how personalisation renders across different email clients — Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail — before sending to your full list.

Klaviyo inbox preview sharing screen with toggle enabled and preview link generated for cross-client testing
Klaviyo Inbox Testing — check personalisation renders correctly across all major email clients Inbox Testing Guide →
6

Send a Test Email

Send yourself and a teammate a live test to check tone, spacing, and name rendering in a real inbox. This is your final check before going live.

Copy Examples — Ready to Use
Subject {{ first_name|title|default:’Friend’ }}, your picks are back in stock.
Greeting Hey {{ first_name|title|default:’there’ }} — your early access starts now.
Cart {{ first_name|title|default:’Friend’ }}, your cart is waiting.
Loyalty Congrats {{ first_name|title|default:’Valued Guest’ }} — you’ve unlocked a reward.
Win-Back We miss you, {{ first_name|title|default:’Legend’ }}.
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Related Guide
8 Essential Klaviyo Flows to Boost Customer Loyalty
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Setting Up Fallbacks That Match Your Brand Voice

A fallback is what subscribers see when the first name field is blank. In Klaviyo, you can set it via the Default text field in the UI, or inline with the |default filter. Pick one tone and use it consistently across all messages.

Tone Fallback Example Best For
Friendly 'there' Hey there — DTC, lifestyle, casual brands
Warm 'Friend' Hi Friend, Community-driven or wellness brands
Premium 'Valued Guest' Dear Valued Guest, Luxury, high-ticket, hospitality
Playful 'Legend' We miss you, Legend. Win-back, re-engagement flows
Neutral 'you' This one’s for you. B2B, professional tone
Style Guardrail Always read the full sentence aloud with your fallback in place. If “Hi Subscriber,” sounds robotic, rewrite the line. And sanity-check with Preview across three profiles: one with a clean name, one with odd casing, and one with a blank field.
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Related Guide
Klaviyo Brand Voice: 7 Steps to Stay Consistent & Convert More
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High-Impact Placements for the Klaviyo First Name Tag

Use first-name tags strategically — not on every line. These four placements deliver the highest impact across Klaviyo flows and campaigns.

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Welcome Email
Hi {{ first_name|title|default:’there’ }} — Let’s get you set up.
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Abandoned Cart
{{ first_name|title|default:’Friend’ }}, your cart is waiting.
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Loyalty & Rewards
Congrats {{ first_name|title|default:’Valued Guest’ }} — you’ve unlocked a reward.
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Re-Engagement
We miss you, {{ first_name|title|default:’Legend’ }}.
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Related Guide
Klaviyo Dynamic Content: Unlock 3x Engagement
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Troubleshooting Klaviyo First Name Tag Issues

If your first name tag isn’t rendering the way you expect, work through these five common problems and fixes:

First name not showing — field is blank
Open the customer profile and confirm the First Name field is populated. If it’s blank, collect names via sign-up forms, ensure API events pass first_name, or update missing data through CSV import. Always use a fallback as insurance.
Tag not rendering at all — syntax error
Klaviyo requires double curly braces with filters separated by pipes. A missing brace or quotation mark breaks the tag entirely. Always copy valid syntax from Klaviyo’s UI picker to eliminate typos: {{ first_name|title|default:'Friend' }}
Wrong data in flows vs campaigns
Campaigns only pull from profile properties. Flows can also use event data. If you insert an event variable into a campaign, it won’t render. Use the Preview panel to confirm which variables are available for your specific message type.
CSV import — names still not appearing
Check your spreadsheet column header exactly. It must match first_name — Klaviyo won’t recognise “firstname”, “First Name”, or “name” without exact mapping. Correct the header and re-import the file.
Unsure which variables are available
Open the Preview panel to see exactly which profile or event properties are available for the message. If unsure, re-insert via the UI picker and set a Default text — this removes all guesswork.

A/B Test the Impact of First Name Personalisation

Think of first-name usage as a testable hypothesis: “Adding a name to the subject line increases open rate without harming clicks.” Here’s how to run that test properly in Klaviyo.

Simple Subject Line A/B Test

Control (A)
Your new arrivals are here.
Variant (B)
{{ first_name|title|default:’Friend’ }}, your new arrivals are here.

How to Run in Klaviyo

  • Campaigns: Use built-in A/B Testing — split traffic, choose your KPI (open rate), and declare a winner after reaching statistical significance
  • Flows: Use Flow A/B Split to test subject lines and greetings within automated sequences

Best-Practice Guardrails

  • Test one variable at a time — don’t change subject line and design simultaneously
  • Stick to 2 variations max for clean, readable results
  • Ensure adequate sample size before calling a winner
  • If lift is marginal or negative, revert to fallback-only — personalisation should help, not distract
Klaviyo A/B test setup interface showing two subject line variants with traffic split and KPI selection
Klaviyo A/B testing — run subject line splits to measure the impact of first-name personalisation A/B Testing in Klaviyo →
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Related Guide
Klaviyo Split Testing: 12 Proven A/B Tests to Boost Flow Conversions, Campaign Clicks & Form Sign-Ups
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Klaviyo First Name Tag

Can I personalise both the subject line and preheader with the first name tag? +
Yes — both fields accept Klaviyo personalisation tags. Insert via the Personalisation menu and always add a fallback via Default text to avoid blank renders on profiles without a name.
Does the Klaviyo first name tag work in SMS and push notifications? +
Yes. First-name tags are fully supported across email, SMS, and push notifications. Use the Default text field in the UI to guarantee consistent output on every channel.
What if I only collect full names in my Klaviyo forms? +
Split the name at the form or platform level before syncing to Klaviyo so that first_name is populated as a separate field. Alternatively, parse the full name string via the API before it enters the profile.
Will using the first name tag slow down campaign sending? +
No. Tags are resolved at send time automatically by Klaviyo’s backend. There is no performance impact or delay added to your sends regardless of list size.
Should I personalise every Klaviyo email with a first name? +
No. Overuse feels forced and can actually reduce trust. Use first-name tags strategically in high-value moments — welcome emails, abandoned cart, loyalty updates, and win-back flows — where the personal touch genuinely adds warmth.

Key Takeaways

  • Use clean syntax: {{ first_name|title|default:'Friend' }} is the safest, most polished production format — chain title before default.
  • Always set fallbacks: Avoid awkward blanks with the Default text field in the UI or the |default filter inline.
  • Capture first names at source: Collect via forms, checkout integrations, CSV imports, or the Profiles API to keep data clean.
  • Preview with real data: Validate every tag in the Preview panel and send a test before going live — never rely on a test profile with missing fields.
  • Test strategically: Run A/B tests in campaigns and flows to prove open and click lift before scaling personalisation across all sends.
  • Match your brand tone: Choose fallbacks that align with your voice — “Friend,” “there,” “Legend,” or “Valued Guest” — and use them consistently.

Not getting higher open rates from first-name personalisation?

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