Frequently Asked Questions

The following steps are based on and explain the definition section of the script “Send record with Mail Designer 365.” This script is included in our freely available FileMaker demo database “MailDesignerIntegrationExample” (see link at the end of this FAQ).

Step 1: Create the $AttributeFields Variable

Start by creating a variable named $AttributeFieldsThis variable will contain the text string that defines the placeholder content used in your Mail Designer 365 email template. All values must be separated by commas.

Scenario A: FileMaker Field Names Match the Email Placeholders

Method: Use FileMaker field names that directly match the placeholders in your email design. Build the $AttributeFields variable by listing these field names, separated by commas. In Mail Designer, you simply use the field name as the placeholder. Format: $AttributeFields = "Table::Field1,Table::Field2,Table::Field3" Example Definition of $AttributeFields in FileMaker: $AttributeFields="CityHotel::GUEST_FIRST_NAME,CityHotel::GUEST_LAST_NAME,CityHotel::GUEST_EMAIL,CityHotel::BOOKING_METHOD" In Mail Designer 365, you can reference the values later using these placeholders: GUEST_FIRST_NAME GUEST_LAST_NAME GUEST_EMAIL BOOKING_METHOD ⸻

Scenario B: FileMaker Field Names Do Not Match the Email Placeholders in Mail Designer

Method: Build the $AttributeFields variable by manually mapping each placeholder name to the corresponding field or variable using the format: $AttributeFields = "PLACEHOLDER_NAME:" & FieldName_or_Variable & "," ... Example Definition of $AttributeFields in FileMaker: "BOOKING_DATE:" & RESERVATION_DATE & "," & "BOOKING_TIME:" & RESERVATION_TIME & "," & ... ⸻

Scenario C: Using FileMaker Variables as Placeholders

Method: If your FileMaker variable has the same name as the placeholder in Mail Designer 365, you can directly assign it like this: $AttributeFields = "$city,$country" This tells Mail Designer to use the value of $city for the placeholder named “city”. Example: The FileMaker variable $city contains “Munich”. If your Mail Designer template includes a placeholder named “city”, then define: $AttributeFields = "$city" The script will reveal the content “Munich” and pass it to Mail Designer to populate the “city” placeholder. ⸻

The Best Scenario D: Mixing All Methods

You can combine the approaches above into a single $AttributeFields string. Method: Mix matching field names, manually mapped fields, and variables in the $AttributeFields variable. Example: $AttributeFields = "BOOKING_DATE:" & RESERVATION_DATE & "," & "CityHotel::BREAKFAST_TYPE," & "$city" In Mail Designer 365 you can then reference them with the name BOOKING_DATE, BREAKFAST_TYPE and city