Using Spintax in Emails

Prefinery supports spintax, a simple syntax that lets you automatically generate variations of your email content. This is useful for making your emails feel more natural, and avoiding repetition.

Spintax can be used in:

• Email subject lines
• Email preheaders
• Email message bodies

Each time an email is sent, Prefinery will randomly choose one of the variations defined in your spintax.

What is Spintax?

Spintax (short for “spinning syntax”) is a formatting method that allows you to define multiple variations of text within a single line.

It uses curly braces {}  and pipe separators |  .

Example:

{Hi|Hello|Hey} {{user.first_name}},

When the email is sent, Prefinery will randomly select one option from the brackets. The recipient might receive:

• Hi John,
• Hello John,
• Hey John,

Why Use Spintax?

Spintax is helpful when sending emails where identical wording may feel robotic or repetitive.

Common benefits include:

Reduce Repetition, More Natural Emails

Variation helps your automated emails sound less repetitive and more conversational, especially if you're doing follow-ups or sending more than one email to a user throughout the campaign.

Improved Deliverability

Email service providers and spam filters may falsely flag repetitive content.

When sending emails to large audiences, having identical content across thousands of messages can sometimes make emails appear more like bulk or automated messages.

Spintax introduces small variations in wording, which can help make emails appear more natural across recipients, while reducing the risk of being automatically marked as spam.

For example, instead of sending the exact same subject line to every user:

Welcome to the waitlist

You could use spintax:

{Welcome to the waitlist|You're on the list|Your waitlist spot is confirmed}

Each recipient may receive a slightly different subject line while keeping the overall message consistent.

Where Spintax Can Be Used in Prefinery

Spintax can be used anywhere inside an email's content fields:

Spintax can also be used while editing the message body in HTML mode:

How to Write Spintax

The basic format is:

{option1|option2|option3}

Prefinery will randomly choose one option when generating the email.

Example:

{Hi|Hello|Hey} there!

Possible outputs:

• Hi there!
• Hello there!
• Hey there!

Combining Spintax with Personalization Variables

Spintax works seamlessly with Prefinery personalization variables.

Example:

{Hi|Hello|Hey} {{user.first_name}},

Possible outputs:

• Hi Sarah,
• Hello Sarah,
• Hey Sarah,

You can also use any valid Prefinery variable inside spintax blocks.

Example:

{Thanks for joining the waitlist|We're excited you signed up}, {{user.first_name}}!

Using Multiple Spintax Blocks

You can include multiple spintax blocks in the same sentence.

Example:

{Hi|Hello|Hey} {{user.first_name}}, {thanks for signing up|welcome to the waitlist|glad you're here}.

Possible output:

• Hello John, thanks for signing up.
• Hey John, welcome to the waitlist.
• Hi John, glad you're here.

Each block is processed independently.

Nested Spintax (Advanced)

Spintax can also be nested to create even more combinations.

Example:

{Hi|Hello} {{user.first_name}}, {thanks for {joining|signing up for}|welcome to} the waitlist!

Possible outputs:

• Hi John, thanks for joining the waitlist!
• Hello John, thanks for signing up for the waitlist!
• Hello John, welcome to the waitlist!

Nested spintax is optional but can create many variations from a single message.

Best Practices

Keep variations similar in meaning

Avoid options that dramatically change the message.

Good:

{Thanks for joining|Welcome aboard|We're excited you're here}

Not ideal:

{Thanks for joining|Your payment failed|We canceled your account}

Don’t overuse spintax

Too many variations can make messages feel inconsistent. Start with small changes such as:

• greetings
• short phrases
• subject lines

Test your email

Always send test emails to verify your spintax formatting is correct.

Common Mistakes with Spintax

Spintax is simple to use, but small formatting errors can cause it to display incorrectly in your emails. Below are some common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Missing Curly Braces

Spintax must always be wrapped in curly braces {}  .

Incorrect:

Hi|Hello|Hey {{user.first_name}}

Correct:

{Hi|Hello|Hey} {{user.first_name}}

Without the braces, Prefinery will treat the text as normal content instead of spintax.

Missing Pipe Separators

Each variation inside a spintax block must be separated using a pipe character |  .

Incorrect:

{Hi Hello Hey}

Correct:

{Hi|Hello|Hey}

The pipe tells Prefinery where each variation begins and ends.

Unclosed Spintax Blocks

If a closing brace }   is missing, the spintax will not process correctly.

Incorrect:

{Hi|Hello|Hey {{user.first_name}},

Correct:

{Hi|Hello|Hey} {{user.first_name}},

Always check that every opening {   has a matching closing }  .

Using Too Many Variations

While spintax allows you to generate many combinations, too many variations can make emails feel inconsistent.

Example:

{Hi|Hello|Hey|Greetings|Salutations|Good day|What's up}

Instead, keep variations simple and natural:

{Hi|Hello|Hey}

This keeps your messaging consistent while still adding variety.

Changing the Meaning of the Message

Each variation should communicate the same general idea. Avoid options that change the message or tone significantly.

Not ideal:

{Welcome to the waitlist|Your payment failed|Your account has been canceled}

Better:

{Welcome to the waitlist|Thanks for signing up|We're excited to have you}

All variations should support the same message.

Nesting Spintax Incorrectly

Nested spintax can create powerful combinations, but the braces must still be properly balanced.

Incorrect:

{Hi|Hello {{user.first_name}}, thanks for {joining|signing up}}

Correct:

{Hi|Hello} {{user.first_name}}, thanks for {joining|signing up}.

If you're using nested spintax, double-check that each block is properly structured.

Forgetting to Send a Test Email

Before activating an email in Prefinery, it's a good idea to send a test email to ensure your spintax is formatted correctly.

This helps confirm that:

• variations appear as expected
• personalization variables render properly
• there are no missing braces or separators