# Personalization token as default value **URL:** \ **Category:** Email Marketing Tool\ **Tags:** professional\ **Created:** [September 29, 2022, 10:20am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/personalization-token-as-default-value/66148 "2022-09-29T10:20:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThomasVallee](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/thomasvallee/32/79602_2.png) [@ThomasVallee](https://community.hubspot.com/u/ThomasVallee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 10:20am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/personalization-token-as-default-value/66148/1 "2022-09-29T10:20:21Z")
Hi there, Is it possible to use a personalization token as the default value (of another personalization token) in a marketing mail ? For example, we use the token “First Name” but if the value is unknown we would like to use the token “Email adress”. I have looked at the smart rules component but I’m not sure it be relevant for this particular use case. Thanks in advance. Best regards Thomas ---
**Author:** ![deepikaverma](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/deepikaverma/32/671_2.png) [@deepikaverma](https://community.hubspot.com/u/deepikaverma)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 10:40am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/personalization-token-as-default-value/66148/2 "2022-09-29T10:40:50Z")
Hi [@ThomasVallée](https://community.hubspot.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/366683) , We can’t set the global defaults to the email address of the contact if its first name is missing because both of these are two different properties. - However, you can set a Global default value for the first name property if it is missing and that default value will be visible for the contact. - _Go to Setting \> Marketing \> Emails\> Personnalization\> Contact Property Defaults \> Edit Defaults_ ![deepikaverma_0-1664447998619.png](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/3/f/3f053df31dea5499c6f383dafdef8e1807da6cb0.png) I hope it helps! Thank you. Reference article: [Create default values for personalization tokens](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/email/how-do-i-create-default-values-for-my-personalization-tokens) ---
**Author:** ![ThomasVallee](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/thomasvallee/32/79602_2.png) [@ThomasVallee](https://community.hubspot.com/u/ThomasVallee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 11:55am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/personalization-token-as-default-value/66148/3 "2022-09-29T11:55:55Z")
Hi @deepikaverma, Thank you very much for your answer, unfortunately that’s not exactly what I was looking for 😅. Do you think it’s absolutely impossible to use a personalization token as a default value, even with some code ? Best regards, Thomas ---
**Author:** ![deepikaverma](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/deepikaverma/32/671_2.png) [@deepikaverma](https://community.hubspot.com/u/deepikaverma)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 12:56pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/personalization-token-as-default-value/66148/4 "2022-09-29T12:56:16Z")
Hi [@ThomasVallée](https://community.hubspot.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/366683) I don’t have much experience with programmable emails however @karstenkoehler has given the alternative of the smart content rule. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![karstenkoehler](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/karstenkoehler/32/68554_2.png) [@karstenkoehler](https://community.hubspot.com/u/karstenkoehler)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 11:47am UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/personalization-token-as-default-value/66148/5 "2022-09-29T11:47:02Z")
Hi [@ThomasVallée](https://community.hubspot.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/366683), This is not possible via personalization tokens directly, I tested this just now. If you add {{ contact.email }} (the syntax for the personalization token) as the default value of another property, it simply resolves into an empty box in the recipient’s inbox: ![karstenkoehler_1-1664451905045.png](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/9/8/98dc5f519d5af7ab5c742a68914ecc409b192f3a.png) It might be possible to achieve this with programmable email but there’s actually an easier way. Simply create a smart rule in your marketing email: [Create and manage smart content rules](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/website-pages/create-and-manage-smart-content-rules#add-smart-content-to-your-marketing-emails-marketing-hub-professional-and-enterprise-only) You would have to create a list first that populates with all contacts where the first name is known. You can then set up a smart rule in your email: show first name when contact is in this list. Show email address when contact is not on the list. Hope this helps! ---
**Author:** ![ThomasVallee](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/thomasvallee/32/79602_2.png) [@ThomasVallee](https://community.hubspot.com/u/ThomasVallee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 12:07pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/personalization-token-as-default-value/66148/6 "2022-09-29T12:07:13Z")
Hi @karstenkoehler, Thank you for taking the time to do some tests and to help me. I tried different syntaxes as well but none worked. When previewing an email from the marketing emails list, the syntax is a little bit different from what you can see when editing the content (see below) : ![ThomasValle_0-1664452907040.png](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/8/6/86d6d85454df5618ba1ac3aab6f4ba8d8447f6f7.png) I thought I might found a workaround but unfortunately I’m still a Hubspot rookie 😊. With a heavy heart, I will consider creating and using a smart rule…😏 Once again, thank you @deepikaverma and @karstenkoehler ! Best regards, Thomas ---
**Author:** ![niederberger](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/niederberger/32/65040_2.png) [@niederberger](https://community.hubspot.com/u/niederberger)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/personalization-token-as-default-value/66148/7 "2023-01-31T21:13:09Z")
Hello. I did try to do the same thing and if you add this to an HTML block {{ contact.firstname }} I get the firstname out. I know it’s not exaclty what you were looking for but maybe you can use that somehow 🙂