Mergefields Management

The Mergefields management page allows administrators to create, edit, organize, and manage merge fields used throughout the system. Merge fields are dynamic placeholders that can be inserted into templates, emails, and documents to automatically populate with relevant data.

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Toolbar Functions

The toolbar provides essential navigation and management controls:

Button	Function	Description
+Add	Create New Field	Opens the merge field creation form to add a new field
Back	Navigate Back	Returns to the previous page in browser history
Close	Close Window	Closes the current window or returns to Control Panel
â?²	Refresh Page	Reloads the page to show updated data
UnDelete	View Deleted	Shows deleted merge fields for recovery (only visible when viewing active fields)
Search	Execute Search	Searches fields by name, label, tag, or category
All	Clear Search	Clears search filters and shows all merge fields

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Search Functionality

The search feature allows you to quickly locate specific merge fields using multiple criteria:

Search Criteria

• Field Name: The internal name of the merge field
• Field Label: The display name shown to users
• Field Tag: The merge tag syntax (e.g., {{field_name}})
• Category: The organizational category the field belongs to

Search is case-insensitive and supports partial matches. Press Enter in the search box or click the Search button to execute the query.

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Data Table Columns

The merge fields table displays comprehensive information about each field:

Column	Description	Features
Checkbox	Selection control for bulk operations	Check individual fields or use header checkbox to select all visible
Field Name	Internal identifier for the merge field	Sortable, searchable, used in system references
Label	User-friendly display name	Sortable, searchable, shown in field selection interfaces
Tag	Merge syntax for templates	Displayed in code formatting, copy-paste ready
Category	Organizational grouping	Sortable, searchable, helps organize fields by purpose
Order	Display sequence number	Sortable, determines order in field selection lists
Actions	Field management controls	Edit, Delete, Move Up/Down buttons
Status	Active/inactive indicator	Click to toggle between active and inactive states
ID	Unique database identifier	Sortable, useful for technical reference

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Individual Field Actions

Each merge field row provides specific action buttons:

Action Buttons

Button	Function	Result
Edit	Modify Field	Opens the field editor to change properties, labels, tags, and settings
Delete	Soft Delete	Marks field as deleted (recoverable via UnDelete view)
â?²	Move Up	Decreases sort order, moving field higher in lists
â?¼	Move Down	Increases sort order, moving field lower in lists

Status Indicators

The status column shows the current state of each merge field:

• â?쳌 Green Check: Field is active and available for use
• â?쳌 Gray Dash: Field is inactive and hidden from selection interfaces

Click the status icon to toggle between active and inactive states instantly.

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Bulk Operations

Perform actions on multiple merge fields simultaneously using the selection checkboxes:

Selection Methods

1. Individual Selection: Check boxes next to specific fields
2. Select All Visible: Use the header checkbox to select all currently displayed fields
3. Cross-Page Selection: DataTables preserves selections across pagination

Available Bulk Actions

Normal View Actions

• Delete Selected: Soft-deletes all selected fields (moves to deleted state)

Deleted View Actions

• Un-Delete Selected: Restores selected fields to active state
• Permanently Delete: Hard-deletes selected fields (irreversible)

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Field Ordering System

Merge fields use a sort order system to control their appearance in selection interfaces:

Ordering Workflow

1. Current Position: Each field has a numeric sort order value
2. Move Up: Swaps sort order with the previous field (lower number)
3. Move Down: Swaps sort order with the next field (higher number)
4. Automatic Reordering: System maintains sequential ordering after moves

Fields with lower sort order numbers appear first in selection lists and interfaces.

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Deletion and Recovery Workflow

The system uses a three-state deletion model for data safety:

Deletion States

State	IsActive Value	Description	Visibility
Active	1 or NULL	Field is available for use	Shown in normal view
Inactive	0	Field is hidden but not deleted	Shown in normal view
Deleted	2	Field is soft-deleted (recoverable)	Only in deleted view

Deletion Workflow Steps

1. Soft Delete: Click Delete button or use bulk delete â?? IsActive = 2
2. View Deleted: Click UnDelete button to access deleted items view
3. Recovery Option: Un-Delete selected items â?? IsActive = 1
4. Permanent Deletion: Hard delete removes records from database (irreversible)

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Permissions and Security

Access to the Mergefields management page requires specific administrative permissions:

Permission Requirements

• Administrator Access: User ID must be 1 (super admin) OR
• Content Editor: User must have "Content_Edit" permission in their sponsor record
• Access Denied: Users without proper permissions see "DENIED" message and are blocked

The system checks permissions on every page load to ensure security compliance.

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DataTable Features

The merge fields table includes advanced DataTable functionality:

Table Controls

• Pagination: 25, 50, 100, or All records per page
• Sorting: Click column headers to sort (excludes checkbox, actions, and status columns)
• Search: Built-in DataTable search (separate from main search box)
• State Persistence: Table remembers your settings between sessions
• Responsive Design: Adapts to different screen sizes

Sorting Capabilities

Most columns support ascending and descending sort:

• Field Name (alphabetical)
• Label (alphabetical)
• Tag (alphabetical)
• Category (alphabetical)
• Order (numerical)
• ID (numerical)

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Creating New Merge Fields

To create a new merge field:

1. Click +Add Button: Located in the toolbar
2. Complete Field Properties: Enter field name, label, tag syntax, and category
3. Set Sort Order: Choose where the field appears in selection lists
4. Configure Settings: Set active status and any additional properties
5. Save Field: Submit the form to create the merge field

New fields are automatically assigned the next available sort order number.

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Best Practices

Naming Conventions

• Field Names: Use descriptive, lowercase names with underscores
• Labels: Create user-friendly display names
• Tags: Follow consistent merge tag syntax (e.g., {{field_name}})
• Categories: Group related fields for better organization

Organization Tips

• Logical Grouping: Use categories to organize fields by purpose
• Sort Order: Arrange frequently-used fields first
• Status Management: Deactivate unused fields rather than deleting
• Regular Review: Periodically audit and clean up obsolete fields