Template: Common Mistakes

This page uses Google Docs for its examples. The placeholder rules below apply to Word (.docx) templates as well, since both use the same {{placeholder}} syntax. PDF templates work differently: fields are positioned visually rather than typed into the page.

Placeholder Not Being Replaced

Problem

A placeholder in your template (e.g., {{customer_name}}) appears in the generated document instead of being replaced with actual data.

Causes & Solutions

Name mismatch
Hidden formatting
Smart quotes
Field not mapped

The placeholder name in your template must exactly match the field name from your data source. Placeholder names are case-sensitive.

Template	Data Field	Result
`{{customer_name}}`	`customer_name`	Replaced
`{{Customer_Name}}`	`customer_name`	Not replaced
`{{customer name}}`	`customer_name`	Not replaced

Google Docs may insert invisible formatting characters inside your placeholder brackets, especially if you typed the brackets and placeholder name separately, or copy-pasted from another source.Solution:

Delete the entire placeholder text in Google Docs
Type the full placeholder (including {{ and }}) in one go without pausing
Or copy the placeholder from a plain text editor and paste it into Google Docs

Mismatched Placeholder Brackets

Problem

You see errors or unreplaced placeholders because the opening {{ and closing }} brackets don’t match.

Common Mistakes

{{customer_name}     -- Missing closing bracket
{customer_name}}     -- Missing opening bracket
{{ customer_name }}   -- Spaces inside brackets (these work, but watch for consistency)
{{customer_name}}}   -- Extra closing bracket

Solution

Always use exactly two opening braces {{ and two closing braces }}. Use the Template Check feature in DocsAutomator to validate your template before generating documents.

The Template Check badge on your automation page validates all placeholders. A green badge means all placeholders are properly formatted and mapped.

Line Item Syntax Issues

Problem

Line item rows are not being generated, or the table shows raw placeholder text.

Common Mistakes

Missing table row: Line item placeholders must be placed inside a table row. They cannot be used in regular paragraph text. This applies to Word templates too: a line item marker outside a table row is dropped.
Wrong prefix: Line item placeholders use the format {{line_items_N_fieldName}} where N is the line item group number (1, 2, 3, etc.).
Inconsistent group numbers: All placeholders in the same table row must use the same group number.

Correct	Incorrect
`{{line_items_1_description}}`	`{{line_items_description}}` (missing group number)
`{{line_items_1_price}}`	`{{lineItems_1_price}}` (wrong format)

Solution

Place all line item placeholders in a single table row
Use the correct line_items_N_ prefix format
Ensure the field names after the prefix match your data source fields exactly

Special Characters in Placeholder Names

Problem

Placeholders with special characters in their names fail to be replaced.

Rules for Placeholder Names

Use only letters, numbers, and underscores
Do not use spaces, hyphens, periods, or other special characters in placeholder names
Start with a letter or underscore, not a number

Valid	Invalid
`{{customer_name}}`	`{{customer-name}}`
`{{address_line_1}}`	`{{address.line.1}}`
`{{total_amount}}`	`{{total amount}}`

If your data source field names contain special characters (e.g., Airtable field “Customer Name”), DocsAutomator’s field mapping automatically converts them. Check the mapped placeholder name in your automation settings.

Conditional Section Not Working

Problem

A conditional section ({{#if condition}}...{{/if}}) is not showing or hiding as expected.

Common Causes

Truthy/falsy values: Empty strings, null, undefined, and false evaluate as falsy (section hidden). Non-empty strings, numbers, and true evaluate as truthy (section shown).
Whitespace: A field that appears empty might contain whitespace. Trim values in your data source.
Wrong placeholder name: The condition field name must match a field in your data, just like regular placeholders.

Image Placeholder Issues

Problem

Dynamic image placeholders are not rendering the image, or the image appears broken.

Common Causes

Invalid URL: The image URL must be publicly accessible. Private or authenticated URLs will not work.
URL expired: Some data sources (like Airtable) generate temporary attachment URLs that expire. Ensure the URL is still valid.
Image too large: Very large images may cause timeouts. Optimize images before using them in templates.

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Template: Common Mistakes

Placeholder Not Being Replaced

Problem

Causes & Solutions

Mismatched Placeholder Brackets

Problem

Common Mistakes

Solution

Line Item Syntax Issues

Problem

Common Mistakes

Solution

Special Characters in Placeholder Names

Problem

Rules for Placeholder Names

Conditional Section Not Working

Problem

Common Causes

Image Placeholder Issues

Problem

Common Causes

Template Guide

Line Items

​Placeholder Not Being Replaced

​Problem

​Causes & Solutions

​Mismatched Placeholder Brackets

​Problem

​Common Mistakes

​Solution

​Line Item Syntax Issues

​Problem

​Common Mistakes

​Solution

​Special Characters in Placeholder Names

​Problem

​Rules for Placeholder Names

​Conditional Section Not Working

​Problem

​Common Causes

​Image Placeholder Issues

​Problem

​Common Causes

​Related

Template Guide

Line Items

Placeholder Not Being Replaced

Problem

Causes & Solutions

Mismatched Placeholder Brackets

Problem

Common Mistakes

Solution

Line Item Syntax Issues

Problem

Common Mistakes

Solution

Special Characters in Placeholder Names

Problem

Rules for Placeholder Names

Conditional Section Not Working

Problem

Common Causes

Image Placeholder Issues

Problem

Common Causes

Related