Step 1 — Spot what changes
Open your document and read it as if you were about to send it to two different people. Anything you'd have to retype — the counterparty's name, the amount, the start date, the deliverables — is a placeholder. Everything else (your clauses, your formatting) stays put.
Step 2 — Replace it with {{double_braces}}
Type the field name in double curly braces, no spaces, lowercase with underscores. The braces are what a generator looks for, and the consistent naming makes mapping to a spreadsheet automatic.
This Agreement is entered into between
{{client_name}} and {{creator_name}}.
Fee: {{fee}} · Posts due: {{posting_date}}
Naming conventions that save you trouble
- Use lowercase and underscores: {{client_name}}, not {{Client Name}}.
- Be specific: {{posting_date}} beats {{date}} when there are several dates.
- Keep names consistent with your spreadsheet headers so they map themselves.
- Reuse the same placeholder anywhere the same value should appear.
Step 3 — Fill them automatically
With placeholders in place, you no longer edit the document by hand. Pair the template with a spreadsheet — one row per contract — and generate contracts from Excel, or read the bigger picture in personalize a contract for each person automatically.
Upload your placeholder template
Bring your marked-up .docx, map the placeholders to your columns, and download a ZIP of finished documents. Free to try, no credit card required.
Frequently asked questions
What should a placeholder look like?
Wrap the field name in double curly braces with no spaces, like {{client_name}} or {{fee}}. Use lowercase and underscores so the names stay consistent and easy to map to spreadsheet columns.
Will placeholders break my formatting?
No. A placeholder is just text — it keeps the font, size, and style of the surrounding paragraph. When it's filled in, the value inherits that same formatting.
Can I reuse the same placeholder twice?
Yes. If {{client_name}} appears five times in the document, all five are filled with the same value, so you only provide it once.