Custom Values and built-in variable sources let you make your Agent Studio agents dynamic, reusable, and easy to scale across Captivation Hub. Instead of hard-coding business details or contact information into every node, you drop in smart placeholders that fill themselves with real data the moment your agent runs.
This guide covers Account details, Contact data, real-time date and time, form submissions, and Custom Values — how to set them up and use them inside your agents without duplication or constant manual updates.
What Are Custom Values and Variables?
Custom Values and Variables let you insert real information into your agent automatically. A variable is a placeholder written inside double curly braces, like {{contact.first_name}}. When the agent runs, Captivation Hub replaces the placeholder with the matching value from your account, the contact record, or whatever source the variable points to.
Key Benefits of Using Variables in Agent Studio
- Personalization at scale: Pull contact names and CRM data into conversations without extra work.
- Real-time awareness: Insert today’s date or current time automatically.
- Safe execution: If a variable has no value, it returns blank instead of breaking your agent.
Custom Values
Custom Values are reusable key–value pairs you define under Settings → Custom Values. Create them once and use them anywhere.
Example:
- Key:
support_email - Value:
support@yourbrand.com
Then inside your agent: For help, email {{custom_values.support_email}}. If you update the value later, the change rolls through everywhere the variable is used.
Account Variables
Account variables pull business information from your Location settings. Use these when your agent needs to reference business name, phone number, address, website, or logo URL.
Example: Welcome to {{account.name}}. Call us at {{account.primary_phone}}. These values pull directly from your Location settings.
Right Now Variables
Right Now variables insert live date and time information — today’s full date, current time, day of the week, month or year.
Example: Today is {{right_now.date}}. The system inserts the correct date based on the location’s timezone.
Form Data Variables
Form Data variables are available when your agent is triggered by a Form Submitted event. Each form field becomes available as a variable.
Example: If your form has a field called “service_type,” you can use: You selected {{form.service_type}}.
Important: Form variables only populate when the agent is triggered by a form submission.
Contact Variables
Contact variables pull information directly from the CRM record. They support both standard and custom fields for deep personalization.
Examples: {{contact.first_name}}, {{contact.last_name}}, {{contact.email}}, plus any custom contact fields. If the contact record updates, the next time the agent runs it will use the updated values.
Contact vs Runtime Variables
Contact variables come from the CRM and stay tied to the contact record. Runtime variables are generated during execution — for example, the output of an API Call node. Runtime variables can be reused in later steps but only exist within that run.
How to Set Up Custom Values and Variables
Step 1 — Create Custom Values
Go to Settings → Custom Values, click Add Custom Value, enter a Key and Value, then click Save.
Step 2 — Open Agent Studio
Head to AI Agents → Agent Studio and open an existing agent or create a new one.
Step 3 — Insert a Variable
Click inside any prompt or message field, then either click the dropdown arrow in the field or type {{ manually. Choose a category — Account, Custom Values, Right Now, Form Data, or Contact — and click a variable to insert it.
Note: Some nodes — like API Call steps — generate runtime variables based on their output. You can reuse these in later steps by selecting them from the variable picker.
Step 4 — Save and Test
Click Save, then Test, run a sample conversation, and confirm variables resolve correctly. If a value comes back blank, check that the corresponding data exists in the CRM or Location settings.
Step 5 — Publish
Once everything works as expected, promote the agent to Production.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a variable has no value?
If the source data is missing or empty, the system simply returns a blank value. It won’t throw an error or stop the agent — safe and reliable execution by design.
Do Right Now variables respect timezone?
Yes. They use the sub-account’s timezone.
Can Form Data variables be used anywhere?
They populate only when the agent is triggered by a Form Submitted event.
Are variable placeholders case-sensitive?
Yes. Use the exact key names shown in the variable picker.
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