How to interpret personalization errors?
You may find different types of errors when writing dynamic content. Here’s a list of the errors you may find and an explanation for each of them.
“Illegal char…”
Meaning: A character appeared where only a name, number, separator, or part of a string was expected.
Typical Causes:
Using the string delimiter (
') or variable prefix ($) in the wrong place.Mixing double quotes where the language requires single quotes.
Introducing a non-alphanumeric character while building an identifier or a number.
Examples:
👉 {% if trigger_event.name == “John” %} instead of {% if trigger_event.name == 'John' %}
⇒ The issue is the double quotes “”.
👉price $ 30 instead of price == 30
⇒ $ on its own becomes an illegal char.
“Illegal token…”
Meaning: A symbol of this type is not allowed in this part of the code.
Typical Causes
Forgetting a comma between arguments.
Using the wrong operator.
Examples:
👉 price => 3 instead of price >= 3
⇒ The correct operator is >=.
👉 {% set $product = lookup('products' '1') %} instead of
{% set $product = lookup('products', '1') %}
⇒ There should be a comma between the catalog name ‘products’ and the catalog id ‘1’.
“Unbalanced parenthesis…”
Meaning: Closing a parenthesis incorrectly or without valid arguments.
Example :
👉{% set $product = lookup('products', '1' %} instead of
{% set $product = lookup('products', '1') %}
⇒ The second parenthesis after the catalog id ‘1’ is missing.
“Unbalanced sections…”
Meaning: The control block was not properly closed.
Example:
👉 {% if age > 5 %} CONTENT instead of {% if age > 5 %} CONTENT {% endif %}
⇒ The closing block {% endif %} is missing.
“Unbalanced string…” :
Meaning: A string was opened but not properly closed.
Example:
👉 {% if name == 'XYZ %} instead of {% if name == 'XYZ' %}
⇒ The closing quote ‘ is missing.
“Illegal attribute/tag/event name …”
Meaning: The name doesn’t match the expected format, scope, or permissions.
Example:
👉 user..age instead of u.age or age
⇒ The format of the attribute is incorrect.
“A var name and then the equal operator was expected”
Meaning: After {% set, there must be a $variable followed by =.
Example:
👉 {% set = 3 %} instead of {% set $user_id = 3 %}
⇒ The $variable is missing.
“A var name and then the 'in' keyword was expected”
Meaning: After {% for, there must be a variable followed by in.
Example:
👉 {% for $item list %} instead of {% for $item in list %}
⇒ The in is missing.
“The body can't be empty”
Meaning: The block associated with an if, else if, else or for is empty.
Example:
👉{% if condition %}{% endif %} instead of {% if condition %}CONTENT{% endif %}
⇒ There is no content between the display conditions (for dynamic content in SMS, push and In-App).
“Illegal sign operator”
Meaning:
+ or - is used in front of a value that is not a number.
Example:
👉 {% if -true > user_score %} instead of {% if -4 > user_score %}
⇒ true is not a number, and therefore -true is not valid.
“Invalid filter”
Meaning: The filter used to transform the argument is incorrect.
Example:
👉{% if first_name|title(nullIfEmpty:true) != None %} instead of
{% if first_name|trim(nullIfEmpty:true) != None %}
⇒ The filter title(nullIfEmpty:true) is incorrect.
“Illegal end of string…”
Meaning: The string ends too early due to a closing parenthesis missing or placed incorrectly.
Example:
👉 hello {{first_name instead of hello {{first_name}}
⇒ The closing parenthesis is missing.
“Illegal decimal separator…”
Meaning: The symbol used to separate the whole part from the fractional part of a number is incorrect.
Example:
👉 {% if age > 1..5 %} instead of {% if age > 1.5 %}
⇒ The decimal is incorrect.
“Illegal unit char…”
Meaning: A character that isn’t allowed appeared inside a unit (the part that describes measurement like kg, ms, cm).
Example:
👉{% if distance > 10km@ %} instead of {% if distance > 10km %}
⇒ The unit is incorrect.
“Unable to parse this constant…”
Meaning: The system couldn’t read the constant because it’s malformed or contains invalid characters.
Example:
👉 {% if subscription_date == 90days %} instead of {% if subscription_date == 90d %}
⇒ The constant days is incorrect.
“Partial tag… is not allowed”
Meaning: A partial tag is a tag whose full set of values cannot be listed. If a tag is partial (like b.custom_audiences), you cannot use it where the system must enumerate or join all values.
Example:
👉 {{ b.custom_audiences | join(", ") }}
⇒ The system cannot return the complete list of audiences for an installation.
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