Conditional smart content for senders

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Marya Maksimchuk
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PandaDoc conditional smart content allows you to dynamically populate content library items based on variable values when a user generates a document from a template.

Availability: Business* and Enterprise plan

* The feature is available as a paid add-on.

Note:

A user in an Admin or Manager role can set up conditional content in all templates. A user in a Member role can set up conditional content only in their own templates.

A smart content block also allows you to pre-select content that other users on your account can add to a document. Find out more here

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How to set up rules for conditional content

Start by adding a smart content block to your template. Next, click on the block or Properties on the floating panel, then select Conditional content.  Continue by selecting Add rule in the properties panel on the right. 

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Note:

You can't add Smart Content block to a cover page or an uploaded page. 

In the pop-up, select a variable your rule will be based on — you can either choose any variable from the dropdown or enter your CRM variable. Make sure the CRM variable name is the exact same in the rule and the CRM.

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Note:

You can set up to 50 conditions per rule, with a maximum of 10 content library items per condition.

Rules are based on if/then logic.

In the If section, you’ll need to specify a variable value based on which content library items will be auto-populated in the smart content block. Conditional content can be based on a role or system variable (including pricing table variables), or any of your CRM variables.

Note:

​​It’s crucial that you spell the variable exactly as it’s spelled in the PandaDoc variables tab or your CRM variables list. However, variable values are case-insensitive (example: “USA” is the same as “usa”).
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In the Then section, specify which content library items should be added if the value of the variable matches the condition. You can add up to 10 content library items per condition.

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Once you’ve selected content library items to be added, save your rule by selecting Save.

If no conditions are met, a smart content block will be hidden on sending. In such cases, you can also select default content library items to be populated.

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How to edit a rule

To make changes to a rule open your template, and select smart content block. Then, select Edit rule on the floating panel, or click the Edit rule pen icon on the rule preview pane in the Properties panel on the right.

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PandaDoc role and system variables that can be used to set up rules for conditional content.

  • TemplateRoleName.FirstName
  • TemplateRoleName.LastName
  • TemplateRoleName.Email
  • TemplateRoleName.Company
  • TemplateRoleName.Phone
  • TemplateRoleName.Country
  • TemplateRoleName.State
  • TemplateRoleName.City
  • TemplateRoleName.StreetAddress
  • TemplateRoleName.PostalCode
  • TemplateRoleName.Title

TemplateRoleName is usually Client and Sender — so, Client.RoleName and Sender.RoleName.

  • PricingTableName.Subtotal
  • PricingTableName.Discount
  • PricingTableName.Tax
  • PricingTableName.Lineitemtaxtotal
  • PricingTableName.Fee
  • PricingTableName.LineItemDiscountTotal
  • PricingTableName.TotalQTY
  • PricingTableName.Total

Note:

Pricing table variables use data from the pricing table footer in your template. Each row you add to the footer of your pricing table will appear as a variable, as long as it has a value.
  • Document.CreatedDate
  • Document.RefNumber
  • Document.SeqNumber
  • Document.Value

How to create a document from a template with conditional smart content 

Creating documents via CRM

Learn more about passing information with variables in HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce. Here’s an article about specific CRMs.

If your rule is based on a CRM variable, open the CRM entity you copied your variable from, then select Create a new document in the PandaDoc widget.

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Once you choose your template and create a document, your smart content will be auto-populated with pre-selected content library items if a rule condition is met. If no conditions are met, the smart content block will be either hidden from recipients when you send the document, or default content will be auto-populated.

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Note:

When you bundle several templates with smart content blocks into one document, each smart content will be auto-populated with pre-selected content library items if a rule condition is met. If no conditions are met, the smart content block will be either hidden from recipients when you send the document, or default content will be auto-populated.

Creating documents in Editor 

If your rule is based on a PandaDoc role variable, pricing table variable, system variable, or custom variable, select Use this template at the top of the page to generate a document first. Assign recipients to the roles in your template, then select Continue.

Content library items in your generated document will be auto-populated based on the contact / pricing table / system information.

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If a mistake appears within a condition and a wrong content library item was populated, you can easily fix it in the generated document. Go to the Variables tab on the right panel, find the variable your rule is based on, then enter the correct value. The smart content block will then be auto-updated.

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Note:

When you bundle several templates with smart content blocks into one document, each smart content will be auto-populated with pre-selected content library items if a rule condition is met. If no conditions are met, the smart content block will be either hidden from recipients when you send the document, or default content will be auto-populated.

PandaDoc conditional smart content via API

You can add a smart content block in a template and use our Public API to insert content library items. Learn more about this here. 

Functional limitations for CRM and editor

  • Users can add a smart content block with conditional rules only on the template level to automate the document generation process.
  • Users can create one rule per smart content block.
  • Users can create up to 50 conditions per smart content block.
  • Users can select up to 10 content library items per condition.
  • Users can have as many smart content blocks in the template as necessary.
  • Variable values are case-insensitive.
  • Version history does not save conditional rules for smart content blocks.
  • Conditional rules within the smart content block are saved when you duplicate a block, but not when you duplicate a page containing a smart content block.
  • In case of template duplication, all conditional rules within the template will be saved.
  • Smart content does not work via bulk send.
  • Smart content within shared templates works in view mode in other workspaces if you also share corresponding content library items.
  • Our mobile app doesn’t support content library items at this time. As a result, it isn’t possible to interact with smart content blocks on the document level while using the mobile app.

Planned improvements

  • Improved adaptability of smart content in our mobile app.
  • Advanced logic within rules.
  • Pricing table as a trigger.

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