Liquid Course for ConvertKit

Functions in Liquid and ConvertKit

Learn how to use built-in Liquid functions and create your own custom functions to enhance your ConvertKit automation

Functions are powerful tools in Liquid that allow you to transform and manipulate data in your ConvertKit emails and forms. This guide will show you how to use built-in Liquid functions and create your own custom functions to enhance your ConvertKit automation.

What are Functions?

Functions in Liquid are operations that:

  • Transform data
  • Perform calculations
  • Format content
  • Manipulate strings
  • Handle arrays and objects

Basic Function Syntax

Functions in Liquid are typically used with the pipe (|) operator:

{{ variable | function_name: argument1, argument2 }}

Common Built-in Functions

String Functions

{{ "hello world" | capitalize }}
{{ "Hello World" | downcase }}
{{ "hello world" | upcase }}
{{ "hello world" | replace: "hello", "hi" }}
{{ "hello world" | truncate: 5 }}

Array Functions

{% assign tags = subscriber.tags | sort %}
{% assign first_tag = tags | first %}
{% assign last_tag = tags | last %}
{% assign unique_tags = tags | uniq %}

Math Functions

{{ 5 | plus: 3 }}
{{ 10 | minus: 4 }}
{{ 6 | times: 7 }}
{{ 20 | divided_by: 4 }}
{{ 15 | modulo: 4 }}

ConvertKit-Specific Functions

Subscriber Functions

{{ subscriber.email | encode }}
{{ subscriber.created_at | date: "%B %d, %Y" }}
{{ subscriber.tags | join: ", " }}

Form Functions

{{ form.name | escape }}
{{ form.url | url_encode }}
{{ form.fields | json }}

Content Functions

{{ content | strip_html }}
{{ content | truncatewords: 20 }}
{{ content | markdownify }}

Creating Custom Functions

While Liquid doesn't support custom functions directly, you can create reusable snippets using includes:

{% include 'format_date' with date: subscriber.created_at %}

Advanced Function Usage

Chaining Functions

{{ subscriber.first_name | capitalize | truncate: 10 }}
{{ subscriber.tags | sort | join: ", " }}

Conditional Function Application

{% if subscriber.tags.size > 5 %}
  {{ subscriber.tags | slice: 0, 5 | join: ", " }} and more...
{% else %}
  {{ subscriber.tags | join: ", " }}
{% endif %}

Function with Default Values

{{ subscriber.custom_fields.birthday | date: "%B %d" | default: "Not specified" }}

Practical Examples

Email Personalization

{% assign full_name = subscriber.first_name | append: " " | append: subscriber.last_name | default: "valued subscriber" %}
Dear {{ full_name }},
 
Your subscription started on {{ subscriber.created_at | date: "%B %d, %Y" }}.

Form Data Processing

{% assign interests = form.interests | split: "," | sort | uniq %}
You selected {{ interests.size }} interests:
{{ interests | join: ", " }}

Content Formatting

{% assign excerpt = post.content | strip_html | truncatewords: 50 %}
{{ excerpt | markdownify }}

Best Practices

  1. Keep Functions Simple: Chain only when necessary
  2. Use Appropriate Functions: Choose the right function for the job
  3. Handle Edge Cases: Consider what happens with empty or invalid data
  4. Test Thoroughly: Verify function behavior with different inputs
  5. Document Usage: Comment complex function chains

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

  1. Function Not Working

    • Check function name spelling
    • Verify argument types
    • Ensure proper syntax
  2. Unexpected Results

    • Test with different inputs
    • Check function documentation
    • Verify data types
  3. Performance Issues

    • Minimize function chains
    • Cache complex operations
    • Use appropriate functions

Next Steps

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