Want to make it easier for users to enter your sweepstakes? You can automatically prefill their email address—so they don’t have to type it in again.
This is especially useful when sending campaigns to your existing email list.
👉 Looking to prefill more than just email? See Prefill Fields
👉 Want to auto-submit the form too? See Auto Submit Forms
How it works
Prefilling an email address doesn’t require any code. You simply add a special parameter to your campaign URL and include your email provider’s merge tag.
When a user clicks the link in your email, their email address will automatically populate in the form.
What you’ll need
To prefill the email field, you need:
Your email service’s merge tag for email
The ViralSweep parameter:
?vs_email=Your campaign URL
Example
If you’re using Mailchimp, your link would look like this:
yoursite.com/sweepstakes?vs_email=*|EMAIL|*
When the email is sent, *|EMAIL|* is automatically replaced with each recipient’s email address.
Supported email services
Below are some common providers and their merge tags:
Email Service | Merge Tag | Example URL Format |
Mailchimp | |EMAIL| | `?vs_email=* |
Klaviyo | {{ email }} |
|
HubSpot | {{contact.email}} |
|
ActiveCampaign | %EMAIL% |
|
Constant Contact | $SUBSCRIBER.EMAIL |
|
Salesforce | {!Contact.Email} |
|
SendGrid | {{email}} |
|
Intercom | {{email}} |
|
Note: Merge tag syntax may vary slightly depending on your setup.
Using a different provider?
If your email service isn’t listed above:
Look for their email merge tag in documentation
Append it to your URL using
?vs_email=
Tips for best results
Always test your link before sending your campaign
Make sure your merge tag outputs a valid email address
Use this feature when targeting existing subscribers
Need help?
If you have any questions, our support team is here to help.
Click the chat icon in the lower-right corner to start a conversation.