# Adding Variables

### What is a variable?

Variables are placeholders that can change value for each document depending on the data that is given as input. For example, if you are merging multiple documents from a list of accounts in a table, the ‘name’ variable can serve as the placeholder for different account names in each generated document.

In addition to telling Documint where to place your data, there are also [functions](https://docs.documint.me/legacy-documentation/data-and-variables/functions) that you can use to manipulate data in your template. 

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Variable names should be all lower-case, have no special symbols, and spaces should be replaced with underscores.**
{% endhint %}

1. Begin by dragging a text element into a column which appears by default when a section is added.

![](https://1903534506-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FTY5wPd81K7B5rjyG5tjS%2Fuploads%2FrCfltCOHY9YAizPZmHbl%2Fsection%20layout2.png?alt=media\&token=7640834a-fdf0-4999-8a90-67d12d7ce6f2)

2\. Use the ‘New Variable button’ on the right-hand Data pane. In the window that appears, type the variable name and copy the generated variable name.

![](https://1903534506-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FTY5wPd81K7B5rjyG5tjS%2Fuploads%2F5H9rxu6QDHcmMuXHwRAL%2Fadding%20variable%20name.png?alt=media\&token=4432e62e-52ea-401c-8e75-fb5a6f49ebb3)

3\. Paste the variable into a text field.  Template variables will appear with curly braces `{{variable_name}}.`You can confirm the created variables by seeing them on the right-hand Data pane, under the Template Variables section.

![](https://1903534506-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FTY5wPd81K7B5rjyG5tjS%2Fuploads%2F8pUk6kcQ0RtFbIjSp6G7%2Fpaste%20variables.png?alt=media\&token=f663ab35-3530-45c7-abee-4499cbdfeb62)