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Introduction

Dynamic variables allow you to inject personalized data into your agent’s responses for each specific call. Using the {{variable_name}} syntax, you can create agents that adapt to different contexts while maintaining consistent conversation flows.

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Common use cases

  • Personalized greetings: “Hello {{customer_name}}, I’m calling to confirm your interest in the {{form_type}} form”
  • Contextual responses: “I see you’re calling about order {{order_number}}”
  • Time-sensitive information: Reference {{appointment_date}} or {{deadline}} or {{current_time}}

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Where variables work

Dynamic variables can be used in:
  • Agent prompt: Instructions and agent personality
  • Initial greeting: Welcome message to the user
  • Conversation nodes: Instructions in a specific node

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Add and test variables

1

Add variables in your prompts

Dynamic variables are placeholders surrounded by double curly braces. For example:
Hello {{customer_name}}, I understand you're interested in {{product_name}}.
How can I help you today?
When typing in the prompt or greeting editor, typing {{ will display a menu with available variables.
Dynamic variables selector
2

Test your variables

Before publishing, you can test your variables using the test panel. The values you enter here will simulate the data you’ll receive in production.
Dynamic variables test panel
3

Configure default values (optional)

The values you set in that panel when creating a version will be used as defaults if no other values are passed when making the call.
4

Use in production

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For outbound calls

When creating a call using the API, include your variables in the dynamic_variables field:
{
  "from_number": "+14155551234",
  "to_number": "+14155555678",
  "dynamic_variables": {
    "customer_name": "John Smith",
    "order_number": "ORD-12345",
    "delivery_date": "tomorrow at 3 PM"
  }
}

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For inbound calls

It will use the default value you set in the published agent version.
Important: All values in dynamic_variables must be strings (text). Numbers, booleans, or other data types are not supported.

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System variables

Diga automatically provides these system variables - no configuration required:
VariableDescriptionExample
{{agent_name}}Configured agent name”Sales Assistant”
{{user_phone_number}}User’s phone number”+14155551234”
{{current_time}}Current time in UTC”Friday, January 10, 2025 14:30:00 UTC”
{{current_time[timezone]}}Current time in specific timezone”Friday, January 10, 2025 09:30:00 EST”

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Timezone examples

To get the time in a specific timezone, use the syntax {{current_time[timezone]}}: 
Current time in New York: {{current_time[America/New_York]}}
Current time in Los Angeles: {{current_time[America/Los_Angeles]}}
Current time in London: {{current_time[Europe/London]}}
Current time in Tokyo: {{current_time[Asia/Tokyo]}}
Use valid IANA timezone identifiers like Europe/London, America/New_York, etc. You can find the complete list on Wikipedia.

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Variable precedence

When the same variable is defined in multiple places, the following priority applies (highest to lowest):
  1. Call variables (highest priority): Specific values for each call
  2. Agent variables: Default values configured in the agent. These are the variables previously configured in the variables panel.
This means you can set default values at the agent level and override them for specific calls when needed.

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Precedence example

# Agent configuration
dynamic_variables: {
  "company": "TechCorp",
  "department": "Sales"
}

# Call variables
dynamic_variables: {
  "company": "ClientXYZ",
  "customer": "John Smith"
}

# Final result (values the agent will use)
{
  "agent_name": "Virtual Assistant",      # System
  "user_phone_number": "+14155551234",    # System
  "company": "ClientXYZ",                 # Call overrides agent
  "department": "Sales",                  # Agent (not overridden)
  "customer": "John Smith"                # Call
}

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Best practices

Configure default values at the agent level for frequently used variables. This prevents your prompts from showing empty variables.
Always test your agent both with defined variables and without them to ensure it handles both cases correctly.
Avoid storing sensitive information like passwords, API keys, or financial data in dynamic variables:
# Avoid
{{api_key}}
{{credit_card_number}}

# Better: use only identifiers
{{customer_id}}
{{order_reference}}

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Usage examples

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Customer service agent

You are a customer service agent for {{company_name}}.

You are making an outbound call to customer {{customer_name}} with account number {{account_number}} to get more information about their support inquiry.

Greet them by name and help them with their inquiry about {{call_reason}}.

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Appointment reminder

You are an assistant for {{clinic_name}} calling to confirm an appointment.

Appointment information:
- Patient: {{patient_name}}
- Date: {{appointment_date}}
- Time: {{appointment_time}}
- Doctor: {{doctor_name}}
- Current date: {{current_time}}

Confirm that the patient can attend and remind them to arrive 15 minutes early.

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Order tracking

You are a support agent for {{store_name}}.

Order information:
- Order number: {{order_number}}
- Current status: {{order_status}}
- Estimated delivery date: {{delivery_date}}

Help the customer with any questions about their order.
The current time is {{current_time[America/New_York]}}.