A test profile is a configurable sample subscriber profile used to render personalised activity previews without relying on a real customer’s data.

It allows you to enter representative standard and custom-field values, such as:

• First name and lastname
• Email address
• State or postcode
• Partition
• Custom fields

Taguchi uses these values when generating the preview in the activity editor and activity previews in reports. Test profile settings are personal to the current user; changing them does not affect other users in the organisation.

Why use a test profile?

Personalised and conditional content cannot always be meaningfully reviewed without subscriber data.

For example: Hi {%= recipient.firstname %} requires a firstname value, while a personalised QR Code asset might use: {%= recipient.custom.member_card_number %}

If the test profile contains:

firstname = Alex
member_card_number = MEMBER-12345

the preview can display “Hi Alex” and generate a QR code containing MEMBER-12345.

Without appropriate test data, personalised content may appear blank, show undefined, use its configured fallback, or remain hidden. This does not necessarily mean that the activity is broken, it may mean the current test profile does not contain the required data.

What can a test profile help verify?

A suitably configured test profile can help confirm:

• Personalisation fields resolve correctly.
• Custom field names use the correct spelling and case.
• Conditional or segmented content appears as expected.
• Fallback content works when a value is absent.
• Layout remains suitable for short and long values.
• Links and other personalised elements are assembled correctly.

How to use a test profile

1. Open your organisation’s Settings area.
2. Select Test profile.
3. Populate the standard and custom fields required by the activity.
4. Save the profile.
5. Return to the activity editor.
6. Review the updated preview.
7. Change the test values as necessary to exercise different conditions.

Example: testing product based personalisation

Suppose an activity displays the subscriber's most frequently purchased product using the following custom field: {%= recipient.custom.most_frequently_purchased %}

Configure the test profile with: firstname = Priya most_frequently_purchased = Mint chocolate chip

The activity preview should then display content similar to: Hi Priya, Our most iconic ice cream flavour, {%= recipient.custom.most_frequently_purchased || "Salted Caramel" %} is 10% off for a limited time.

This test helps confirm that:

• The custom field resolves correctly.
• The correct information appears.
• Varying value lengths fit the layout.
• Field names use the correct spelling and case.

To test missing data behaviour, remove most_frequently_purchased.

The preview should then display the configured fallback - such as an alternative ice cream flavour "Salted Caramel".

Test profile limitations

A test profile represents one configured scenario. It should not be treated as confirmation that every recipient variation will render correctly.

A test profile may also be insufficient for logic that depends on:

• List membership
• Audience membership
• Partition data
• Purchase or interaction history
• Previous activity engagement
• Triggering or parent-event data
• Multiple overlapping segments
• The activity’s complete target expression

Use a test matrix when several controlled scenarios must be tested.

A test matrix can define multiple temporary profiles and report which profiles are targeted, which segments they match, and which .eml output each targeted profile receives. See our test matrix guide

Use a live proof when the activity must be checked against actual subscriber profiles and live data. Live sample proofs are particularly useful for validating segmentation and conditional content against real profile values. See our proofing guide

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