Featured links block placeholders

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When adding or editing a Featured links block you can add a range of user placeholders, which will be replaced with the relevant information for the logged-in user viewing the block. For example, you could add a welcome message to a dashboard using a Featured links block and include the User First name placeholder, e.g. 'Welcome to Totara [user:first_name]!'. When a user views the dashboard, they'll see their own name inserted into the message, e.g. 'Welcome to Totara Carly!'.

Below is a table showing all of the available user placeholders that you can use in the Featured links block. 

Placeholder title
Placeholder syntax
Placeholder meaning

User First name

[user:first_name] 

The user's first name.

User Surname

[user:last_name] 

The user's last name.

User Full name

[user:full_name]

The user's full name.

User Full name (with link)

[user:full_name_link]

The user's full name with a link to their profile.

User Username

[user:username]

The user's username.

User ID number

[user:id_number]

The user's ID number.

User Address

[user:address]

The user's address.

User Description

[user:description]

The user's description (as listed in their profile).

User Institution

[user:institution]

The user's institution.

User Language

[user:language]

The user's language.

User Skype ID

[user:skype]

The user's Skype ID.

User Phone

[user:phone1]

The user's phone number.

User Mobile phone

[user:phone2]

The user's mobile phone number.

User URL

[user:url]

The user's URL.

User Email address

[user:email_address]

The user's email address.

User City/town

[user:city] 

The user's town or city.

User Country

[user:country] 

The user's country.

User Department

[user:department] 

The user's department.

User First name - phonetic

[user:first_name_phonetic] 

Phonetic spelling of the user's first name.

User Surname - phonetic

[user:last_name_phonetic] 

Phonetic spelling of the user's last name.

User Middle name

[user:middle_name] 

The user's middle name.

User Alternate name

[user:alternate_name] 

An alternate name the user is known by.

User timezone

[user:timezone] 

The user's time zone.


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