Can you use the formatter to create a fake email from first and last name?

Hi @tspence20 

Good question.

You can use a combination of static/hardcoded values and dynamic variables, like such:

[NAME]@test.com

Is that what you are looking for?

@tspence20 

Perhaps you can provide some screenshots of your Zap steps and outline a specific example so we better understand the data inputs you are trying to use and the desired data outputs you want.

Hi @tspence20!

Ah, I think I can see the trouble here. The Formatter is a great tool, but it doesn’t work well with null values. In this case, that means you can’t tell the formatter to use a value only if it doesn’t see other data there. 

In this case you’ll need to add some conditional logic to your Zap to tell it ‘if you see an email, use the email and if you don’t, use this fake one’. How you do that depends on whether or not you have access to Paths (if you’re on a Professional plan or high, you’ll have Paths). 

If you have Paths:

Make a new draft of your Zap, delete the Formatter and Firepoint step and add Paths on the end of the Zap. For one path set the rule that the path should be used if the email field exists and for the other set it up so that it should be used if the email doesn’t exist. 

If you don’t have Paths

You’ll need to set up two Zaps and add the filter immediately after the Trigger. Again, for the filter condition use the ‘Exists’ and ‘Does not exist’ conditions. This help guide has more information about setting up Zaps this way: https://zapier.com/help/create/customize/add-branching-logic-to-zaps-with-filters

In both cases, you don’t need a Formatter step. In the condition where the email exists, use the email address from Mojo. In the condition where the email doesn’t exist use the first name field, type a fullstop, then add the last name field, then type @fakemail.com (or whatever you prefer)

I hope that’s clear, please let us know if you have any questions!