Marketo Dynamic Content — Personalizing Emails At Scale

Dynamic content in Marketo lets you serve different versions of an email or landing page to different audiences — without manually building separate assets for each segment. One email, multiple variations, zero duplicate work.

The mechanism is straightforward — you define audience segments based on lead data, then designate which content blocks should vary for each segment. A recipient in the “Enterprise” segment sees enterprise messaging. Someone in “SMB” sees SMB messaging. Same email, different experience.

Here’s what makes Marketo dynamic content work:

• Snippets for reusable personalized components
• Tokens for one-to-one field-level personalization
• Default content for leads who don’t match any segment
• Segmentation that divides your database into targetable groups
• Dynamic blocks that swap content based on segment membership

TLDR: Marketo dynamic content at a glance

The three primary personalization tools serve different purposes.

Tool	Scope	Use case	Update behavior
Dynamic content blocks	Section-level	Different CTAs by industry	Manual per asset
Snippets	Reusable components	Footers, signatures, logos	Updates all assets automatically
Tokens	Field-level	First name, company name	Pulls from lead record

Dynamic content handles group-level personalization (showing different content to segments). Tokens handle individual-level personalization (inserting specific lead data). Snippets handle scalability (managing repeated elements across assets).

How does segmentation power Marketo dynamic content?

Segmentation is the backbone. Without approved segmentations, dynamic content doesn’t function — there’s nothing to segment by.

How it works

Segmentations divide your database into mutually exclusive groups using Smart List rules. Marketo evaluates leads against segments in order (top to bottom), placing each lead into the first segment they qualify for.

Segment order	Criteria	Result
1. Enterprise	Company size > 1000	Large accounts
2. Mid-Market	Company size 100-1000	Medium accounts
3. SMB	Company size < 100	Small accounts
4. Default	Everyone else	Fallback content

A lead can only belong to one segment within a segmentation (that’s the exclusivity rule). If someone qualifies for multiple segments, they land in whichever appears first — so ordering matters.

Setup steps

Creating a segmentation requires database-level access.

1. Navigate to Database → New Segmentation
2. Define segments using Smart List criteria
3. Order segments strategically (most specific first)
4. Approve the segmentation (can take minutes to hours, depending on database size)

The Default segment catches everyone who doesn’t qualify for any defined segment. Never leave it empty — leads to hitting empty defaults, see broken or missing content.

What are Marketo dynamic content blocks?

Dynamic content blocks are sections within an email or landing page designated to vary based on segmentation. Everything is static by default; you explicitly mark which elements should change.

In the email editor:

1. Right-click the content section
2. Select “Make Dynamic” or “Segment By”
3. Choose the approved segmentation

Once enabled, you configure unique content for each segment. A green checkmark indicates content has been created for that segment (helpful when managing multiple variations).

Practical applications include:

Element	Segmentation	Variation example
Hero image	Industry	Tech vs Healthcare imagery
CTA button	Lifecycle stage	“Start Trial” vs “Upgrade Now”
Pricing section	Company size	Enterprise vs SMB pricing
Event promo	Region	US vs EMEA event dates

Multiple blocks can be dynamic within a single asset. An email might vary the header image by industry, the CTA by lifecycle stage, and the footer by region — all using different segmentations.

Make sure to keep dynamic elements under 20 per email. Excessive dynamic content impacts rendering speed and can cause delivery issues.

How do snippets work with Marketo dynamic content?

Snippets are reusable content blocks created once and deployed across multiple assets. The power move: snippets themselves can be made dynamic.

Static snippets

Standard snippets maintain consistency at scale.

• Brand headers
• Email signatures
• Social media icons
• Footers with legal disclaimers

Updating a snippet automatically updates every asset using it (no hunting through dozens of emails to change a copyright year).

Dynamic snippets

A single snippet can display different content based on segmentation.

Snippet	Segmentation	Variations
Footer	Country	US legal text, EU GDPR text, APAC disclaimers
Logo	Business unit	Product A branding, Product B branding
Support contact	Region	US phone number, UK phone number

Dynamic snippets combine the scalability of snippets with the personalization of dynamic content. Create one footer snippet segmented by country, use it across 50 emails, and each recipient sees their region-appropriate version.

What’s the difference between tokens and Marketo dynamic content?

Both personalize content, but at different levels.

Aspect	Tokens	Dynamic content
Personalization level	Individual (1:1)	Group (segment)
Data source	Lead record fields	Segment membership
Example	“Hi {{lead.First Name}}”	Different hero image by industry
Complexity	Simple merge fields	Requires segmentation setup

Token types

Marketo offers several token categories.

• Velocity tokens: Advanced scripting for conditional logic
• My tokens: Custom variables defined at program/folder level
• System tokens: Platform data ({{system.date}}, {{system.unsubscribe}})
• Lead tokens: Pull from lead record ({{lead.First Name}}, {{lead.Company}})

Velocity tokens ({{my.tokenName}}) enable complex personalization beyond simple field merges — but require coding knowledge. They also have a 100KB combined limit per email; exceeding this causes rendering errors.

When to use which

Here’s your scenario matched with the best tool:

Scenario	Best tool
Insert recipient’s name	Lead token
Show different CTA by industry	Dynamic content
Display custom pricing	Velocity token
Vary footer by region	Dynamic snippet

How do you set up Marketo dynamic content step by step?

The process moves from database configuration to asset implementation.

Database setup

Segmentations must exist before dynamic content can reference them.

1. Create segmentation in Database section
2. Define segments with Smart List rules
3. Order segments strategically
4. Approve segmentation (required before use)

Approval time varies by database size — small databases approve in minutes, large databases can take hours.

Asset setup

With approved segmentations, enable dynamic content on specific assets.

1. Open email or landing page in editor
2. Right-click target content block
3. Select segmentation to apply
4. Configure content for each segment
5. Set default content (critical fallback)

Best practice is to create and finalize default content before configuring segment variations. Changes to default blocks sometimes propagate to other segments unexpectedly.

API setup

For programmatic implementation, developers use REST API endpoints.

Endpoint	Purpose
Update Email Content Section	Designate section as DynamicContent
Get Segmentations	Retrieve available segmentation IDs
Get Segments	List segments within a segmentation

Third-party tools like Knak offer no-code interfaces for dynamic content creation, requiring API permission configuration and variable tokens for sync.

Does Marketo dynamic content affect email deliverability?

Dynamic content creates personalized experiences — but personalization only works if emails reach the inbox. The connection between dynamic content and email reputation is often overlooked.

Rendering complexity

Heavy dynamic content increases email complexity.

Factor	Deliverability impact
>20 dynamic elements	Slower rendering, potential timeout
Complex Velocity scripts	Increased processing time
Large personalized images	Higher email weight
Broken default content	Rendering failures

Emails that fail to render properly can trigger spam filters or display incorrectly — damaging engagement metrics that ISPs use to judge sender reputation.

Data dependency

Dynamic content relies entirely on accurate segment membership. Poor data hygiene means:

• Irrelevant content delivered
• Leads placed in wrong segments
• Damaged sender reputation over time
• Increased unsubscribes and complaints

Before investing in sophisticated personalization, verify your emails actually reach recipients. 

Run a free email deliverability test across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and 50+ providers. Personalization sophistication means nothing if 25% of your emails land in spam.

New Marketo implementations or domain changes require email warmup before high-volume personalized campaigns begin.

What are Marketo dynamic content best practices?

Effective implementation requires balancing personalization power with operational discipline.

Data foundation

1. Maintain clean, accurate lead records
2. Validate segment logic before approval
3. Review segment membership quarterly
4. Document segmentation criteria for team reference

Content strategy

1. Start with simple personalization (subject lines) before complex variations
2. Create default content first, then segment variations
3. Limit dynamic elements to under 20 per email
4. Use snippets for repeated personalized components

Governance

1. Restrict segmentation access to authorized users via custom roles
2. Share segmentations with relevant workspaces
3. Test all variations using “View By Segmentation” preview
4. A/B test dynamic variations to optimize performance

Performance monitoring

Track metrics by segment to identify what resonates.

Metric	Insight
Open rate by segment	Subject line effectiveness
Click rate by segment	Content relevance
Conversion by segment	Offer alignment
Unsubscribe by segment	Messaging fit

If one segment consistently underperforms, the content variation needs refinement — or the segment definition itself may be flawed.

Personalization only works when emails arrive

Marketo’s dynamic content capabilities let you build sophisticated, segment-driven experiences without creating dozens of duplicate assets. 

1. Snippets scale reusable components
2. Tokens handle individual personalization
3. Dynamic blocks vary the content by audience

Together, they enable personalization at enterprise scale. But, none of it matters if your emails land in spam. EmailWarmup.com helps Marketo users ensure personalized campaigns actually reach recipients:

• Inbox rates up to 98% on Pro accounts
• Free deliverability testing across 50+ providers
• 24/7 human support from deliverability specialists
• Personalized warmup matching your sending patterns

Your dynamic content strategy deserves an audience that actually sees it.

Talk to an email deliverability consultant for free. 

Frequently asked questions

Here are some commonly asked questions about Marketo dynamic content: