--- schema_version: "1" id: e1fb7c7983bacfd6ad9aafa1c73fc178872c3115d0da52ca5156dce0b6361e22 title: About Displaying Dynamic Data Using Expressions collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/siteforce_data_merge_fields.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.siteforce_data_merge_fields.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: bb2cb9ce162afe68af2f43ede6a6ccbd69c9f6983a440aba8116b1d286f7c0d4 description: Site.com uses expression language to display data dynamically. Expressions serve as placeholders for data that is replaced with information when the page loads. When working with data-bound page elements or custom widget properties, you can use expressions to customize how data is displayed on the page. products: - Salesforce Platform - Security release: "264" --- # About Displaying Dynamic Data Using Expressions Site.com uses expression language to display data dynamically. Expressions serve as placeholders for data that is replaced with information when the page loads. When working with data-bound page elements or custom widget properties, you can use expressions to customize how data is displayed on the page. ### Required Editions
Available in: Salesforce Classic

Available for purchase in: Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited Editions

Available (with limitations) in: Developer Edition

In Site.com, expression syntax consists of an open curly brace and exclamation point, the field, custom property name, or namespace name, and a closing curly brace. For example, if you added a custom property called URL to a widget, you can use the syntax {!URL} to add the expression to custom code or content blocks. Similarly, to add an expression for the Billing City field, you can use the syntax {!BillingCity}. For related objects, the field name is prefixed by the name of the master object: {!Account.BillingCity}. If you're editing a [data element](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.siteforce_data_repeater_element.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "You can use a data element to display the data retrieved by a page data connection or a data repeater. The data element binds to a field in the object and acts as a placeholder that's replaced with the field's data when the page loads.") in a data repeater or a [data table column](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.siteforce_data_table_column.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A data table's columns bind to the fields of the object it's connected to. Each column cell acts as a placeholder that is replaced with the field's data when the page loads."), you can access the object's fields by name in a dropdown list without using expressions. However, if you want to customize how the field is displayed on the page, you can see and edit the expression when you click **Customize** in the dialog box. If you're working with [custom code](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.siteforce_data_code.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "In addition to data elements and content blocks, you can also use custom code as an alternative way to display data in a data repeater or in a page data connection. It's particularly useful for displaying field data that's inline with text.") or [content blocks](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.siteforce_data_content_block.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "In addition to data elements and custom code, you can also use content blocks as an alternative way to display data in a data repeater or in a page data connection. It's particularly useful for displaying field data that's inline with text.") in a data repeater, you can only access the object's fields using expressions. Expressions let you customize the output by: - Adding text around the expression. For example, lets say you're displaying the phone number of each of your business locations. You could enter the text Contact us at before the {!Phone} expression. When the data is displayed on the page, {!Phone} is replaced with the field's value for each record: Contact us at 100–200–3000. - Formatting the output using HTML tags. For example, you could wrap `H1` tags around the expression to alter how the output is displayed on the page: `

{!Phone}

`. - Creating a URL query string to pass variable information to a data repeater or data table on another page. The second page, in turn, uses the received variable to retrieve and display the relevant records. For example, you could create a hyperlink, such as `/product_details?productID={!id}`, where {!id} is replaced with the product ID for each record. When a particular product link is clicked, the product ID is passed to the Product Details page, which uses the ID to retrieve the record's information and display it on the page. #### See Also - [Dynamically Retrieve Data with Data Repeaters](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.siteforce_data_repeater.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Use a data repeater to connect to a standard or custom Salesforce object and retrieve a dataset based on the filter criteria that you specify.") - [Dynamically Retrieve Data with Data Tables](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.siteforce_data_table.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Use a data table to connect to a standard or custom Salesforce object, retrieve a dataset based on the filter criteria that you specify, and display one or more record as rows in the table.") - [Using Data Functions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.siteforce_data_function.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A data function lets you connect to a standard or custom Salesforce object, perform calculations on the returned results, and display the calculation on the page. For example, for a particular field in an object, you can use a data function to calculate the total value or the average amount of all returned records.")