---
schema_version: "1"
id: 4065dd2464691efc219504ba913edacd408bccbb9c510e71d471670b77883db5
title: "Handlebars Helper Function: fallback"
collection: developer
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/developer/current/en-us/marketing-cloud/handlebars/reference/utility/mcn-handlebars-reference-utility-fallback.md
canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/handlebars-for-marketing-cloud-next/references/mcn-handlebars-utility-references/mcn-handlebars-reference-utility-fallback.html
source_site: developer.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 37f427d6f0824b2eeb39db05087500f7e24e904e1e11322e60e8841cc8a1b0b2
products:
  - Handlebars for Marketing Cloud Next
  - Marketing Cloud
---
# Handlebars Helper Function: fallback

Returns the second argument (`fallbackValue`) if the first argument is null, an empty string, or if an exception occurs in code nested within the fallback helper. Otherwise, it returns the first argument.

## Availability

This helper is available in the Winter ’26 release of Marketing Cloud Next.

## Syntax

```handlebars
{{fallback value fallbackValue}}
```

## Parameters

| Parameter       | Type      | Description                                                                                                                                                                |
| --------------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `value`         | Any       | Required. The primary value to check.                                                                                                                                      |
| `fallbackValue` | Primitive | Required. The static value to use if the primary value is null or an exception occurs. Must be a boolean, character, byte, short, integer, long, float, double, or string. |

## Return Value

If `value` is `null`, is an empty string, or is an expression that throws an exception, the function returns `fallbackValue`. Otherwise, it returns the value of the `value` parameter.

If the value of the `fallbackValue` parameter isn't a primitive type (for example, if it's an array or object), the function throws an exception.