> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.migma.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Persona

> Pick a contact, audience, or tag and Migma will shape the email for them.

## Overview

A **persona** is who you're writing *for* — a real contact, a saved audience, or a tag. It's not who the email gets *delivered to* (that's set later at the campaign step). Picking a persona tells Migma's AI whose voice, fields, and tone cues to shape the draft around, so the first version you see feels written *for* those people, not generic copy you have to retrofit.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Contacts" icon="user">
    Pick one specific person — their real fields show up to the AI for context.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Audiences" icon="users">
    Pick a saved segment — Migma uses the variables that are populated for that group.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tags" icon="tag">
    Pick everyone with a tag (VIP, Trial, Churned). Same scoping, lighter setup.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How to Use It

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Settings menu">
    On the create page, click the settings icon next to the prompt input.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click 'Persona'">
    A sub-menu opens showing your audiences, tags, and recent contacts. Search to narrow it down.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick one">
    Click an audience, tag, or contact. The settings menu now shows a small **1** badge — your draft is now shaped for them.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write your prompt as usual">
    Type what you want the email to say. Migma silently prepends the persona context so you don't have to repeat "this is for VIP customers" every time.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  To clear the persona, open the sub-menu again and click **Clear selection** at the top, or click the same row a second time.
</Tip>

## Shortcut: Start From a Contact, Audience, or Tag

You don't have to start from the create page. From any **Tag**, **Audience**, or **Contact** row, click the actions menu and pick **Personalise for…** — you'll land on the create page with that persona already selected.

## How Recipient Variables Work

When the persona is an **audience or tag**, Migma checks which subscriber fields are actually populated for that cohort and exposes them to the AI. Fields populated for fewer than 5% of recipients are hidden — so the AI won't suggest variables that don't exist.

For example: if your *VIP* tag has 100% of contacts with `firstName`, `company`, and `industry` filled in, the email might naturally include all three. But if `birthday` is only populated for 2% of VIPs, it won't show up in the draft. You don't have to write "if birthday exists, mention it" — the catalog handles that for you.

When the persona is a **single contact**, Migma uses that person's real values directly (e.g., `firstName=Adam`), so the draft you see in chat looks like the email *that specific person* will receive at send time.

<Note>
  At send time, every recipient still gets their own personalized version — Migma re-renders the email per recipient with their actual data. The persona pick only shapes the draft you write together.
</Note>

## Persona vs. Recipient

These are two different things, and Migma keeps them separate on purpose:

* **Persona** (this page) — who the AI imagines while drafting. Affects voice, suggested variables, and tone.
* **Recipient** — who the email actually gets delivered to. Set at the campaign step when you're ready to send.

You can write a draft with one persona ("VIP customers") and then send it to a different audience at campaign time. The persona just primes the draft.

## FAQ

### Why did one of my variables disappear?

It's likely populated for fewer than 5% of the persona you picked. Either pick a broader cohort, or fill in that field for more contacts. The threshold prevents the AI from suggesting fields most of your recipients don't actually have.

### What if I don't pick a persona?

The email is written generically — Migma uses standard fallback variables (`firstName`, `lastName`, `email`, `company`) and you can wire them up at send time. Picking a persona is always optional.

### Does the persona affect who gets the email?

No. The persona only shapes the draft. The actual recipients are set at the campaign step. You can pick a persona of "VIP customers" and still send the resulting email to your full list — the draft will just lean toward language that resonates with VIPs.

### Does this affect deliverability or rendering?

No. The final email is rendered fresh for every recipient with safe defaults, so each person receives a fully personalized version regardless of which persona you wrote with.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Manage Contacts" icon="user-plus" href="/audience/manage-contacts">
    Build the audiences and tags you'll use as personas.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prompt-Based Creation" icon="message" href="/creating-emails/prompt-based-creation">
    Best practices for the prompt itself.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>