# Dynamic fields in Focus item is printing the variable instead of default if field value is null

**URL:** <https://forum.mautic.org/t/dynamic-fields-in-focus-item-is-printing-the-variable-instead-of-default-if-field-value-is-null/19722>\
**Category:** Product Support\
**Created:** [June 3, 2021, 9:26am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/dynamic-fields-in-focus-item-is-printing-the-variable-instead-of-default-if-field-value-is-null/19722 "2021-06-03T09:26:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sakrecoer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/sakrecoer/32/5113_2.png) [@sakrecoer](https://forum.mautic.org/u/sakrecoer)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 9:26am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/dynamic-fields-in-focus-item-is-printing-the-variable-instead-of-default-if-field-value-is-null/19722/1 "2021-06-03T09:26:57Z")

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**Your software**  
My Mautic version is: 3.3.3  
My PHP version is: 7.4.18  
My Database type and version is: mySQL

**Your problem**  
My problem is: Dynamic fields only work in Focus Item if there is a known value. Even if there is a pipe to have a default value, as in: `Hi {contactfield=firstname|there}`. If the field’s value is null, the it returns the entire string. (`Hi {contactfield=firstname|there}`)

These errors are showing in the log: no error shown in logs

Steps I have tried to fix the problem: Many different formatting of the above-mentioned string