Attribute

→ string

Global object providing access to subscriber attribute values in email send context.

Runtime verified Differs from official docs Test scripts included

Syntax

Attribute.GetValue(name)

1 argument

Description

The global Attribute object provides access to subscriber attribute (profile attribute) values for the current recipient. It requires Platform.Load("Core", ...) before use.

Differs from official Salesforce docs

The docs imply Attribute.GetValue is unavailable in CloudPages, but after Platform.Load("Core", ...) it works there too — and when no recipient is in context (e.g. a plain CloudPage GET) it returns an empty string "" instead of throwing.

Attribute.GetValue

Returns the value of the specified subscriber attribute or sendable data extension field for the current recipient. Preferred over Platform.Recipient.GetAttributeValue() — the two are equivalent.

Attribute.GetValue(name) is available in CloudPages: after the Core library is loaded, the Attribute object exists and GetValue executes and returns a string. When there is no recipient/attribute context (for example a published CloudPage GET with no subscriber), it returns an empty string rather than throwing. In email, triggered send, and personalized (recipient-aware) contexts it returns the actual attribute value.

In non-recipient CloudPage scenarios where you need subscriber data, read it from a Data Extension via Platform.Function.Lookup() / Platform.Function.LookupRows(), or use Platform.Recipient.GetAttributeValue (equivalent to Attribute.GetValue).

The AMPscript parallel is AttributeValue() (different language); SSJS uses Attribute.GetValue(name).

Show test script — CloudPage availability and empty-string result

<script runat="server">
/*
 * Differs-from-docs claim: the official docs imply Attribute.GetValue is
 * unavailable in CloudPages.
 *
 * Official docs: Attribute.GetValue is an email/send-context member.
 * SFMC runtime:  after Platform.Load("Core", ...) the Attribute object exists
 *                in a CloudPage, GetValue executes and returns a string, and
 *                with no recipient in context it returns "" rather than
 *                throwing.
 *
 * Proves both halves of the claim:
 *   1. Availability — the object and the method exist and invoke in a plain
 *      published CloudPage GET.
 *   2. Empty-string-instead-of-throw — every read returns "" and never throws.
 *
 * EXPECTED OUTPUT: every line starts with PASS.
 */

function assert(id, actual, expected) {
    Platform.Response.Write((actual === expected ? "PASS " : "FAIL ") + id + " -> [" + actual + "]\n");
}
function typeOf(fn) {
    try { return "" + fn(); } catch (ex) { return "THREW: " + ("" + ex.message); }
}
function invocationResult(fn) {
    try { fn(); return "returned"; } catch (ex) { return "threw"; }
}

/* 1. DEVIATION — available in a CloudPage after the Core load. */
assert("bare Attribute is undefined before the Core load", typeOf(function () { return typeof Attribute; }), "undefined");
Platform.Load("Core", "1.1.1");
assert("DEV Attribute exists in a CloudPage after Core load (docs imply unavailable)", typeOf(function () { return typeof Attribute; }), "object");
assert("DEV Attribute.GetValue exists in a CloudPage (docs imply unavailable)", typeOf(function () { return typeof Attribute.GetValue; }), "function");
assert("DEV Attribute.GetValue invokes in a CloudPage (docs imply unavailable)", invocationResult(function () { return Attribute.GetValue("FirstName"); }), "returned");

/* 2. DEVIATION — returns "" instead of throwing when no recipient is bound. */
assert("DEV no-recipient read returns instead of throwing", invocationResult(function () { return Attribute.GetValue("EmailAddress"); }), "returned");
assert("DEV no-recipient read returns the empty string", "" + Attribute.GetValue("EmailAddress"), "");
assert("DEV no-recipient read is still typed string", typeOf(function () { return typeof Attribute.GetValue("EmailAddress"); }), "string");
assert("DEV empty attribute name also returns '' instead of throwing", "" + Attribute.GetValue(""), "");
</script>

Show test script

<script runat="server">
/*
 * Chapter: Description / Attribute.GetValue
 *
 * CloudPage GET context. Proves:
 *   1. Attribute requires Platform.Load("Core", ...) — the bare global is
 *      undefined before the load and an object afterwards.
 *   2. Attribute.GetValue is a function and returns a string.
 *   3. DEVIATION marked "DEV": the official docs imply Attribute.GetValue is
 *      unavailable in CloudPages; it works there after the Core load, and with
 *      no recipient in context it returns "" instead of throwing.
 *   4. Attribute.GetValue(name) is equivalent to
 *      Platform.Recipient.GetAttributeValue(name).
 *   5. The recommended CloudPage workaround — reading subscriber data from a
 *      Data Extension via Platform.Function.Lookup / LookupRows — is available.
 *   6. Wrong-case Attribute.getValue throws.
 *   7. NOT ASSERTABLE here: the actual attribute VALUES returned in email,
 *      triggered-send, and personalized recipient contexts. A plain CloudPage
 *      GET binds no recipient, so empty values cannot establish send behaviour.
 *
 * EXPECTED OUTPUT: every line starts with PASS. A FAIL means the runtime no
 * longer matches the documented claim and the page must be revised.
 */

function assert(id, actual, expected) {
    Platform.Response.Write((actual === expected ? "PASS " : "FAIL ") + id + " -> [" + actual + "]\n");
}
function typeOf(fn) {
    try { return "" + fn(); } catch (ex) { return "THREW: " + ("" + ex.message); }
}
function invocationResult(fn) {
    try { fn(); return "returned"; } catch (ex) { return "threw"; }
}
function threwMessage(fn) {
    try { fn(); return "did NOT throw"; } catch (ex) { return "" + ex.message; }
}

/* 1. Core load requirement. */
assert("bare Attribute is undefined before Platform.Load", typeOf(function () { return typeof Attribute; }), "undefined");
Platform.Load("Core", "1.1.1");
assert("typeof Attribute after Platform.Load('Core','1.1.1') is object", typeOf(function () { return typeof Attribute; }), "object");

/* 2. Shape of the documented member. */
assert("typeof Attribute.GetValue is function", typeOf(function () { return typeof Attribute.GetValue; }), "function");
assert("Attribute.GetValue('FirstName') returns a string", typeOf(function () { return typeof Attribute.GetValue("FirstName"); }), "string");

/* 3. DEVIATION — works in CloudPages and returns "" with no recipient bound. */
assert("DEV Attribute.GetValue executes in a CloudPage (docs imply unavailable)", invocationResult(function () { return Attribute.GetValue("FirstName"); }), "returned");
assert("DEV Attribute.GetValue('FirstName') is '' with no recipient (docs imply it throws/is unavailable)", "" + Attribute.GetValue("FirstName"), "");
assert("DEV Attribute.GetValue('City') is '' with no recipient (docs imply it throws/is unavailable)", "" + Attribute.GetValue("City"), "");
assert("DEV Attribute.GetValue('EmailAddress') is '' with no recipient (docs imply it throws/is unavailable)", "" + Attribute.GetValue("EmailAddress"), "");
assert("unknown attribute name also returns '' rather than throwing", "" + Attribute.GetValue("NoSuchAttr_zz9"), "");

/* 4. Equivalence with Platform.Recipient.GetAttributeValue. */
assert("Attribute.GetValue equals Platform.Recipient.GetAttributeValue", "" + Attribute.GetValue("FirstName"), "" + Platform.Recipient.GetAttributeValue("FirstName"));
assert("workaround Platform.Recipient.GetAttributeValue returns a string", typeOf(function () { return typeof Platform.Recipient.GetAttributeValue("FirstName"); }), "string");

/* 5. Recommended CloudPage workaround — read from a Data Extension instead.
 *    NOTE: typeof on a Platform.Function member reports "clrmethodinfo" for
 *    ANY name, including one that does not exist, so these two lines assert
 *    only what typeof reports — they are NOT proof that the members exist.
 *    Lookup and LookupRows are proven by successful invocation on their own
 *    pages: /platform-functions/lookup/ and /platform-functions/lookuprows/. */
assert("Platform.Function.Lookup reports typeof clrmethodinfo (not an existence proof)", typeOf(function () { return typeof Platform.Function.Lookup; }), "clrmethodinfo");
assert("Platform.Function.LookupRows reports typeof clrmethodinfo (not an existence proof)", typeOf(function () { return typeof Platform.Function.LookupRows; }), "clrmethodinfo");

/* 6. Negative case — the member name is case sensitive. */
assert("wrong-case Attribute.getValue throws", invocationResult(function () { return Attribute.getValue("FirstName"); }), "threw");
assert("wrong-case Attribute.getValue reports Object expected", threwMessage(function () { return Attribute.getValue("FirstName"); }).indexOf("Object expected") >= 0, true);
</script>

Example

Platform.Load("Core", "1.1.1");

var firstName = Attribute.GetValue("FirstName");
var city      = Attribute.GetValue("City");

if (firstName) {
    Write("<p>Hello, " + firstName + "!</p>");
}

Show test script

<script runat="server">
/*
 * Chapter: Example
 *
 * CloudPage GET context. Proves the exact example on the page runs:
 *   1. Platform.Load("Core", "1.1.1") succeeds.
 *   2. Attribute.GetValue("FirstName") and Attribute.GetValue("City") both
 *      return strings.
 *   3. With no recipient bound the values are empty, so the documented
 *      `if (firstName)` guard is FALSY and the Write is skipped — this is why
 *      the example guards the output at all.
 *   4. The Core-injected Write() function used by the example exists.
 *
 * EXPECTED OUTPUT: every line starts with PASS.
 */

function assert(id, actual, expected) {
    Platform.Response.Write((actual === expected ? "PASS " : "FAIL ") + id + " -> [" + actual + "]\n");
}
function typeOf(fn) {
    try { return "" + fn(); } catch (ex) { return "THREW: " + ("" + ex.message); }
}
function invocationResult(fn) {
    try { fn(); return "returned"; } catch (ex) { return "threw"; }
}
function branch(v) { if (v) { return "truthy"; } return "falsy"; }

/* 1. The example's Core load (repeated loads are idempotent). */
assert("Platform.Load('Core','1.1.1') succeeds", invocationResult(function () { return Platform.Load("Core", "1.1.1"); }), "returned");
Platform.Load("Core", "1.1.1");

/* 2 + 3. The example's two reads and its guard. */
var firstName = Attribute.GetValue("FirstName");
var city = Attribute.GetValue("City");
assert("example firstName is a string", typeof firstName, "string");
assert("example city is a string", typeof city, "string");
assert("example firstName is '' with no recipient in CloudPage context", "" + firstName, "");
assert("example city is '' with no recipient in CloudPage context", "" + city, "");
assert("example guard if(firstName) is falsy with no recipient", branch(firstName), "falsy");

/* 4. The Write() shortcut the example uses is injected by the Core load. */
assert("typeof Write after Core load is function", typeOf(function () { return typeof Write; }), "function");
</script>

See Also

See Also

• Platform.Function.Lookup
• Platform.Recipient