Why does my draft say it still contains a placeholder, and why can't I approve it?
The amber note means a slot in curly braces, such as {seconds} or {free_tip}, is still in the email because the lead's audit had no fact to fill it. Replace it with real wording or delete it, then click Save Edits. Approval is refused until no curly-brace placeholders are left, so a half-finished email cannot be approved by mistake.
Why it happens
Placeholders usually come from a saved template used as the skeleton for that day of the sequence. Before the AI starts, Legiit Leads fills in the slots it knows from the lead and your Settings, such as {name}, {business}, {city}, {your_name}, {agency}, {proof_link} and {booking_link}. Other slots, like {seconds} or {free_tip}, are left for the AI to fill with a verified fact from the lead's audit. When the audit has nothing that fits, the slot can survive, and Legiit Leads flags that email for you.
The Queue then shows This draft still contains a {placeholder} the AI could not fill from the audit. Edit it before approving. above that day's email.
How to fix it
- In the Outreach Queue, click the tab with the amber note.
- Find the word in curly braces in the subject line or the email.
- Replace it with a fact you know is true, or rewrite the sentence without it.
- Click Save Edits. Once no curly-brace placeholders are left, the amber note disappears and you can approve the email as normal.
You can also ask for a fresh version: choose No template (AI writes it) next to Rewrite this touch and click Regenerate This Touch. The new draft is checked the same way.
If the leftover slot is {agency}, the Company Name on the Your Agency card in Settings is usually blank. Fill it in and save, and future drafts get it automatically.
What happens if you try to approve
A pop-up says This draft still has a {placeholder} in it. Fill it in before approving. and the email stays unapproved.
- Approve + Gmail, Approve + Outlook and Approve + Mail App do not open your mail app.
- Approve + Copy still copies the text to your clipboard before the approval is refused, so do not paste that copy into an email.
Good to know
- The check runs every time the email is saved, so any word in curly braces you type yourself brings the note back.
- The check blocks approving, not sending. If you edit an email after approving it, make sure no curly braces are left, because it stays approved and Outreach Autopilot sends the saved text.
- Skip Touch works even with a placeholder left in, if you would rather not send that day at all.
Still stuck?
A real person on the Legiit team will help. No bots, no runaround.
Contact Supporthelp@legiit.com