Merge Photoshop data

Use the Workflow Builder to produce image-based, data-driven outputs at scale by preparing an Adobe Photoshop (.psd) template with Data Merge tags and uploading it to the Merge Photoshop data node.

What the Merge Photoshop data node does

The Merge Photoshop data node follows the same overall idea as Data merge in InDesign: you keep a fixed design (the PSD template) and swap in variable content for each workflow run. Instead of InDesign’s <<FieldName>> placeholders, Photoshop templates in Workflow Builder use {{FieldName}} notation to mark what can be replaced. When the PSD is uploaded, those tags are recognized automatically and exposed as input ports on the node so you can wire text, images, and other workflow outputs into the design.

Typical uses include localized social creatives, retail hero images with dynamic copy, product shots with variable labels, and any raster output where the layout stays consistent, but text and imagery change.

Tagging replaceable content in Photoshop

Workflow Builder looks for double-brace tags: {{tagName}}. The string inside the braces (for example, heading, sub-heading, background) becomes the name of the input port on the Merge Photoshop data node after you upload the file.

Text layers

• Tag in the text content — Type {{heading}} (or your tag name) directly in the text on the canvas. At merge time, that string can be replaced with new copy supplied through the workflow.
• Tag in the layer name — Alternatively, name the layer itself using the tag (for example a text layer named {{heading}}). Use one approach per field consistently so the document stays easy to read in the Layers panel.

Either method can identify a replaceable text field; choose the one that fits your layer-naming conventions.

Smart Objects and image layers

For layers that should receive a new image (including Smart Objects and raster image layers), put the {{tag}} in the layer name. The merge step uses the layer name to know which asset from the workflow should replace that layer’s pixels.

Example: a Smart Object layer named {{background}} maps to a port called background for supplying a background image per run.

Static artwork (for example a logo) can remain a normal layer without a tag if it should not change.

Example layout

The screenshot below shows a square canvas with three replaceable areas: two text tags in the copy ({{heading}}, {{sub-heading}}) and a Smart Object whose layer name is {{background}}.

Layers panel (summary): Heading and SubHeading text layers contain the tag strings in the text; the background Smart Object uses {{background}} as the layer name.

Before you begin

• Use Adobe Photoshop to author the .psd. Keep fonts and embedded or linked assets consistent with what your organization allows in Workflow Builder.
• If you are new to data-driven assembly in Photoshop, see Create embedded Smart Objects in the Photoshop user guide for general context on the use of Smart Objects and layer naming (Workflow Builder uses the {{tag}} convention described here for merge).
• For the parallel page-layout workflow in InDesign, see Data merge (InDesign) and Merge InDesign data.

Decide your tags

List every piece of content that should change between runs: headlines, subheads, background art, product photos, and so on. For each, choose a unique tag name (no spaces in the tag itself; use sub-heading or subheading instead of sub heading).

Those names will become port names on the node after upload, so keep them short, unique, and stable across template revisions when possible.

Build the Photoshop template

Preview the file in Photoshop to ensure text fits and smart objects scale the way you expect; fix overset or clipping before upload.

Upload the template to the node

If validation fails, read the error: common issues include malformed tags (mismatched braces), duplicate tag names where uniqueness is required, or missing fonts.

Configure parameters and connect your workflow

After the template is validated:

• Connect each port to an upstream node that supplies the right type (text for text tags, images for image or Smart Object tags), or enter a static value where the node allows it.
• Set output options in the node (for example JPEG / PNG and quality) per your delivery requirements.
• Connect the node’s image (or file) output to a preview node, output node, or downstream processing.

Unmapped tags may behave like empty inputs or retain document defaults—confirm behavior in your build if you intentionally leave a port disconnected.