# pandadoc template merge failed on send: how to fix it

A PandaDoc template merge that fails on send usually means a merge field has no value for this recipient, or the template references a deleted field. Preview the merge, find the empty or broken field, and fill it or remove it. The send goes through once every field resolves.

```text
pandadoc template merge failed on send
```

## When to use this skill
- Template send fails with a merge error
- Preview shows broken or empty fields

## When not to use this skill
- The template sends but the content is wrong (a template design issue)
- Sending fails for all templates (an account issue)

## Tool compatibility
PandaDoc templates and merge fields.
Related area: business SaaS platforms and vendor portals.
Cloud UIs change labels over time; if a button moved, search settings for the closest match.

## Before you start
- Sign in to the tool and keep one tab open so sessions stay clean
- Copy the exact error text and note the time it happened
- Set aside 15 to 20 minutes; most of these resolve in a single pass

## Quick diagnosis
Make sure this is the right skill before you invest the 15 minutes.
- If you are dealing with template send fails with a merge error, start at step 1 below.
- If instead the template sends but the content is wrong (a template design issue), stop here; you need a different skill.
- If neither quite matches, compare your screen against the verbatim error block at the top; that block is exactly what this skill covers.

## Fix it in steps
### 1. Preview the merge

```
Use the template preview with the actual recipient data.
```
Expected: the preview shows which field breaks or renders empty.

### 2. Fill or fix the broken field

```
Supply the missing value in the recipient record, or delete the field from the template if it is obsolete.
```
Expected: preview renders cleanly with all fields populated.

### 3. Check for deleted custom fields

```
In template settings, look for fields referencing custom fields that no longer exist.
```
Expected: any orphaned references identified and removed.

### 4. Send again

```
Send the document to the recipient.
```
Expected: send succeeds and the document arrives.

## Confirm each step worked
Run through this checklist before moving on. If a check fails, redo that step instead of pushing ahead.
- Step 1 (preview the merge): Expected: the preview shows which field breaks or renders empty.
- Step 2 (fill or fix the broken field): Expected: preview renders cleanly with all fields populated.
- Step 3 (check for deleted custom fields): Expected: any orphaned references identified and removed.
- Step 4 (send again): Expected: send succeeds and the document arrives.

## Quick recap
1. Preview the merge
2. Fill or fix the broken field
3. Check for deleted custom fields
4. Send again

## Still stuck?
Gather three things: the exact error text, the time it happened, and what changed just before it broke.
Check the vendor status page for an active incident. Then open a support ticket with those three things;
it cuts the back-and-forth in half. For agent runs, attach the last 50 lines of the agent log too,
since the loop or timeout signature in the log usually names the cause.

## Variant phrasings
### pandadoc merge failed on send
Preview first, the broken field is always visible there. If this matches what you saw, the steps above apply as written.

### template merge error pandadoc
Orphaned custom fields are the repeat offender. If this matches what you saw, the steps above apply as written.

## Why it happens
Merges resolve every field at send time. A field mapped to a deleted custom field, or a recipient record missing the value, makes the whole merge fail instead of sending with a blank.

## Edge cases
- Required merge fields fail harder than optional ones
- Test every template change with a preview before sending to real recipients
- Bulk sends multiply one broken field into many failures

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_IhL8AyT_WZC2BvvB5iLojg