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BRM Dynamic Tags Reference

Pascal Basel

modified at February 28, 2026

BricksMembers provides 9 powerful dynamic tags with 100+ modifier combinations. These tags let you display membership data anywhere in Bricks—headings, text, buttons, images, links, and more.

This guide covers every single tag and modifier available.

What Are Dynamic Tags?

Dynamic tags are placeholders that get replaced with real data when the page loads.

Example:

Welcome, {user_display_name}! You're a {brm_user:levels} member.

Output:

Welcome, John Wick! You're a Premium Plus member.

Dynamic tags work in any Bricks text field: headings, paragraphs, buttons, custom HTML, and in many more places.

💡 Quick Tips: Hidden Gems

These small but powerful features make a huge difference in your designs:

Class Tags for Navigation & Styling

Perfect for query loops! Add these tags to the Style tab → CSS class field (not the General tab) to automatically style active, completed, or unlocked items.

{brm_active} — Highlights the current page AND its parents in navigation menus. Perfect for course/module/lesson sidebars where you want the active lesson AND its parent module highlighted.
{brm_completed} — Adds brm-completed class when a user finishes a lesson. Use it to show checkmarks, change colors, or hide “Start” buttons on completed content.
{brm_unlocked} — Adds brm-unlocked class when content is available. Perfect for graying out locked lessons or disabling links to locked content.

Example: In a lesson sidebar query loop, add to Style tab → CSS class: lesson-link {brm_active} {brm_completed} {brm_unlocked}

Then style with CSS:

.lesson-link.brm-active {
  background: #FF8C42;
  color: white;
}
.lesson-link.brm-completed::after {
  content: "✓";
  color: green;
}
.lesson-link:not(.brm-unlocked) {
  opacity: 0.5;
  pointer-events: none;
}

Other Useful Tags You Might Miss

{brm_user:has_level:5} — Returns 1 or 0. Perfect for Bricks conditions to show/hide content based on specific level IDs.
{brm_progress:completed} — Returns 1 if current post is completed, 0 if not. Great for conditions and styling.
{brm_progress:continue} — Returns a link to the next uncompleted post after the last completed one. Perfect for “Continue Learning” buttons on course pages.
{brm_structure:parent} — Shows the parent level name (e.g., “Module 1” when viewing a lesson). Perfect for breadcrumbs or context headers.
{brm_structure:parent:toplevel} — Shows the top-level name (e.g., “Course 1” when viewing any child). Great for course context headers.
{brm_video:image} — Works with ALL Bricks image modifiers! Use {brm_video:image:large}, {brm_video:image:url}, {brm_video:image:alt}, etc. Just like native Bricks image tags.

The 9 Base Tags

Always Available (6 tags):

{brm_user} – User levels and info
{brm_structure} – Navigation and breadcrumbs
{brm_video} – Video content (URL, image, duration)
{brm_download} – Protected downloads (requires Downloads module)
{brm_active} – Active item class for navigation
{brm_post} – Post required access levels (in query loops)

Module-Specific (3 tags):

{brm_progress} – Progress tracking (requires Progress module)
{brm_drip} – Drip content (requires Drip module)
{brm_like} – Like system (requires Like module)

1. User Tags

All User Tag Modifiers

User Profile Tags (Member Profiles module)

Availability: Requires Member Profiles module

User Context Detection: BricksMembers uses a smart cascade to determine which user’s data to display:

Bricks user query loop – The looped user is always used (highest priority)
Author archive – On /author/username/ pages, the author is used
URL parameter or clean URL – ?user=123, /member/username/, or /profile/123/ resolves that user
Current logged-in user – Default fallback

Configure which methods are active in BricksMembers → Settings → Modules → Profile Pages. This enables building public profile pages where all {brm_user:*} tags display the viewed user’s data, not the visitor’s.

Examples:

Welcome, {user_display_name}! You have {brm_user:levels_count} levels.
Your levels: {brm_user:levels}
{brm_user:levels:link:list}
Has Premium? {brm_user:has_level:5}
Last login: {brm_user:last_login}
Phone: {brm_user:field:phone_number}

2. Progress Tags

Availability: Requires Progress Tracking module

All Progress Tag Modifiers

Format Modifiers:

Note: {brm_progress:completed} without a scope returns 1 if the current post is completed, 0 if not. With a scope (e.g., {brm_progress:completed:toplevel}), it returns the completed count. {brm_progress:total} and {brm_progress:percent} require a scope modifier (e.g., :toplevel, :structure, :parent).

Scope Modifiers (combine with format):

Direct Structure/Post ID Modifiers (for use on pages without post context):

Note: The structure_id modifier calculates progress across ALL courses in the specified structure (like :structure but without requiring post context). The post_id modifier shows progress for that specific post only (like :current but for a different post). Both work with all format modifiers (:percent, :completed, :total).

Edge Cases:

Invalid Post ID: If the post doesn’t exist or isn’t published, returns 0
Post at/below tracking level: Progress is only tracked for posts ABOVE the tracking level (parent containers). If you specify a post at or below the tracking level, returns 0
Post without structure: If the post isn’t part of a structure, returns 0
Invalid Structure ID: If the structure doesn’t exist or progress tracking isn’t configured, returns 0

All Scope + Format Combinations:

Completion Date:

Continue (Next Post After Last Completed):

Automatically finds the last completed post within a boundary and returns a link to the next uncompleted post. Perfect for “Continue Learning” buttons on course overview pages or dashboards.

Continue with Boundary Modifiers:

Note: Without :url, :title, or :id modifiers, all continue tags return a complete HTML link. Add :url for just the URL, :title for just the title, or :id for just the post ID.

How It Works:

Finds all posts within the specified boundary (or default scope)
Identifies the last completed post by the current user
Returns the next post after that completed one
If no posts are completed, returns the first post in scope
If all posts are completed, returns empty string

Use Cases:

Course overview page: “Continue Learning” button that takes users to their next lesson
Dashboard: Quick access to resume where they left off
Module pages: Continue within the current module

Examples:

<!-- Dashboard page (no post context) - use structure_id -->
<a href="{brm_progress:continue:structure_id:YOUR_STRUCTURE_ID:url}">Continue Learning →</a>

<!-- Post page within structure - use structure to auto-detect -->
<!-- Complete HTML link across entire structure -->
{brm_progress:continue:structure}

<!-- URL only for custom button -->
<a href="{brm_progress:continue:structure:url}">Continue Learning →</a>

<!-- Complete HTML link within top-level -->
{brm_progress:continue:toplevel}

<!-- URL only for custom button -->
<a href="{brm_progress:continue:toplevel:url}">Continue Learning →</a>

<!-- Title only -->
Continue: {brm_progress:continue:parent:title}

<!-- Post ID only (useful for query filters, meta queries) -->
Next lesson ID: {brm_progress:continue:id}

<!-- Default scope (requires post context) -->
Next up: {brm_progress:continue}

Max Flag (include inaccessible content):

Examples:

{brm_progress:percent:structure}% complete
{brm_progress:completed:toplevel} of {brm_progress:total:toplevel} lessons done
Is this post completed? {brm_progress:completed}
Completed on: {brm_progress:completion-date}
Continue: <a href="{brm_progress:continue:toplevel:url}">{brm_progress:continue:toplevel:title}</a>
Including inaccessible: {brm_progress:percent:toplevel:max}%

3. Drip Tags

Availability: Requires Drip Content module

All Drip Tag Modifiers

Examples:

Unlocked? {brm_drip:unlocked}
Unlocks: {brm_drip:unlock_date}
Days left: {brm_drip:days-left}

4. Post Level Tags

Context: Use inside post query loops (e.g., course catalog, lesson list) to display which membership level each post requires. Shows the required access level(s) for the current loop post.

All Post Level Tag Modifiers

Example: In a course catalog query loop, add a badge: {brm_post:level:first} to show “Premium”, “Advanced”, or “Free” for each course.

5. Structure Tags

All Structure Tag Modifiers

Navigation Modifiers:

Level Name Modifiers:

Parent Modifiers:

Note: The breadcrumb separator is configurable in BricksMembers → Settings → General → Breadcrumb Separator (default: ›). Breadcrumbs work dynamically with any structure depth (2-6 levels). The :depth:N modifier limits display to the N closest ancestor levels (e.g., depth:1 shows only the immediate parent).

Boundary Modifiers (for navigation):

Boundary modifiers control where navigation searches for the next/previous item. All navigation tags support these boundaries:

Combined Modifiers:

Examples:

{brm_structure:breadcrumbs:link}
Next: {brm_structure:next_item:link}
Previous: {brm_structure:previous_item:link:parentlevel}
{brm_structure:index} of {brm_structure:index_max}
Parent: {brm_structure:parent:toplevel:link}
Level: {brm_structure:level_name}

6. Video Tags

All video tags support boundary modifiers to display parent post data without query loops.

Important: Video tags support boundary modifiers to get video data from parent posts (toplevel, parent, level_N), but NOT :structure (since there’s no specific parent post for “entire structure”). If a boundary cannot be resolved, the tag falls back to the current post’s video data.

Video URL Tag – All Modifiers

Note: Works with video plugins like Gumlet (can store video IDs instead of only URLs)

Video Image Tag – All Modifiers

Basic Modifiers:

Size Modifiers:

Boundary Modifiers:

Combined Modifiers (Boundary + Size/Output):

Advanced Image Modifiers:

Video Duration Tag – All Modifiers

Format Modifiers:

Boundary Modifiers:

Combined Modifiers (Boundary + Format):

Examples:

{brm_video:url}
{brm_video:image:toplevel:large}
Duration: {brm_video:duration:mmss}
Course Duration: {brm_video:duration:toplevel:hms}
Module Duration: {brm_video:duration:parentlevel:mmss}

7. Download Tags

Availability: Only when Protected Downloads module is enabled

All Download Tag Modifiers

Basic:

Image (Bricks Image element compatible):

Examples:

{brm_download:link}
{brm_download:image:large}
{brm_download:id=123:link}
{brm_download:image:@fallback:No thumbnail}

8. Like Tags

Availability: Only when Like System module is enabled

All Like Tag Modifiers

User List Modifiers:

Note: Only {brm_like:count} appears in the Bricks tag picker. The other tags work perfectly—just type them manually.

Examples:

{brm_like:count} likes
Liked by: {brm_like:users}
Liked by (with links): {brm_like:users:link}
Has current user liked? {brm_like:status} (1 or 0)

9. Class Tags (for CSS styling)

These tags output a CSS class name or empty string. Add to Style tab → CSS class for automatic styling in query loops.

Active Item Tag Details

💡 One of the most useful tags for navigation menus! Highlights current page AND its parents.

{brm_active}

Outputs brm-active if the loop item matches the current page/term/user being viewed
Also matches parent posts in content structures (e.g., highlights the module when viewing a lesson)
Outputs empty string if not the current item or parent
Works with post, term, and user query loops
Perfect for navigation menus, breadcrumbs, taxonomy filters, and member directories
Performance: Zero database queries – uses already-loaded WordPress query data

All Active Tag Modifiers

Matching Logic:

For Posts:

Direct match: Loop post ID === Current post ID
Parent match: Loop post ID is a parent of current post (from content structure)

For Terms & Users:

Direct match only: Loop term/user ID === Current term/user ID

Use Cases:

1. Post Query Loops (Navigation Menus with Parent Highlighting)

Add this tag to the CSS class field of elements in a query loop:

{brm_active}

Example in Bricks:

Create a query loop showing course modules
Set CSS class of the QL element in the Bricks element controls header: module-item
Set CSS class in Bricks elements’ style tab: {brm_active}
Style .brm-active in your CSS:

.module-item.brm-active {
    background: var(--primary-color);
    font-weight: bold;
    border-left: 4px solid var(--accent-color);
}

Result:

When viewing a module page, that module will have the brm-active class
When viewing a lesson page, the lesson’s parent module will also have the brm-active class
Perfect for hierarchical navigation where you want to show which section the user is currently in

2. Term Query Loops (Category/Tag Filters)

Create a query loop showing categories or tags
Add a button element inside the loop
Set CSS classes: filter-button {brm_active}
Style the active filter:

.filter-button.brm-active {
    background: var(--primary-color);
    color: white;
}

Result: When viewing a category archive, that category’s filter button will be highlighted.

3. User Query Loops (Member Directories)

Create a query loop showing users
Add a card element inside the loop
Set CSS classes: member-card {brm_active}
Style the current user’s card:

.member-card.brm-active {
    border: 2px solid var(--primary-color);
    box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
}

Result: When viewing a user’s profile/author page, their card in the member directory will be highlighted.

Works With:

Post loops: Course navigation, lesson lists, breadcrumbs
Term loops: Category filters, tag clouds, taxonomy navigation
User loops: Member directories, author lists, team pages

Tag Modifiers

Modifiers change how tags display data.

:link Modifier

Wraps output in a link.

Example:

{brm_structure:next_item:link}

Output:

<a href="/next-lesson/">Next Lesson Title</a>

Works with:

{brm_structure:next_item:link}
{brm_structure:previous_item:link}
{brm_download:link}

Scope Modifiers

What is “Scope”? Scope defines which content to calculate progress for. For example, :toplevel calculates progress within the top-level post (e.g., Course), :parent calculates within the parent post (e.g., Module), and :structure calculates across the entire structure. Use scope modifiers to show progress at different levels of your content hierarchy.

Define what content to include in calculations.

:structure – Current structure

{brm_progress:percent:structure}

:toplevel – Top level of structure

{brm_progress:percent:toplevel}

:parentlevel – Parent level of structure

{brm_progress:percent:parentlevel}

Boundary Modifiers

What is “Boundary”? Boundary defines the navigation window—it limits where “next” and “previous” navigation can go. For example, :toplevel keeps navigation within the top-level post (e.g., Course), so navigating from a lesson won’t jump to the next course. :parentlevel keeps navigation within the parent (e.g., Module), so navigating from a lesson won’t jump to the next module. Use boundary modifiers to control navigation flow within your content structure.

Define navigation boundaries.

:toplevel – Navigate across entire structure

{brm_structure:next_item:toplevel}

:parentlevel – Navigate within current parent

{brm_structure:next_item:parentlevel}

:level_2, :level_3, etc. – Navigate within specific level

{brm_structure:next_item:level_2}

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Welcome Message

Welcome back, {user_display_name}!

You're a {brm_user:levels} member.

You've completed {brm_progress:completed:toplevel} out of {brm_progress:total:toplevel} lessons ({brm_progress:percent:toplevel}%).

Output:

Welcome back, John Smith!

You're a Premium Member member.

You've completed 15 out of 20 lessons (75%).

Note: This example uses scope modifiers (:toplevel) to get progress within the top-level post (e.g., course). Without scope modifiers, {brm_progress:completed} returns 1 or 0 indicating if the current post is completed.

Example 2: Course Progress

Course Progress: {brm_progress:percent:structure}%

Completed: {brm_progress:completed:structure}/{brm_progress:total:structure}

Output:

Course Progress: 60%

Completed: 12/20

Example 3: Lesson Navigation

← {brm_structure:previous_item:parentlevel:link}

{brm_structure:next_item:parentlevel:link} →

Output:

← <a href="/lesson-1/">Lesson 1: Introduction</a>

<a href="/lesson-3/">Lesson 3: Advanced Topics</a> →

Example 4: Course Hero with Parent Video Data

Display course information on lesson pages without query loops:

<div class="lesson-hero" style="background-image: url({brm_video:image:toplevel:url});">
    <div class="hero-content">
        <h1>{post_title}</h1>
        <p class="course-meta">
            Course: {brm_structure:parent:toplevel}
            Duration: {brm_video:duration:toplevel:hms}
        </p>
    </div>
</div>

Note: The example uses {brm_video:image:toplevel:url} to get the top-level parent’s video image URL, and {brm_structure:parent:toplevel} to get the top-level parent’s title.

Output on a lesson page:

<div class="lesson-hero" style="background-image: url(https://example.com/course-thumbnail.jpg);">
    <div class="hero-content">
        <h1>Lesson 3: Advanced Topics</h1>
        <p class="course-meta">
            Course: Complete WordPress Course
            Duration: 5:30:45
        </p>
    </div>
</div>

Note: The example uses {brm_video:image:toplevel:url} to get the top-level parent’s video image URL, and {brm_structure:parent:toplevel} to get the top-level parent’s title.

Why this is powerful:

No query loops needed
Zero extra database queries (uses Request Registry)
Clean, simple syntax
Perfect for displaying parent context on child pages

Example 5: Drip Status

{brm_drip:unlocked}

If unlocked:

If locked:

Use with conditions to show different content:

[If unlocked] Watch the lesson now!
[If locked] This lesson unlocks on {brm_drip:unlock_date}

Example 5: Completion Status

{brm_progress:completed}

If completed:

If not completed:

Use with conditions:

[If {brm_progress:completed} equals 1] ✓ You've completed this lesson
[If {brm_progress:completed} equals 0] Mark as complete when you're done

Note: {brm_completed} is a class tag (outputs brm-completed or empty string) for CSS styling in query loops, not a dynamic tag that returns 1/0. Use {brm_progress:completed} for conditions.

Using Tags in Bricks

In Text Elements

Add a Text or Heading element
Click the {x} icon to insert a dynamic tag
Search for “brm” to see all BricksMembers tags
Select a tag
Add modifiers manually if needed (e.g., change {brm_progress:percent} to {brm_progress:percent:structure})

In Buttons

Add a Button element
For button text: Use dynamic tags (e.g., “Next: {brm_structure:next_item}”)
For button link: Use {brm_structure:next_item:url} to get just the URL

Pro Tip: Use :url for button links (outputs just the URL), and :link for text fields (outputs a complete <a> tag).

In Conditions

Important: Dynamic tags are usually not needed in Bricks conditions because BricksMembers provides native conditions that are easier to use and more performant. Use the native BricksMembers conditions (found in the BricksMembers group) for common scenarios like checking user access, progress completion, and drip unlock status.

Dynamic tags in conditions should only be used for specific cases not covered by native BricksMembers conditions, such as custom comparisons or advanced logic that requires numeric values or specific tag outputs.

Using dynamic tags in conditions:

Add any element
Go to Conditions
Add a condition: Dynamic Tag
Enter a BricksMembers tag (e.g., {brm_progress})
Set the comparison (e.g., “> 50”)

Example: Show an “Almost Done!” badge only if the course is more than 50% completed.

In Query Loops

Dynamic tags work in query loop templates.

Example: Show progress for each course in a query loop.

Create a query loop of courses
Inside the loop template, add: “Progress: {brm_progress:percent:toplevel}%” (or use :structure or :parent as needed)
Each course card shows its own progress

Tag Availability

Some tags are only available when specific modules are enabled.

Always available:

{brm_user:*} (levels; avatar/last_login/field require Member Profiles)
{brm_structure:*}
{brm_video:*}
{brm_active}, {brm_completed}, {brm_unlocked} (class tags)
{brm_post:level}, {brm_post:level:first}, {brm_post:level:ids:*} (post query loops)

Requires Member Profiles module: {brm_user:avatar}, {brm_user:last_login}, {brm_user:field:*}

Requires Progress Tracking module:

{brm_progress:*}
{brm_completed} (class tag for CSS styling)

Requires Drip Content module:

{brm_drip:*}
{brm_unlocked} (class tag for CSS styling)

Requires Protected Downloads module:

{brm_download}

Requires Like System module:

{brm_like:*}

If a tag shows empty output, check that the required module is enabled in BricksMembers → Settings.

Common Questions

Q: Can I use tags outside of Bricks? A: No. These are Bricks-specific dynamic tags. BricksMembers only works with Bricks Builder!

Q: Can I combine multiple tags? A: Yes! Use as many tags as you want in a single text field.

Q: Can I use tags in custom HTML? A: Yes! Tags work in the Code element.

Q: Why is my tag showing empty output?

A: Check that:

The user is logged in (for user-specific tags), or a user is identified via URL parameter / author archive (when profile page detection is enabled)
The post is in a structure (for structure tags)
The tag syntax is correct (no typos)
The output of the tag matches the conditions (correct post type of template, etc.)

Q: Can I format tag output (e.g., add a % sign)? A: Yes! Just add it manually: {brm_progress:percent}%

Q: Can I use tags in ACF fields? A: Not directly. ACF fields don’t process Bricks dynamic tags. Use Bricks elements to display ACF data with BricksMembers tags.

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BRM Dynamic Tags Reference

Share this post

What Are Dynamic Tags?

💡 Quick Tips: Hidden Gems

Class Tags for Navigation & Styling

Other Useful Tags You Might Miss

The 9 Base Tags

1. User Tags

All User Tag Modifiers

User Profile Tags (Member Profiles module)

2. Progress Tags

All Progress Tag Modifiers

3. Drip Tags

All Drip Tag Modifiers

4. Post Level Tags

All Post Level Tag Modifiers

5. Structure Tags

All Structure Tag Modifiers

6. Video Tags

Video URL Tag – All Modifiers

Video Image Tag – All Modifiers

Video Duration Tag – All Modifiers

7. Download Tags

All Download Tag Modifiers

8. Like Tags

All Like Tag Modifiers

9. Class Tags (for CSS styling)

Active Item Tag Details

All Active Tag Modifiers

Tag Modifiers

:link Modifier

Scope Modifiers

Boundary Modifiers

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Welcome Message

Example 2: Course Progress

Example 3: Lesson Navigation

Example 4: Course Hero with Parent Video Data

Example 5: Drip Status

Example 5: Completion Status

Using Tags in Bricks

In Text Elements

In Buttons

In Conditions

In Query Loops

Tag Availability

Common Questions

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Related Docs

Using BRM Bricks Elements

Bricks Conditional Logic for Member Content

Query Loop Filters for Member Content

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