Source: https://mindstamp.com/help/do-variables-persist-across-branches
Generated from the Help Center records: 2026-10-05

# Do variables carry over when a viewer switches videos?

Topic: [Interactions and logic](https://mindstamp.com/help/interactions) · Updated: 2026-09-25

## Short answer

Yes. When a viewer moves to another video with **Switch Video**, **Switch to Previous Video**, or an automatic switch, every variable set so far goes with them. The next video can show the values in text and use them in conditional logic.

## Steps

1. In the first video, set a variable, for example ask “What is your favorite food?” and store the answer in food.
2. Add a button with **Switch Video** to the second video.
3. In the second video, add text that uses the value, such as “Here are recipes with {{food}}.”
4. Click **Preview** on the first video, answer, switch, and check the text in the second video.

## What carries over

- Variables from questions, clicks, and **Set Variable** navigations.
- Values from link parameters and personalized links.
- The viewer’s name, email, phone, and custom ID from lead capture.

## Playlists

Playlist links carry the viewer’s name, email, and variables to every video in the playlist.

## When values do not carry over

Variables belong to the viewing session in that browser tab. A viewer who opens a different link later starts again. When **Remember viewers** is on, the player remembers their name, email, phone, and custom ID on that device, but set any other value again or pass it in the link.

If the destination video has **Remember viewers** turned off in its **Lead Capture** tab, it starts as a new viewer.

## Reporting

Each video in a branching path has its own view record. Use the same variable names in every video so the values are easy to compare in exports.

## Go further

- [Variables tutorial](https://mindstamp.com/tutorials/variables)
- [Branching tutorial](https://mindstamp.com/tutorials/branching)

## Related answers

- [How do I use video branching?](https://mindstamp.com/help/how-to-use-interactive-video-branching)
- [How do I personalize a video with variables?](https://mindstamp.com/help/how-do-i-use-personalization-and-dynamic-variables-on-mindstamp)
- [How does Mindstamp recognize viewers, and why are some anonymous?](https://mindstamp.com/help/viewer-identity-and-anonymous-viewers)
- [How do I show or hide an interaction with conditional logic?](https://mindstamp.com/help/how-can-i-create-a-video-with-conditional-logic)

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