Insert Variables button not working on template with variables

Question

Created a template forum with variables. 
 After creating a new page with the template, I get to step 2: Fill in template Variables.

After filling out all information, i press the button "Insert Variables". 
 Nothing happens. It stays on the page with Step 2.

James Gill_68wu5h · Answer

Just wanted to stop by and say I just got bit by this one as well...more than 6 months later.

David Skreiner2 · Answer

Confluence Template variables do not work in Chrome.

https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-35911

unknown · Answer

When you're creating a page template, you can use variables to create a form. For example:

Version: @VERSION@
Author: @AUTHOR@
Date: @DATE@

You can then insert those again further down the page. As you use the template to create a page, it displays as a form, with an Insert Variables button. You only have to enter each variable once and it populates each field on the page.

But it's a bit flaky (see my answer below). Sometimes it works with macros on the page, sometimes it doesn't. I don't know where it comes from, if there's a plugin or what.