Communication templates define the email and SMS content Administrate sends to learners, booking contacts, instructors, and staff. Templates are used by Triggers and can also be selected when sending certain event notifications, for example when cancelling an Event or Event Sessions.
On this page
- Overview
- Template types
- Create a template
- Template fields
- Audiences
- Translations
- Add a translation
- Preview a template
- Troubleshooting
Overview
You can manage templates in the Control Panel under Communications > Templates. Templates support merge fields (dynamic values pulled from your Administrate data) and can be translated into multiple languages.
Communication templates provide the content your recipients receive. In addition to being used with Triggers, templates can also be selected when sending notifications to students and instructors in specific workflows, such as Event and Session cancellation.
The available merge fields depend on the selected audience and the context in which the template is used. Audience selection is therefore important both for who receives the message and for what data can be inserted into it.
- For merge fields and formatting, see Template Merge Fields.
- For language setup and translation delivery logic, see Languages and Translations.
Template types
Email templates
Email templates support rich content, including formatting, links, images, and layout. You can edit using the visual editor or switch to HTML view if you prefer to work directly with markup.
If you paste content from tools like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, review the result in the editor. Pasted formatting can introduce unwanted markup or inconsistent styling.
SMS templates
SMS templates are plain text and cannot include formatting or attachments. Keep messages concise and within your SMS character limit. You can still use merge fields.
Create a template
- Go to Communications > Templates.
- Select Create template.
- Choose Email or SMS.
- Complete the required fields.
- Select Save.
Template fields
When creating or editing a template, you configure several key fields that control how the communication behaves.
- Name – Internal reference for the template.
- Audience – Defines who receives the message.
- Company – Determines which company can use the template in multi-company setups.
- Subject – Email subject line for email templates.
- Body – The message content, including merge fields where appropriate.
- Attachments – Optional files or generated documents included with the communication.
Name
The template name is for internal reference. Recipients do not see it.
Company
In a multi-company setup, you can choose which company a template applies to, or make it available to all companies. Users generally see and manage templates for their own company, plus any templates set to All Companies.
Subject
The subject line is used for email templates only. Merge fields can also be used in the subject line.
Attachments
Templates can include attachments such as generated documents or files stored in the Document Management System (DMS).
You can also attach documents dynamically using document categories, allowing Administrate to include the correct file based on the associated Course Template or Event configuration.
Audiences
The Audience defines who receives the communication and determines which merge fields are available in the template editor.
Selecting the correct audience is important, because it controls both the intended recipients and the data available to personalize the message.
Common audiences
| Audience | Who receives it? |
|---|---|
| All Staff / Event Staff | Administrators and Instructors for the Event |
| Learner Booking Contacts | The contact used to book unnamed students |
| Students | Contacts who have registered for an Event |
| Scheduled | Recipients of recurring communications, such as reports |
| Booking Owner | The assigned internal owner of the Booking |
| Booking Contact | The primary contact designated on the Booking |
| Booking Recipient | A general booking-related recipient |
Note
The selected audience determines which merge fields are available. The Scheduled audience does not support merge fields.
Translations
Templates can have one or more translations using the languages enabled on your instance. Templates must have at least one translation. When multiple translations exist, you can set a default translation for the template.
When multiple translations exist, Administrate selects which version to send using the following order of priority:
- The recipient’s preferred language
- The template’s default language
- The English translation
- The default version if no translations are available
For setup and delivery logic, see Languages and Translations.
Add a translation
- Open the template you want to translate.
- Select Create translation and choose a language.
- Complete the translated subject and content.
- Select Save.
If Create translation is not available, confirm that additional languages are enabled in Languages and Translations.
Preview a template
You can preview an email template in the browser or send yourself a test email.
- Open the template.
- Select Preview.
- Choose Browser or Email.
Merge fields may not populate in previews, depending on the preview method and available context.
Troubleshooting
- I can’t save the template: confirm all required fields are completed, including at least one translation where applicable.
- I can’t find “System” vs “User” templates: use filters and search in the template list.
- I received the wrong language version: confirm the recipient or context language settings and that the template has the correct translation available.