Email Templates

Email Templates use HTML, the standard for writing websites, to create Templates to match your organisation’s branding and existing documents. You can use HTML to create powerful templates, such as those that include maps and images.

By default, the Templates editor is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get): this allows you to see how the email appears as you create it, and minimises the amount of HTML knowledge required to format your Template. The format bar behaves similar to those found in common word processing packages, such as Word or Pages.

Formatting Bar for Templates

To manually edit the HTML, click on and the body will change to a code-style interface. WYSIWYG functions will be greyed out and inaccessible when in HTML View. W3 Schools provide a useful guide for basic HTML. Click on again to return to the WYSIWYG interface.

HTML View for the Editing a Template

 

Add an Email Template

1. Click
2. Name your Template: this is for your reference only, the recipients won’t see this.
3. Audience: what group of recipients is this intended for? (see Template Audiences)
4. Email Subject: this is the subject of the email (the same as your standard emails) Template Merge Fields can also be used. There is no direct way to have Merge Fields appear in Email Subject. So you will have to manually cut and paste it into the Email Subject field.
5. [Optional] Click to add email attachments, either generated documents, or those from your DMS (e.g. terms and conditions).
6. Compose your message in the main text box, using Template Merge Fields as appropriate.
7. Click

Copy and Paste Merge Fields from the content body to the Email Subject.

SMS Templates

SMS Templates use plain text and cannot be formatted, unlike Email Templates, nor can you include attachments. However, you can still use Template Merge Fields.

There’s a 1,000 character limit which should be adhered to. This limit excludes rendering of the merge fields, so don’t worry about approaching the 1,000 character limit. You can see how many characters you have remaining when you compose your message.

Please remember to switch the SMS tab when using this section.

Template Audiences

The Audiences are the group of intended recipients. These apply to both Email and SMS Templates.

The Audience selection determines the Template Merge Fields that will be available to you through  Note: The Scheduled audience does not feature merge fields.

Template Merge Fields

Merge Fields are a set of codes that inserts text, from your database, into a Template automatically. This means you can include data specific to each recipient without manually editing the Template before sending each email, e.g. you can insert the recipient’s name so that every email will appear personalised. You can use Merge Fields in the Email Body and the Email Subject Line.

You navigate the fields according to how they are categorised. For example, to select the merge field for the name of the Instructor for an Event: Event → Instructor → Name . (See animation below.)

Using the Merge Field Picker to select the Instructor’s name.

 

date - (locale, long)   =  13 December 2013
time - (locale, short)  =  09:00

{{ delegate.event.end_date | date_format() }}  = for formatting dates
{{ delegate.event.end_time | time_format() }}  = for formatting time

{{ delegate.event.end_date | date_format(locale, dateformat) }}
{{ delegate.event.end_time | time_format(locale, timeformat) }}

{{ delegate.event.start_date | date_format('en_GB', 'long') }}

= 1 April 2007

{{ delegate.event.start_time | time_format('en_GB', 'short') }} = 11:22