Email templates

Custom email templates are fully-branded designs you compose in a drag-and-drop builder. They're the design surface; Automation is how you fire them on a trigger, and the Booking drawer can send any active template on demand from a transaction.

If a single built-in Simple email covers what you need, use that. Reach for a template when you want a fully-branded design, data-bound blocks (purchased items, payment summary, customer responses), or attachments (invoice PDF, photo).

Getting started

Navigate to Emails and messaging > Templates and automation. The Email templates tab is the default landing page. Click Create email template to open the builder, or click any row to edit an existing template.

How it works

The builder is a three-panel layout.

You build a template by dragging components from the left panel into the canvas (or clicking to add). Click any component to select it; its properties appear on the right. Drag the rank handle on a component to reorder, or click the trash icon to delete. The Settings dropdown in the top right manages template metadata, surface availability, and test sends. Save draft keeps the template in draft (won't send and won't appear in pickers); Save & activate flips the status to active so it can be sent or chosen in Automation Send email steps.

Step-by-step guide

Open the builder

Fill in template settings

Before adding components, set the template metadata. Click the Settings dropdown in the top right, then Template settings.

Click Create template (new) or Update settings (edit) to commit. Back discards.

Drop components into the canvas

The Components library on the left is grouped into Standard Components, Custom Components, and Attachments. Drag any component into the Header, Body, or Footer drop zone. Most components live in Body; Header is for the brand strip at the top, Footer is for the address / social / legal strip at the bottom.

The Body empty state reads:

Start Building Your Email Add rows and drag components into columns, or add components directly

You can drop components directly into Body, or add a Columns row first and drop components into each column.

Standard components

These are the visual layout primitives.

Custom (data-bound) components

These components render with the actual transaction's data at send time. Drop Payment summary into a template and the email shows that customer's real subtotal, taxes, fees, paid, and due, not placeholder text.

Attachments

These don't render in the email body. They attach a file to the outgoing email.

Edit a component's properties

Click any component on the canvas. The Properties panel on the right populates with its editable properties. Properties are grouped into sections (Appearance, Spacing, Typography, etc.). Each block type has its own property set; the common groups are covered first, then per-component specifics.

Common property groups

Color pickers throughout the builder have six brand presets plus a custom color input:

• Primary pink #e14eca
• Blue #1d8cf8
• Teal / green #00bf9a
• Coral #ff8d72
• Pink / red #fd5d93
• Purple #825ee4

The Inherit button on background color resets the block back to its parent's background (useful when you change the canvas background and want a child to follow).

Text component

Button component

The dynamic link types resolve at send time:

Image component

Divider component

Columns component (row)

Drop components into each column independently. Columns is for arranging blocks side-by-side (e.g., image on the left + text on the right).

Header component

Footer component

Custom HTML component

The Custom HTML block holds raw email HTML. It suits advanced designs, HTML produced by AI tools, and designs migrated from other email platforms.

Select the block and click Edit HTML in the properties panel. A panel opens with three areas:

Pasting a complete HTML document (one with html, head, and body tags) converts it automatically: the body content becomes the block, style rules move into a Style rules from your pasted document box (they still apply when the email sends), and stylesheet links are removed with a notice explaining each change.

Unsafe content such as scripts is rejected before the template can be saved, with a message naming each problem. Save stays disabled until the problems are removed.

The properties panel also has Top padding, Bottom padding, and Side padding sliders for spacing around the block.

Tip: Email apps support HTML differently than web browsers. Always send a test email before using custom HTML in a large campaign.

Layout settings and full width

With no component selected, the right sidebar shows Layout Settings for the whole template:

Insert smart variables (personalization)

Smart variables are placeholders that render the recipient's actual data at send time. They live inside Text blocks and Custom HTML blocks (the Custom HTML editing panel has its own Smart variables button).

Available smart variables:

You can use the same variable as many times as you want in a single template, and combine multiple variables in one block (e.g., "Hi {{customer.firstName}}, your booking on {{booking.date}} from {{booking.startTime}} to {{booking.endTime}} is confirmed."). For data that isn't available as a variable (line items, totals, customer answers), use the equivalent Custom component instead.

Generate content with Biku

Biku, the platform assistant, can build or change a template's content from a written description. The sparkle button at the left of the canvas toolbar opens the Generate with Biku panel; it also appears automatically on a brand new empty template.

On an empty template Biku composes the full content from the standard and data-bound blocks. On a template with content it adds new sections below the existing ones, or updates existing sections in place when the request describes a change, such as recoloring a button or rewording a heading. Everything it produces is made of normal blocks and stays fully editable.

Tip: Descriptions up to 500 characters work best when they name the goal, the audience, and the mood, for example "an elegant minimal invitation to our new event room, cream background".

Things to know:

• Generating saves the template first, so unsaved canvas changes are kept and saved.
• Each account has 50 generations per day, shared with the platform assistant. Past the limit, generation returns a daily limit message until the next day.
• Requests that are not about email content are declined with a short message and the template is left unchanged.
• Custom HTML produced by Biku goes through the same safety screening as pasted HTML.

Toggle desktop and mobile preview

The canvas header has the Biku sparkle button on the left and two device icons (tablet and mobile) on the right. Click to toggle the canvas between desktop and mobile rendering. The components are unchanged; only the preview width differs. Always preview both before activating, since a layout that works on desktop can break on a phone (especially with multi-column rows).

Settings dropdown

The Settings dropdown in the top right has three options.

Template availability

Send test email

The test email uses sample data for any data-bound blocks (purchased items, payment summary, customer responses, etc.), so you see what a real send would look like.

Save and activate

The top right has two save buttons.

Save & activate requires that the template has been saved as a draft first (you need a template ID). If you click Save & activate on a never-saved template, you see a "Template not saved" alert that opens the Template Settings modal so you can fill in the required metadata first.

Both buttons validate the required metadata before saving. Missing required fields show inline errors and a "Validation error" alert.

Archive and restore templates

Archiving takes a template out of your Email templates list without deleting it. An archived template keeps its design and its send history, and you can bring it back at any time.

The other filters (Template name, Status and the rest) still work while Archived is on, so you can search your archived templates the same way as your active ones. The switch stays on when you reload the page, and you can save it in a view.

Manage Email template types

Template types are the colored / iconned categories you assign on the Template type dropdown. Manage them from the three-dot menu on the Email templates tab > View email template types.

The Create template type / Edit template type modal:

Reference

Builder layout

Components

Smart variables

Brand color presets

Columns layouts

Button link types

Image width presets

Divider thickness

Footer social platforms

Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TripAdvisor, Yelp, website.

Template settings modal

Template availability options

Save buttons

Template type modal

Custom block configuration matrix

Languages supported on data-bound blocks

English, Español, Français, Svenska, Ελληνικά, Dansk. The block's labels translate; the underlying data does not. Blocks without an explicit language follow the location's default language.

Good to know

• Templates and Automations are independent. A template can be sent directly from the Booking drawer Customer communication > Send email or from the Transaction details Emails > Send an email drawer without an Automation, provided Template availability > Show on transaction details page is on.
• Save & activate requires a draft first. You can't activate a brand-new unsaved template. Click Save draft to create the template record, then Save & activate to flip the status.
• From email needs a verified domain. If your From email's domain isn't verified in Email settings, the send fails. Verify the domain before activating templates that use that address.
• Attachments quietly skip when unavailable. Invoice attaches the transaction's invoice PDF (skipped on zero-balance / no-invoice transactions). Photo attaches the player photo (skipped when none exists). The email still sends, just without the attachment.
• Data-bound blocks render real data at send time. What you see in the canvas is a sample; the actual email uses that recipient's purchased items, payment totals, custom-field answers, etc.
• Show ticket categories replaces the quantity on booking rows. With the toggle on, the Purchased items block lists each ticket category of a booking with its number of participants (Adult: 2, Child: 1), one per line. Gift cards and items keep their plain quantity.
• Show end time adds each booking's end to its date and time. With the toggle on, the Purchased items block shows every booking's start and end (for example Saturday, 10/18/2026 • 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM), with the end date included when a booking runs past midnight. All-day bookings keep their all-day text. The toggle is off by default.
• Booking duration is the length the customer booked. {{booking.duration}} follows the booking's own start and end, so it reflects the length picked at checkout and any end time staff changed later. Event duration ({{game.duration}}) stays the event's default length. The Event block's duration shows the booked length when the email has a timed booking.
• All-day bookings print their all-day text as the duration. For an all-day booking, {{booking.duration}} prints the all-day text ("All day" unless you changed it), so write it on its own rather than followed by "minutes" if you sell all-day bookings.
• The Ticket Breakdown smart variable prints one category per line. {{booking.ticketBreakdown}} renders the same category list inside a Text block. {{booking.groupSize}} still gives the total as a single number.
• The attached invoice follows your invoice settings. The Invoice attachment uses the Invoices section of Payment settings, including Show ticket categories.
• Smart variables only work in Text blocks. They're inserted via the Smart variables button in the Text block's Properties panel. Variables in other places (subject, preheader) aren't supported in the current builder.
• Send test email uses sample data. Test sends won't show real customer data, since the email isn't tied to a real transaction. To verify against a real recipient, send through the Booking drawer Send email picker on a real booking.
• Gift card blocks render their full content on live sends: code, value, balance, message, activation date, and expiration. The live customer-facing email always shows real values. Test-email previews still show empty gift-card fields, because previews don't load real gift card data.
• Column layouts are fixed templates. The five Columns layouts (1, 2 Equal, 3 Equal, 1/3+2/3, 2/3+1/3) cover the common cases; arbitrary column widths aren't supported in the current builder.
• Mobile preview is essential. Multi-column rows stack on phones; make sure the stacked order makes sense (e.g., image first, then text, not the other way around).
• Activation status drives visibility. Drafts don't appear in the Booking drawer Send email picker, the Transaction details Send an email drawer, or Automation Send email step pickers. Save & activate to make them selectable.
• Per-toggle inline saves apply across the landing page. Activating / deactivating from the templates list takes effect immediately with a toast confirmation.
• Editing an active template affects future sends only. Past emails were rendered and sent at the time of the trigger. Your edits apply to future sends; past sends are not retroactively updated.
• Copy to other groups is a one-shot clone. It clones the template (and all its components and settings) to other company groups. After copy, each group's copy is independent. Editing the original later doesn't propagate.
• A restored template always comes back as a draft. Even a template that was active when you archived it needs Save & activate before it sends again, so nothing goes out by surprise.
• Two templates can't share a name. If another template already uses the archived template's name, Restore template is blocked and a message names the conflict. Rename the other template, then restore this one.
• Archived templates can't be opened or duplicated. Restore a template first to edit it, preview it or make a copy.

FAQ

Q: How is a template different from a Simple email?

A: Simple emails are the 13 built-in transactional types. They have a fixed format and a fixed firing schedule (booking confirmation on booking, payment receipt on payment, etc.). Templates are fully-custom designs with the drag-and-drop builder. Templates fire from the Booking drawer Send email action, from the Transaction details Send an email drawer, or from a multi-step Automation flow.

Q: Why doesn't my template appear in the Send email picker?

A: Three things to check: 1) Status is active (not draft). Open the template, click Save & activate. 2) Template availability > Show on transaction details page is on. Open the Settings dropdown > Template availability and toggle it on. 3) Your From email's domain is verified in Email settings.

Q: Can I use smart variables in the subject line or preheader text?

A: Not in the current builder. Smart variables only work inside Text blocks via the Properties panel Smart variables picker. The subject line and preheader are static strings set in Template settings.

Q: How do I show how many participants are in each ticket category?

A: Two ways. In a Purchased items block, turn on Show ticket categories to list the categories in the quantity column. In a Text block, insert the Ticket Breakdown smart variable ({{booking.ticketBreakdown}}) from the Booking group.

Q: How do I show when a booking ends or how long it is?

A: Two ways. In a Purchased items block, turn on Show end time to show each booking's start and end. In a Text block, insert End Time ({{booking.endTime}}) or Booking duration ({{booking.duration}}) from the Booking group. In an email covering several bookings, the smart variables describe the first booking, so use the Purchased items block to show every booking's times.

Q: What's the difference between a Text block and a Custom block like Purchased items?

A: A Text block holds free-form text with smart variables. A Custom block (Purchased items, Payment summary, etc.) renders structured data from the transaction at send time. Use a Text block for prose like "Thanks for your booking!"; use a Custom block when you need to show the actual line items or payment breakdown.

Q: How do I add my logo?

A: Drag a Header component into the canvas's Header drop zone, then in Properties click Upload (or URL) and pick your logo. Adjust Image width, Logo alignment, and Background color to match your brand.

Q: Why does my multi-column row look broken on mobile?

A: Multi-column rows stack vertically on mobile. The first column becomes the top section; the last becomes the bottom. Use the canvas's mobile preview toggle (mobile icon in the canvas header) to verify the stack order before activating. If the order is wrong, rearrange the columns so the visually-important one is first.

Q: Can I have multiple From addresses on different templates?

A: Yes. Each template has its own From name, From email, and Reply-to email in Template settings. As long as each From email's domain is verified in Email settings, they all work.

Q: What does the Inherit button on background color do?

A: It resets the block's background to follow its parent (e.g., the canvas or the row). If you change the canvas background and want a block to track that change, click Inherit on the block's background color.

Q: My data-bound block is showing sample data even after activating. Why?

A: The canvas always shows sample data; that's the preview. At send time (whether through Automation or the Booking drawer), the block renders the actual recipient's data. The only way to confirm with real data is to send through the Booking drawer Send email on a real booking, or activate an Automation and let it fire on a real trigger.

Q: Can I duplicate a template instead of building from scratch?

A: Yes. On the Email templates tab, click the three-dot menu on any template row and pick Duplicate. The copy appears as a new draft you can edit independently.

Q: How do I send the same template to multiple groups?

A: From the Email templates tab, click the three-dot menu on the template row and pick Copy to other groups. Pick the target groups; the template (with all components and settings) clones to each. After cloning, each copy is independent; edits to the original don't propagate.

Q: What attachments are supported beyond Invoice and Photo?

A: Just those two today. Invoice attaches the transaction PDF; Photo attaches the player photo. Other attachments (custom files, calendar invites, etc.) aren't currently in the builder.

Q: Why is Save & activate disabled?

A: One of three reasons: 1) The template was never saved (no template ID yet). Click Save draft first. 2) Required metadata is missing (Name, Type, Subject, Preheader, From name, From email, Reply-to). Open Template settings and complete them. 3) The template is already active, in which case the button label and action are the same (you're just resaving).

Q: How do I deactivate a template?

A: On the Email templates tab, click the three-dot menu on the template row and pick Deactivate. The template stays in the list but moves to draft status and stops appearing in pickers.

Q: Can I get an archived template back?

A: Yes. Switch on Archived in the filter bar on the Email templates tab, click the three-dot menu on the template and pick Restore template. It comes back as a draft, ready to edit and activate.

Q: Can HTML from ChatGPT or another AI tool be used directly?

A: Yes. Add a Custom HTML block and paste it into the Edit HTML panel. Complete documents are converted to block content automatically, and the compatibility list flags styling that email apps may render differently. A test send is recommended before a large campaign.

Q: Does Biku replace what is already on the canvas?

A: No. On a template with content, Biku only adds new sections or updates the specific sections the request describes. Existing content is never removed or reordered.

Q: Can I edit the email from a customer's perspective before sending?

A: Use Settings > Send test email to send the template (with sample data) to your inbox. You'll see what recipients see, including header, footer, and rendered components. For a per-customer preview with real data, send from the Booking drawer Send email picker on a real booking.