Templates and automation is where you build your own customer messages and decide when they go out. Templates hold what a message says; automations decide who gets it and when.
Getting started
Navigate to Emails and messaging > Templates and automation from the sidebar.
How it works
The page has up to three tabs. Email templates and SMS templates hold your designs, and Automation holds the workflows that send them.
| Tab | What it holds | Create button |
|---|---|---|
| Email templates | Custom emails built with the drag and drop builder | Create email template |
| SMS templates | Text messages with dynamic variables. Shown only for locations in the SMS limited beta | Create SMS template |
| Automation | Workflows that start on a trigger (a booking, a payment, a visit) and run wait, schedule, condition and send steps | Create automation |
A template does nothing on its own until something sends it. An automation sends it through a Send email or Send SMS step, and you can also send an email template by hand from a booking.
Which tabs you see depends on your role: Email templates and SMS templates need permission to configure templates, and Automation needs permission to configure automations.
Step-by-step guide
Create an email template
- Open the Email templates tab and click Create email template
- Build the email in the drag and drop builder and save it
See Email templates for every block, the builder settings and test sends. To browse the template types first, open the three-dot menu next to Create email template and click View email template types.
Create an SMS template
- Open the SMS templates tab and click Create SMS template
- Write the message and save it
See SMS settings for registration, template rules and pricing.
Create an automation
- Open the Automation tab and click Create automation
- Pick a trigger, add steps, and activate it
See Automation for every trigger, step and condition.
Good to know
- Simple emails are separate. The built-in booking confirmation, reminder, follow-up and the rest live on Simple emails. For some triggers, such as a new booking, a cancellation or a refund, an active automation replaces the matching simple email. Reminders, follow-ups, surveys and gift card delivery are never replaced.
- Sender details come from Email settings. The sender name, reply-to address and custom sending domain on Email settings apply to every template.
- Every message is logged. Each email and text an automation sends shows on Messages with its delivery status.
FAQ
Q: Do I have to build an automation to use an email template?
A: No. You can send an email template by hand from a booking. Build an automation when the same message should go out every time something happens.
Q: Why don't I see the SMS templates tab?
A: Text messaging is in limited beta. The tab shows only for locations in the beta.
Q: When should I use a simple email instead?
A: Use a simple email when one of the built-in messages fires at the right moment and you only need to change its wording. Use templates and automation when you need your own design, your own trigger, or several steps in a row.