Templates

Templates are reusable SMS and email messages with dynamic variables that personalize content for each recipient. Use templates for automated follow-ups, appointment confirmations, reminders, and consistent messaging across campaigns. Templates save time and ensure brand consistency.

Common Use Cases

Appointment Confirmations

Send automated confirmation messages after appointments are scheduled. Include appointment date, time, and location with personalized greetings.

Reminders & Notifications

Send appointment reminders, payment confirmations, or important updates. Keep customers informed automatically without manual effort.

Post-Call Follow-ups

Automatically send follow-up messages after AI assistant calls. Provide additional information, next steps, or thank-you messages.

Marketing Messages

Create branded marketing messages for campaigns. Maintain consistent messaging while personalizing with recipient names and details.

Key Benefits

Save Time

Create messages once and reuse them infinitely. No need to write the same message repeatedly for each contact.

Brand Consistency

Ensure all messages follow your brand voice and guidelines. Templates maintain consistency across all communications.

Personalization

Use variables to personalize messages automatically. Each recipient gets a customized message without manual editing.

Automation

Link templates to AI assistants for automatic sending after calls. Set triggers to send templates based on conversation outcomes.

Template Types

Templates come in two types, each optimized for different communication channels.

SMS Templates

Short text messages (typically 160 characters) sent via SMS. Perfect for:

Quick reminders and confirmations
Appointment notifications
Short follow-up messages
Time-sensitive alerts

Character Limit: SMS messages are typically limited to 160 characters. Keep messages concise.

Email Templates

Longer-form messages with rich content sent via email. Ideal for:

Detailed confirmations and summaries
Information-rich follow-ups
Marketing communications
Document attachments (if supported)

Formatting: Email templates support more formatting options than SMS. Use plain text or validated HTML.

Template Variables

Variables allow you to personalize templates with dynamic content. Insert variables using curly braces {variable_name} and they'll be replaced with actual values when the template is sent.

Common Variables

Available Variables

{name} - Recipient's name

{phone_number} - Recipient's phone number

{email} - Recipient's email address

{appointment_date} - Scheduled appointment date

{appointment_time} - Scheduled appointment time

{company} - Your company/brand name

{support_email} - Support contact email

{extracted_data_key} - Data extracted from AI conversations (use the key name from data extraction)

Variable Replacement: Variables are replaced with actual values when the template is sent. If a variable doesn't have a value (e.g., email not collected), it may appear as empty or the variable name itself. Always test templates to ensure variables work correctly.

Creating Templates

Follow these steps to create a new template for SMS or email messaging.

Step 1: Navigate to Templates

1

Go to Templates: Navigate to Templates in the main navigation menu.
2

Click Create Template: Look for the Create Template button, typically at the top of the templates list.

Step 2: Enter Basic Information

Required Fields

Template Name: Give your template a descriptive name (e.g., "Appointment Confirmation SMS", "Follow-up Email"). Use clear names so you can easily identify templates later.
Type: Select either SMS Template or Email Template. This determines the channel and formatting options available.

Step 3: Write Template Content

Enter your message content in the template editor. Use variables to personalize the message:

Writing Tips

For SMS: Keep messages under 160 characters. Be concise and direct. Include the most important information first.
For Email: You can write longer messages. Include a clear subject line, greeting, body, and closing.
Use Variables: Insert variables like {name} or {appointment_date} where you want personalization.
Test Variables: Always test templates to ensure variables are replaced correctly.

Step 4: Set Trigger (Optional)

Triggers allow templates to be sent automatically based on system events:

How Triggers Work

When you set a trigger input (e.g., "appointment_booked"), the template will be sent automatically when that trigger is detected. This is typically used with AI assistants that set triggers based on conversation outcomes.

Common Triggers:

appointment_booked - When an appointment is scheduled
appointment_cancelled - When an appointment is cancelled
campaign_launched - When a campaign starts
lead_qualified - When a lead is qualified

Note: If you don't set a trigger, the template can still be used manually or set as a default template in AI assistants.

Step 5: Save and Test

Click Create Template or Save to save your template. After saving:

After Creating

Your template is saved and ready to use
You can link it to AI assistants for automatic sending
You can use it in campaigns or send manually
Always test: Send a test message to yourself to verify variables work and formatting looks correct

Template Examples

Here are real-world examples of effective templates you can use as inspiration.

SMS - Appointment Reminder

Hi {name}, reminder: Your appointment is on {appointment_date} at {appointment_time}. Reply YES to confirm or NO to reschedule. - {company}

Use Case: Send 24 hours before appointments to reduce no-shows.

Variables Used: name, appointment_date, appointment_time, company

SMS - Appointment Confirmation

Hi {name}, your appointment is confirmed for {appointment_date} at {appointment_time}. We'll call you then. Questions? Reply to this message. - {company}

Use Case: Send immediately after an appointment is scheduled via AI assistant or manually.

Variables Used: name, appointment_date, appointment_time, company

Email - Appointment Confirmation

Subject: Your appointment on {appointment_date}

Hi {name},

Thank you for booking with {company}. Your appointment is confirmed for:

Date: {appointment_date}
Time: {appointment_time}

If you need to reschedule or have questions, please contact us at {support_email} or reply to this message.

We look forward to speaking with you!

Best regards,
{company} Team

Use Case: Send detailed confirmation emails after appointments are scheduled. Provides more information than SMS.

Variables Used: name, appointment_date, appointment_time, company, support_email

SMS - Post-Call Follow-up

Hi {name}, thanks for your call! As discussed, here's the info you requested: [link]. Questions? Reply anytime. - {company}

Use Case: Automatically send after AI assistant calls, providing promised information or next steps.

Variables Used: name, company

Using Templates

Once created, templates can be used in several ways:

With AI Assistants

Link templates to AI assistants for automatic sending after calls:

Edit your AI assistant (prompt)
Go to the "Select Post Template" section
Select one or more templates from the dropdown
Set one template as "Default" to send after every call
Other templates will send based on trigger inputs set during conversations

How It Works: After a call completes, the AI assistant checks if any trigger inputs were set. If a template has a matching trigger, it sends. Otherwise, the default template (if set) is sent.

Manual Sending

Templates can also be used manually when needed. While the primary use is automated sending through AI assistants, you can reference templates for consistent messaging when sending manual communications.

Editing & Managing Templates

You can edit templates at any time to update content, change variables, or modify triggers.

How to Edit

Go to Templates and find the template you want to edit
Click the Edit button (pencil icon) for that template
Update the name, type, content, or trigger as needed
Click Update or Save to save changes

Note: Changes to templates take effect immediately. Templates already sent won't be affected, but future sends will use the updated content.

Deleting Templates

To delete a template:

Go to Templates and find the template you want to delete
Click the Delete button (trash icon)
Confirm the deletion when prompted

Warning: Deleting a template will remove it from any AI assistants that use it. Make sure to update your assistants if you delete a template they depend on.

Best Practices

Template Naming

Be Descriptive: Use clear, descriptive names like "Appointment Confirmation SMS" or "Follow-up Email - Hot Leads". Avoid generic names like "Template 1".
Include Type: Include the type (SMS/Email) in the name so you can quickly identify which channel it's for.
Indicate Purpose: Name templates based on their purpose (e.g., "Reminder", "Confirmation", "Follow-up") so you know when to use them.

Content Writing

Test Variables: Always test templates by sending them to yourself first. Verify that variables are replaced correctly and formatting looks good.
Provide Defaults: Consider what happens if a variable is missing. Write templates that still make sense even if some variables are empty.
Avoid Sensitive Data: Never include sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, or personal identification numbers in templates.
Keep SMS Concise: For SMS templates, stay under 160 characters. Be direct and include only essential information.

Variable Usage

Use Consistently: Use the same variable names across templates (e.g., always use {name}, not {customer_name} or {contact_name}).
Test Edge Cases: Test templates with missing variables, long names, or unusual data to ensure they handle edge cases gracefully.
Document Custom Variables: If using extracted data variables, document what data extraction keys are available so you know which variables to use.

Troubleshooting

Variable not replaced in sent message

Possible Causes & Solutions:

Variable name misspelled: Check that the variable name matches exactly (case-sensitive). {name} is different from {Name} or {NAME}.
Variable not available: The variable may not exist in the sending context. For example, {email} won't work if the contact doesn't have an email address.
Wrong variable name: Verify you're using the correct variable name. Check the variables list above for available options.
Extracted data key: If using extracted data variables, ensure the data extraction key name matches exactly what was set up in your AI assistant.
Test the template: Send a test message to yourself to verify variables work before using in production.

Email formatting looks broken

Solutions:

Use plain text: For best compatibility, use plain text formatting. Avoid complex HTML or CSS that may not render correctly.
Validate HTML: If using HTML, ensure it's valid and well-formed. Broken HTML tags can cause formatting issues.
Avoid unsupported CSS: Many email clients don't support advanced CSS. Stick to basic formatting.
Test in multiple clients: Test emails in different email clients (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to ensure compatibility.
Keep it simple: Simple, text-based emails are more reliable than complex HTML designs.

Template not sending automatically

Checklist:

Template linked to assistant: Verify the template is selected in your AI assistant's "Select Post Template" section.
Default template set: If using default templates, ensure one is set as "Default". Default templates send after every call.
Trigger matches: If using triggers, ensure the AI assistant sets the correct trigger input during conversations.
Template active: Verify the template is active and not deleted. Check the Templates section.
Contact info available: SMS templates require a phone number, Email templates require an email address. Ensure contacts have the required information.
SMTP/SMS configured: Verify email (SMTP) or SMS settings are properly configured in Settings.

AI Assistants

Learn how to link templates to AI assistants for automatic sending after calls.

Dynamic Personalization

Learn more about using variables and personalization in templates.

Settings

Configure SMTP settings for email templates and SMS settings for SMS templates.