Creating Email Templates and Signatures

Templates and Signatures can be set up for emails so that standard emails containing rich text can be created for any client using infused merge fields.

When setting up the text in the Email Template or Signature, the Template Editor displays rich text. You can apply formatting using the tools in the Editor. You can also copy and paste existing formatted text from Office programs and any formatting is reflected in the editor.

Templates and Signatures can only be set up and maintained by an FYI Admin, or a user in a User Group that has Permissions enabled for Templates (refer to Managing Users and Managing User Groups).

You can set up Email Signatures that will be automatically applied whenever a user creates an email in FYI. These hold the information that is added as default to emails created in FYI. Email Signatures are created in the same way as Templates but with the addition of ticking the Signature indicator to mark them as Signature. Refer below to Creating an Email Signature in FYI.

You can select the view "Signature" to display just Email Signatures in the Templates list. You could also add a Keyword such as "Signatures" so these stand out in the "All" or "Active" views.

Including Merge Fields in Email Templates and Signatures
You can include Merge Fields in Email Templates and Signatures using the Merge Field selectors at the bottom of the Email Editor. For full information, including how to include Merge Fields to bring in content (such as user or client information from your practice management software and content from FYI) refer to Including Merge Fields in Email Templates and Signatures.

Including Salutations and Sign Offs
When setting up Email Signatures and Templates, it is important to decide where to add any text and Merge Fields such as the salutation (such as "Dear" or "Hi" and a Merge Field for the client name, and the sign-off such as "Yours sincerely", or "Regards", and a Merge Field for the author). These are commonly added to the Email Signature. If these have also been included in both your Signature and Templates, it will include these twice when both the Signature and a Template are used to create an email. It is important that this is set up consistently for all your Signature and Templates.

Author and Owner Merge Fields
When Emails are created from a Template and Signature that use certain Merge Fields, such as those that relate to Author (Author Name, Author Role Author Phone), these are only applied when the final sender of the email has been determined and these do not display when editing the email in FYI.

The Author Merge Fields relate to the 'sender' of the email.
The Owner Merge Fields take the information relating to the person who originally created the email.

If an email is edited and sent by someone after it is initially created, the Owner information does not change, but the Author information will change to reflect the user who sent the email.

Creating Email Templates in FYI

There are the following steps when creating an Email Template:

Step 1 - Create the Email Template and select the Template Filing details
Step 2 - Add the Email Template Contents
Step 3 - Set the Email Template Status and, if required, the AutoFile Defaults

Note: When you create a new template or signature by default the Status is set to "Draft". If you have the "Active" view selected, the newly created Draft template or signature will not be shown. Before creating a new template or signature, it is recommended to change the selected view to "All"  so it includes the Draft templates.

Step 1 - Create the Email Template and select the Template Filing details

1. From FYI, click the Knowledge menu option.
2. Go to the Templates tab.
3. Click the drop-down next to the +Add button and select Email.
4. Select the Filing details for the Template itself. This determines how it shows in the Knowledge Templates list. In the example, the Templates Cabinet has been set up with the Categories "Team" and "Work Type" and Keywords and Tags have been enabled for the Templates Cabinet. Refer to Managing Cabinets.
   
   Cabinet - This is always set as Templates and cannot be changed.
   
   Categories - Select the filing Categories, Tags and Keywords as relevant for the template and for what has been set up for the "Templates" Cabinet for your practice.
   
   Template Name - This identifies the template internally when selecting the Template when creating an email. Make sure this clearly describes when the Template will be used.
   
   Name - The name of the email created from the Template. This field supports the use of Merge Fields to customise the email name, for example, to add the Client Name. Refer to Including Merge Fields in Email Templates and Signatures. If a Name isn't specified, the email will be created using the Template Name instead.
   
   
   
   
5. Click Create.
   The drawer and the Email Editor display.
   
   

Step 2 - Add the Email Template Contents

Enter any text and add any images required in the Email Editor, or copy and paste this from an Office product.

Add any Merge Fields (refer to Including Merge Fields in Email Templates and Signatures).

You can format the text using the tools at the top of the Editor. The text displays in rich text to reflect any formatting. For information about formatting, which font sizes to use for Emails and using a font that is not available in FYI, refer to Formatting and Fonts using the Editor in FYI.

Important Note: If you are using combinations of Merge Fields and formatting, we recommend you add the Merge Fields first and check these are bringing the correct information. Then edit the Template or Signature and add any formatting.

Step 3 - Set the Email Template Status and, if required, the AutoFile Defaults

Initially the Status of the Template is set to "Draft".

1. State - Select the State as "Active", "Draft" or "Archived". A template will only be available for selection in new emails if it has a state of "Active".
   
   To set this to "Active", in the Filing section, change the Status.
   
   
   
   
2. Optionally, set the AutoFile Defaults.
   
   Email Templates can hold AutoFile Defaults for Cabinet and Categories that will be set when the email is created with that template selected, providing the user has access to the relevant Cabinet. The AutoFile Defaults for Cabinet and Categories in the selected Template will override any Filing Defaults set at the Client, User or Practice level.
   
   These are optional and can be left blank in a Template. You can also select, for example, just the Cabinet so that any categories are selected as relevant for the email that is created. When the email is created, the default Cabinet and Categories from the Template can be changed if the user wants to.
   
   
3. Close the Email Template drawer.

You can add Comments to a template, for example, if you want to advise any users that it is available, or if you need a user to make some changes. Comments on Templates are added and used in the same as for other FYI documents. Refer to Adding Comments and Notifying Team Members.

Editing and Making Changes to the Email Template

1. Select the Email Template or Signature in the Knowledge - Templates list to display the drawer.
   
   
2. Expand the Filing or AutoFile Defaults section and make any changes.
   Changes to the Filing or AutoFile Defaults are recorded in the Activity.
   
   To change the contents, click the Editor button on the side of the drawer to display the Email Editor panel.
   
3. Make any changes as required to the contents or to the Merge Fields.
   
   
4. Close the drawer to save the changes.

Any changes are shown in the Activity section in the drawer.

Creating an Email Signature in FYI

The Email Signatures can include your company logo and sign-off information such as the name, email and phone numbers of the author of the email.

An Email Signature is created in the same way as an Email Template, except:

• It must have Signature checkmarked. The Signature indicator can be checkmarked when the Template is created or it can be edited after.
• There are no AutoFile Defaults for Signatures. If the user selects a Template when creating an email, any AutoFile Defaults settings are taken from the Template.

In the same way as Templates, Signatures can only be set up and maintained by an FYI Admin, or a user in a User Group that has Permissions enabled for Templates (refer to Managing User Groups). Merge Fields can be used in Signatures in the same way as those used for Templates. Refer to Including Merge Fields in Email Templates and Signatures.

1. Create the Email Template.
2. In the Filing section in the drawer, checkmark Signature.
   
   

The Signature indicator can be checkmarked when the Template is created or it can be edited after.

Make sure the name of the Signature clearly describes when the Signature would be used, for example, if you have a default Signature for all users and a different one for partners.

The text in the Email Signature displays in the editor in rich text. You can apply formatting using the tools in the editor. You can also copy and paste existing formatted text from Office programs and any formatting is reflected in the editor.

Note: If you are including images as .JPG there may be occasions where the image is not rendered correctly in the email in the FYI editor and when sent to Outlook. When using images in templates, check they are rendering correctly.

For details of how to incorporate HTML in the Signature refer to Creating the Email Signature using HTML and Adding Merge Fields.

You can add Merge Fields to a Signature. For an overview of how Merge Fields are used, refer to Overview of Templates, Signatures and Merge Fields for Emails.

Editing and Making Changes to an Email Signature
To edit or make changes to an Email Signature, this is done in the same way as an Email Template (refer above to Editing and Making Changes to the Email Template).

Changing and Image in an Email Signature

1. Select the old image and delete it.
2. In the same space where the old image was, paste the copied new image using Ctrl+v.

Note: Ensure that you use Ctrl+v. Do not paste the image using right-click and paste from the pop-up menu as this will not work.

Default Email Signature
You can set up a Default Email Signature for your practice. This is the email signature that is used for all users unless they have an alternate signature set in their user profile (refer to Managing Users). The Default Email Signature that you want to use must have the status set as "Active" and marked as Signature.

It is then added to your Practice Settings in the Default Email Signature. Refer to Managing Practice Settings for Documents.

User Email Signatures
You can also set up additional Email Signatures that are used instead of the practice's default. When a non-default email signature has been set up, it needs to be selected in the User Profile of the relevant user(s) so it is used instead of the default. Refer to Managing Users.

Archiving or Deleting an Email Template or Signature

You can archive a Template by setting the Status to "Archived". A template will only be available for selection if it has a state of "Active".

You can delete a Template by selecting it in the Templates list and clicking Delete.

• If you need to archive or delete an Email Template, first check if it has been used in any Process Automations (refer to Automation Process Steps and Process Step Details - Creating Documents and Tasks).
  
  
• Check if it is set as your Default Email template in your Collaborate Settings (refer to Setting up the Shared Folders Email Template and Assigning Share Settings Access). 
  
  
• If you need to archive or delete an Email Template or Signature, first check if it has been assigned as your Default Email Signature (refer to Managing Practice Settings for Documents) or if it has been selected in any user's profile (refer to Managing Users).
  
  
• Signatures cannot be deleted if it has been selected as the default signature for the practice. Refer to Managing Practice Settings for Documents.

Note: There is currently no restore facility for deleted Templates or Signatures. In the interim, instead of deleting a Template or Signature that is not in use, we recommend setting the Status to "Archived".