Use variants of email templates
- 6 min.
Many companies have groups of customers and vendors that need differentiated email messages and attachments. These types of differentiated templates are managed in Document Output when you create and enable variant email template lines, rather than creating completely separate email templates for the same document type. This is because each document type can connect to only one email template. Language codes and dimension codes can be used to trigger the use of a variant template line.
In the example image of the sales shipment email template, you can see:
- line 2 set up for German language customers
- line 3 set up for large customers who receive a different set of terms and conditions
Each email template line can combine multiple elements for variants, for instance to allow for a variant email to customers who are both Customer Group: Medium, and also have language code: Spanish. If separate variant template lines are enables for the two elements, but not for this combination, the customer would be sent the email template matching the dimension code, rather than the email template matching the language code.
For documents that include none of the triggers, the default email template line will be applied. This is why it’s important to always enable at least the top line of the email template, so that all customers or vendors have an email template available for sending the associated document.
Note
The first email template line operates like a default line. This should always be left without a selection for language field and without one of the dimension codes, so that documents not covered by a variant template will still be sent with the main version of the email template.
Use dimensions for variant template lines
The trigger for a variant email line could be based on a dimension code such as customer group or salesperson. You can see the available dimensions on the dimensions list. Each customer and vendor card includes a FactBox which displays their value for these dimensions.
Use language codes for variant template lines
The language code listed on the customer or vendor card can be used as the trigger for a variant template line. Document Output can help you quickly set up email template lines for different language codes, with templates that can be downloaded from the Email Templates list, in the Continia Online menu. Downloading these language templates will create a new language code variant line on your selected email templates, including a new language version HTML email template and a translated file name for the attachment.
Use document fields for variant template lines
As well as managing variants with dimensions or language code, it’s also possible to create template variant lines based on the fields used in the associated document.
For example, when you use the reminder email template, it can be useful to create a different template variant according to the reminder level for each document. The effect would be that reminders are sent with different email messages if they are only just overdue, or overdue by a longer time.
- In the General FastTab, at the Variant field No. option, select Reminder Level. (You might need to click Show more at the top of the General FastTab.)
- Create Email Template Lines for each Reminder Level, and enter appropriate file names.
- Select from the options at Attach Open Documents Filter to attach and combine reminder documents that correspond to the different reminder levels.
Scenario
In the scenario video, Ester sets up email template lines for two customers with special requirements.
Ester needs to work on these tasks:
- Send emails in a different language to one customer
- Attach a different terms and conditions document for large customers
Other resources
More learning resources for this topic include:
- Working with Email Templates (Continia Docs article)