How to customize your platform's message template

How to customize message templates

Overview

The platform offers two types of messages:
  1. Private messages are sent directly between users and can be accessed through the mail icon in the top menu.
  2. Automatic notifications, also called canned messages, are sent automatically when common events occur, such as course enrollments and completions. Users can access notifications through the bell icon.

Users can choose to receive email copies of private messages, notifications, or both through their personal configuration settings.

By default, emails sent from your platform use a standard template that includes a Header with your site name, From and Subject lines, and a standard Footer. Administrators can customize this template for emails, messages, and notifications to reflect their business or school's branding and maintain a consistent brand experience.

Access the message template

To access the message template:
  1. Click or hover over Admin in the primary navigation menu.
  2. Click Messages from the fly-out menu.
  3. Click the Template tab.
Admin, Messages with the Template tab highlighted

Using the template builder

The Template tab allows you to customize the template used for emails, messages, and notifications. Changes to the template apply to all emails, messages, and notifications sent from your platform.

The Template tab includes a template builder with three sections:
  1. Header: Displays at the top of emails and in-platform messages and notifications.
  2. Message information: Displays below the header and includes the From and Subject fields by default. This section appears in emails and in-platform messages and notifications.
  3. Footer: Displays standardized information at the bottom of emails sent from your platform.
The first section of the template builder is the Header. Customizing the Header is a great way to incorporate your brand into your platform communications.

The template builder allows you to edit the template in the left column, and displays a Preview of your changes in the right column. 
  1.  Use the HTML editor to update information in the header. By default, the text that displays in the header is Message via @site_name.
    1. @Site_name is a variable, which will display as the name of your site in messages (as shown in the Preview below).

Admin, Messages, Template tab with the Header highlighted in the editor and the Preview

To expand the HTML editor to view additional tools:
  1. Click the three dot three dot icon menu. This expands the tool bar and exposes additional options, such as the ability to change text color and insert images.
Idea
Pro tip: If you are creating a header image, 685px width is the recommended image width.

If you would like to include any other variables in the header:
  1. Click the Insert variable button. 
    1. A drop-down menu will display with all available variables that can be used in the message template.
Admin, Messages, Template tab with the Insert variable button and three dot more icon highlighted

You may notice that the default header information is in a table. To edit the table properties (such as adding a background color):
  1. Click anywhere within the table row.
  2. Click the Table properties Table properties icon icon.
Admin, Messages, Template tab with the Header table row selected and the Table properties icon highlighted on the Table menu

The Table Properties pop-up displays.
  1. The General tab allows you to adjust the height and width of the row.
  2. The Advanced tab allows you to add a border or background color (shown below).
  3. After updating the table properties, click Save.
Table properties pop-up with the Background color menu active

As you update the template, the email Preview reflects your changes.

Admin, Messages, Template tab with a background color added in the editor and displayed in the Preview header

If you would like to completely remove the header, you can delete the table in the Header section. 
  1. Click anywhere within the table row.
  2. Click the Delete table Delete table icon  icon.
Admin, Messages, Template tab with the Header table row selected and the Delete table icon highlighted on the Table menu

Message information

The next section in the template builder is Message information.

By default, Message information includes a From line with the @sender_avatar, @sender, and @sent_date variables, and a Subject line with the @message_subject variable. If you would like to update the template:
  1. Use the HTML editor to update the contents of the Message information section.
  2. Click Insert variable to add additional variables.
Admin, Messages, Template tab with the Message information highlighted in the editor and the Preview

If you click Insert variable, the pop-up displays.
  1. Select a variable. It is inserted at the cursor position.
Admin, Messages, Template tab with the Insert variable button and menu highlighted
The final section in the template builder is the Footer. By default, the footer includes a link to see the web version of the message, and a link to change your notification configuration.  If you would like to update the template:
  1. Use the HTML editor to update the contents of the Footer section.
  2. Click Insert variable to add additional variables.
Admin, Messages, Template tab with the Footer highlighted in the editor and the Preview

Save or Reset

After making changes to your message template, you have three options:
  1. Click Cancel to discard your changes.
  2. Click Reset to default to restore the default template.
  3. Click Save to save your changes.
Admin, Messages, Template tab with the Cancel, Reset to default, and Save template buttons highlighted

If you make changes to the template, they will apply to in-platform messages, notifications, and emails sent to users.

Email example with an updated message template