This guide covers creating, editing, deleting and using reusable message wording, and the automation controls that sit beside it.
It does not cover writing and sending an individual message from start to finish; see How to send a message to a client. Inbox replies are covered in How to reply to a client and tidy your inbox.
Open message templates
Only Owners and Admins can create or change templates and automations.
In the Case Management sidebar, select Messages.
Select Templates & automations.
Select Message templates.
Select New template.
The dialog opens as New message template and explains: Choose the channels this template covers, then write each version. Placeholders like {{first_name}} are filled in when a message is sent.
Choose the channels
Enter a Title. Staff use this to recognise the template in the picker.
Under Channels, select one or more of Email, SMS and WhatsApp.
If you choose more than one, use the channel tabs to write each version.
The app says Combined template: the right version is used automatically for each channel.
An email version needs Subject and Body. It can use bold, italic, underline, bulleted and numbered lists, links, and attachments. Template attachments are included on every email that uses it, up to 25 MB in total.
An SMS version is plain text. Its counter is based on one 160-character message; over the limit it is sent as a web link, and placeholders may make the final message longer. A WhatsApp version is plain text and shows a 4,096-character limit.
Add placeholders
Select an Insert placeholder: chip to place it at the cursor. The available placeholders are written exactly as:
{{first_name}}, {{last_name}}, {{full_name}} and {{known_as}};
{{nhs_number}};
{{organisation_name}} and {{sender_name}};
{{appointment_date}} and {{appointment_time}}.
Keep both pairs of curly brackets. Joy replaces recognised placeholders when the message is sent. Select Preview with sample details to see sample values, then Hide preview to close it.
Save the template
Review each selected channel.
Select Save template.
Joy confirms with Template created and adds it to the Message templates list with a badge for each channel.
If required information is missing, the dialog stays open and shows the relevant wording: Give the template a title., Pick at least one channel., Email needs a subject line., Email needs a body., SMS needs a message. or WhatsApp needs a message.
Edit or delete a template
Select the pencil button on a template, make the change, then select Save template. Joy confirms Template updated.
Select the bin button to remove it from the active template list. Joy confirms Template deleted.
The delete action has no confirmation dialog on this screen. Take care to choose the correct row.
Use a template when sending
Open Send message for a client.
Choose the Channel.
Open Template and select the saved title.
Review the inserted subject, wording and any email attachments. Placeholders are filled for the message recipient.
Complete the remaining fields and select Send.
The picker shows templates for the current channel, including combined templates. Manage templates returns you to the administration screen. If there are none, the dialog says No templates yet. Use Manage templates to create some.
Manage automations
The Automations tab shows whether automations are enabled for your organisation and the number of rules used out of 50. Owners and Admins can select New automation, then set Title, When this happens, Do this, Using template and Enabled.
Rules can send a template email or template SMS when one of the offered events happens. The current events are New client added, New case referred, Case discharged, Appointment recorded and Appointment marked no-show.
The Enabled switch controls an individual rule. If organisation-wide automations are off, the page says Rules can be configured but will not fire until enabled. This screen does not provide the organisation-wide on/off switch.