Write message templates
Create personalized SMS and email templates with dynamic variables for automated responses.
What templates do
Templates are the actual messages your leads receive. When a routing rule fires a "send template" action, it looks up the template, fills in personalization variables, and sends it through your connected channel.
Create a template
- Go to Templates in your dashboard
- Click Add to create a new template (or Browse Library to start from a pre-built one)
- Set the name: this is an internal label for organizing your templates
- Choose the channel: SMS or Email
- Write the body: the message your leads will see
- For email templates, add a subject line
- Click Save
Personalize with variables
Variables make your messages feel personal. Type {{variable}} in the template body, or click a variable name in the "Available Variables" panel to insert it.
Most-used variables:
| Variable | What it inserts |
|---|---|
{{contact.name}} | The lead's full name |
{{contact.first_name}} | The lead's first name |
{{business_name}} | Your business name |
{{business_phone}} | Your business phone number |
Example SMS template:
Hi {{contact.first_name}}, thanks for reaching out to {{business_name}}! We got your message and will get back to you shortly. Questions? Call us at {{business_phone}}.
See Templates for the full list of available variables, including classification and scoring variables for Pro and Enterprise plans.
SMS vs. email
SMS templates should be concise, under 480 characters. Every character counts on mobile. Use variables instead of typing out your business name repeatedly.
Email templates can be longer and include a subject line. Greeting and signature formatting is controlled by your Brand Voice settings.
A template set to one channel won't be used for another. If you need both an SMS and email version of the same message, create two separate templates.
Use the template library
Click Browse Library to access pre-built templates organized by industry. These come from the industry presets and cover common scenarios like missed call follow-ups, booking confirmations, and after-hours replies.
Library templates are copied into your configuration, so you can edit them freely after adding.
Preview your template
Toggle the Preview button in the editor to see a side-by-side rendered version. Variables are shown with placeholder values so you can check the layout and length before saving.
Connect templates to rules
Templates are referenced by routing rules. When you create or edit a rule with a "Send Template" action, you'll select which template to use from a dropdown.
Common pairings:
| Rule trigger | Template to use |
|---|---|
| Missed call | "We missed you, here's how to reach us" |
| After hours | "Thanks for contacting us, we'll reply when we open" |
| Booking request | "We received your booking request, confirming shortly" |
| Complaint | "We take your concern seriously and will follow up" |
Tips
- Apply an industry preset first to get a set of templates tailored to your business, then customize.
- Use
{{contact.first_name}}: personalized messages get significantly better response rates than generic ones. - Keep SMS short. If a template is too long, the system truncates it. Write tight.
- Test templates with the Test Runner. Run a test signal and verify the right template is selected and the variables render correctly.