This page describes Email Templates for the UltraCart Auto Responder

Email templates are reusable emails that may contain both substitution parameters and velocity code. The parameters and velocity code give the templates their high reuse. Consider an email offering a customer a coupon. With parameters and code, it becomes possible to create a single coupon template that can vary the percentage or offer based on customer history or the position of an email within a campaign.
Templates are associated with a campaign by inserting an Email Step (discussed below) into a campaign. During the step creation, the desired template is selected. The remainder of this section discusses the creation of a template. The Email Step section talks about using templates.

Template Lists

If you're not already in the Autoresponder portion of UltraCart, navigate to:

Main Menu → Marketing → Autoresponder

From the Administration links, click on Email Templates. A list of previously defined email templates will display along with a 'new' button for creating a new email template.

Figure 63 - Email Templates List

The list contains summary information about the email template.

Email Name	A description of the email template for internal use only. The customer will never see this name. This can be anything to help you remember what the template is about.
Subject	The email subject. The subject may contain parameters and velocity code, allowing for personalization.
Message Format	html, text, or both html: only the html message is sent to the customer text: only the text message is sent to the customer as a plain text email both: the message is sent as a multipart email containing both plain text and html, with most email clients displaying the html message unless the customer only accepts text emails.
Campaign Steps	This column lists all steps configured to use the template. An email template cannot be deleted if it's in use, so this column is useful to see what steps are affected by edits as well as what steps must be assigned different templates before this one can be deleted.
edit button	Click the edit button to edit the template
delete button	Click the delete button to delete the template

Add/Edit an Email Template

Clicking the 'new' button or the edit button of an existing template will display the email template edit screen. This screen contains three tabs to help design the template.

The Email Template edit screen contains three tabs
The Email Template tab contains the input fields for designing the template. The Validation tab lists common issues with html emails and the results of how the current html email passed the validation. The Preview window displays the html email in an iframe to give an approximate rendering of the email. No parameter substitution or velocity code execution is done however, and beyond that, the final product may still differ from the Preview window, so test the template in real email clients before sending it to customers!

Creating the Email Template

General Information

Begin creation of an email template by supplying the general information.

Email Template General Information

Email Template Name	An internally used description of the email. This can be anything to help you remember what the template is about. The customer will never see this name.
Subject	The email subject. The subject may contain parameters and velocity code (discussed in following pages). This can allow for personalization in the subject line.
Message Format	html, text, or both html: only the html message is sent to the customer text: only the text message is sent to the customer as a plain text email both: the message is sent as a multi-part email containing both plain text and html, with most email clients displaying the html message unless the customer has requested text-only emails.
Parameters	Parameters are complex and are discussed in a separate section to follow
Validation & Preview Test Data	Test Campaign - Drop-down list to select the campaign with which the email template will be used. Test Email - Enter the email address to be used as a test email with the campaign. (NOTE: The results are specific to the campaign selected).

Message Html

The Message html field has a WYSIWYG editor attached to it. The editor is activated by clicking the 'Toggle WYSIWYG editor' link above the text area.

Email Template Message Html WYSIWYG editor link
The WYSIWYG editor is used throughout UltraCart.com, and is useful to create html blocks. Clicking the toggle link will display buttons on the top of the text area and the editor will render your input as html.

Email Template Message Html WYSIWYG editor
Click the Toggle link again to revert back to the normal text area.

Email html has many restrictions. Popular email clients such as Gmail or Outlook place severe restrictions on what is allowed in an html email. The WYSIWYG editor creates valid web page email, but is not concerned about html email restrictions. Be warned! The html generated by the editor will probably not work in most email clients. Some changes will be needed. Validate, preview, and test everything created by the editor, if you use it.

Message Plain Text

The message plain text is the component of the email that will display if the email template type is 'Plain Text' or if the client has html email turned off. This is an important part of the email that should not be neglected. The plain text message may also contain parameters and velocity code.

Validating the Email Template

Immediately above the Message Html is a link for validating your email template's html code. Click the link, and then click on the Validation tab at the top.

Save And Preview of Template
Clicking the save and preview button for the HTML or Text template tabs will show how the content will be generated.

View Before Saving & Previewing

View After Previewing & Saving

Previewing the Email Template

The Validation & Preview button, when clicked, will also populate an iframe in the Preview tab displaying your rendered html code.

Some rules about the preview tab:

The html code is displaying in an iframe. This could cause rendering issues. It probably won't, but it could. Keep that in mind.
A good looking Preview does not guarantee a good email. Test your email in different clients!
A bad looking Preview will probably lead to a bad looking email. If elements are misaligned here, it probably won't get better in an email client.

Keep it simple.
Use simple tables, with simple css, with simple images, and a powerful offer.

Email Template Parameters

Email parameters foster template reuse. A single parameterized 'coupon' email could be used for different coupons by making the percent off a parameter. The same can be done for product promotions.
Parameters are substituted as the email is being sent, allowing for emails tailored to a customer. Each parameter may contain a default value, supplied on the email template screen, and an (optional) override, supplied on the campaign edit screen.

Syntax for Parameters

*|TEMPLATE_NAME|*
asterisk pipe name pipe asterisk
Some guidelines:

Be consistent. This will save time in the long run.
You may have upper and lower case letters, as well as spaces. However, be consistent.
The recommended format for a template name is ALL CAPS with underscores separating words. The makes parameters jump out on the page and helps prevent mismatches between parameters and email content.

Adding a Parameter

On the Email Template tab (first tab), click the button.

Two next text fields will appear, one for a name, and the other for a default value. The name is required, the default value is optional. Do not add the asterisk or pipe in the name.

You may continue clicking the button to add additional parameters. There is no limit to the number of parameters you may add, but common sense should rule the day. An email with fifty parameters is probably too complex. You must click the Save button when finished to make the parameters permanent.

Opt-Out Parameter

The Opt-Out parameter *|OPT_OUT|* is a special parameter. You do not add it to your parameter list. It is a built-in parameter. However, your email MUST include it to comply with spam legislation. The best places to add it are the beginning and/or end of your email, near the opening or closing body tag. When the email is sent, the *|OPT_OUT|* parameter is replaced by a the following hyperlink:
<a class='optout' href='http://secure.ultracart.com/ar/o?_t=[tracking guid]'>Manage Email Settings</a>
The tracking guid parameter will contain a 32 character GUID (globally unique identifier) to associate the email with a customer. You have two responsibilities concerning the *|OPT_OUT|* parameter.

Put it in your email somewhere visible.
Add a css rule for the class 'optout' to make the hyperlink look consistent with your email. You may also wish to use smaller text, etc.

For an understanding of the customer experience opting out, see the Recipients section that follows titled 'Opting-Out'.

Velocity Code in Email Templates

Your email message may contain velocity code. Unlike the Logic steps, an email is not required to contain velocity code, and has no requirements for its usage.
The Autoresponder service makes several customer objects available to your velocity code. Please see the Velocity Code section that follows for a detailed reference.