Email Templates¶
Email templates control the content and formatting of outgoing emails sent by the platform. Every notification, reply, acknowledgment, and automated communication uses a template that can be customized to match the organization's branding and communication style.
Navigation
Configuration > Email > Email Templates on the GRC-ITSM website navigation.
Template Types¶
Templates are applied at the action level, meaning different templates can be used for different events:
| Event | Template Purpose |
|---|---|
| Ticket creation acknowledgment | Confirms to the submitter that their ticket has been received |
| Ticket update/reply | Sends agent replies and updates to the ticket submitter |
| Ticket closure | Notifies the submitter that their ticket has been resolved, typically including a satisfaction/feedback link |
| Approval request | Notifies approvers that a ticket is awaiting their review |
| SLA breach notification | Alerts agents and team leads when an SLA target is approaching or has been breached |
| Escalation alerts | Notifies relevant personnel when a ticket is escalated |
| Feedback/satisfaction | Requests post-closure feedback from the ticket submitter |
Message Groups¶
Templates are organized into message groups. A message group is a complete set of templates for all email events, and different mailboxes or teams can be assigned different message groups. This allows different communication styles for different audiences - for example, a more formal tone for GRC communications and a more conversational tone for general IT support.
Variable Substitution¶
Templates support merge fields (variables) that are dynamically replaced with ticket, user, and agent data when the email is sent. Variables use the $-variablename syntax (dollar sign, hyphen, then the variable name).
Common Variables¶
| Variable Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Ticket fields | Ticket ID, summary, status, priority, description, category |
| User/contact fields | User name, email address, contact details |
| Agent fields | Agent name, agent email, agent signature |
| Date/time fields | Creation date, last update, SLA target dates |
| SLA fields | SLA target, time remaining, breach status |
| Custom fields | Custom field values using the $-CF prefix followed by the field name (e.g., $-CFDeviceType) |
| Feedback | Satisfaction survey links and feedback form fields |
The platform includes a built-in variable picker within the template editor that lists all available variables for the current context.
Template Features¶
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| HTML formatting | Templates support rich text and HTML, including tables, images, and styled content |
| Subject line variables | Variables can be used in both the email subject and body |
| Multi-language support | When enabled in General Settings, templates can have translated versions that are sent based on the recipient's language preference |
| Preview | Templates can be previewed before saving to verify variables populate correctly |
Customizing Templates¶
- Navigate to Configuration > Email > Email Templates
- Select the template to edit (system templates can be modified but not deleted)
- Edit the subject line and body content
- Use the variable picker to insert dynamic fields
- Preview the template to verify formatting and variable placement
- Save
Test Before Deploying
After modifying a template, create a test ticket and trigger the relevant event (reply, closure, etc.) to verify the email looks correct with real data populated in the variable fields.