Email templates

Trellis has two kinds of template. In Communications, a template is a whole email you send often, like the Sunday newsletter, kept so you don't build it again each week. In Groups, message templates are short texts and emails to visitors, and Silas can draft them for you.

Save a message as a template

Admins, staff and anyone with the Communications role can do this.

1. Write the message in Communications. See Write and send an email.
2. Press Save as a template.
3. Give it a Template name, like "Sunday newsletter".
4. Press Save the template.

A template keeps the subject, the look and the blocks. It doesn't keep who it goes to or who it's from. Blocks that fill themselves, like A sign-up or Who's serving, fill afresh each time you use the template.

If a template with that name already exists, Trellis asks whether to replace it.

Start a message from a template

Your templates show on Messages under Pick up where you left off. Press one to open a new message from it.

Or, in a message you've started, choose one from Start from. If you've already written something, Trellis asks first, because the template replaces what's there.

Change anything you like before you send. The template itself stays as it was. To change the template, save the message again under the same name and choose to replace it.

Delete a template

On Messages, press the cross on the template's card. Messages already sent from it keep what they said.

Visitor message templates

These are for the people who welcome visitors. A template is a short text or email with fill-ins, ready to adjust and send to one visitor.

1. Open Groups, then All visitors.
2. Press Message templates.
3. Under Church-wide, press New. Staff make church-wide templates. A group leader makes their own from their group's visitors page, for that group only.
4. Give it a Name and choose For: Text or Email.
5. Write the Message. An email also has a Subject.
6. Press Save.

Fill-ins you can use: {first}, {last}, {group}, {day}, {time}, {place}, {church}, {me}, {leader}. They're replaced with the visitor's and the group's details when you write to someone.

Ask Silas to draft a template

When Silas is on for the church, the template form has a box, What should it say?

1. Type one line about the message, like "A warm first hello to someone who visited, inviting them back".
2. Press Ask Silas to draft it.
3. Read what Silas suggests: a name, a subject for an email, and the message.
4. Press Use it to put it in the form, or Put it away.
5. Change anything you like, then press Save.

Already have a rough draft? Leave the box empty and press Ask Silas to tighten it. Silas uses the fill-ins and matches the voice of your other templates.

Silas only suggests. Nothing is saved until you press Save. See What Silas does.

Still stuck? Ask Silas