Communication Templates

Templates let you send consistent, professional messages in seconds. Create templates for messages you send regularly, and personalise them with variables.

Built-in Templates

YardPilot includes templates for common scenarios:

Template	Channel	Use Case
Upcoming Visit Reminder	SMS	Remind clients of scheduled visits
On My Way	SMS	Let clients know you're heading over
Job Complete	SMS	Confirm work is finished
Running Late	SMS	Apologise for delays
Quote Ready	Email	Send new quotes to clients
Appointment Confirmation	Email	Confirm scheduled appointments
Thank You	Both	Follow up after completing work

Creating Custom Templates

1. Go to Settings > Communication Templates
2. Click + New Template
3. Enter a Name (e.g., "Follow Up - No Response")
4. Choose the Channel (Email, SMS, or Both)
5. For email, add a Subject line
6. Write your Message body
7. Add variables like {contact.first_name} for personalisation
8. Click Save

Example Template

Name: Appointment Reminder

Subject: Your appointment with {company.name} tomorrow

Body:

Hi {contact.first_name},

Just a friendly reminder that we'll be at {property.address} tomorrow
at {visit.scheduled_time}.

Have any special requests? Just reply to this email or call {company.phone}.

See you then!
{staff.first_name}

Using Variables

Variables are placeholders that auto-fill with real data when sending. They look like {variable.name}.

Common variables:

• {contact.first_name} - Client's first name
• {company.name} - Your company name
• {company.phone} - Your company phone (formatted)
• {property.address} - Property address
• {visit.scheduled_date} - Visit date
• {visit.scheduled_time} - Visit time

See Template Variables for the complete list.

Phone Numbers

Phone numbers are automatically formatted for readability. +61412345678 becomes 0412 345 678.

SMS Templates

Character Limits

SMS messages are limited to segments:

• Standard characters: 160 per segment
• Unicode/emoji: 70 per segment

The template editor shows your character count and estimated segments.

SMS Costs

Each SMS segment costs credits. Keep messages concise to minimise costs.

SMS Best Practices

1. Be concise - Get to the point quickly
2. Include your name - Recipients need to know who's messaging
3. Add contact info - Include your phone number for replies
4. Avoid special characters - They reduce segment capacity

Email Templates

Subject Lines

Good subject lines are:

• Clear - "Your quote from Vista Lawn Care"
• Relevant - Include quote numbers or dates
• Personal - Use variables like {contact.first_name}

Avoid:

• ALL CAPS
• Spammy words like "FREE!!!"
• Overly long subjects

Email Body

• Keep paragraphs short
• Use a friendly, professional tone
• Include a clear call-to-action
• End with your name

Managing Templates

Editing Templates

1. Go to Settings > Communication Templates
2. Find the template
3. Click to open
4. Make changes
5. Click Save

Customizing System Templates

You can customize any built-in system template to match your business needs:

1. Go to Settings > Communication Templates
2. Find the system template you want to customize
3. Click Edit
4. Make your changes
5. Click Save

This creates a personalized version of the template for your company. The original system template remains unchanged.

Customized templates show a yellow "Customized" badge to indicate they've been modified from the system default.

Resetting to System Default

If you want to revert a customized template back to the original:

1. Find the customized template (marked with "Customized" badge)
2. Click the Reset button (refresh icon)
3. Confirm the reset

Your customizations will be replaced with the original system template content.

Deleting Templates

1. Go to Settings > Communication Templates
2. Find the template
3. Click Delete
4. Confirm deletion

Custom templates can be deleted. System templates cannot.

Next Steps

• Template Variables - Complete variable reference
• Sending Emails - Send messages to clients