Overview
Client Message Templates are pre-written, reusable drafts that allow your firm to save and reuse common messages for client communications. This feature is designed to reduce the manual effort of writing the same messages repeatedly, improving communication consistency and laying the foundation for future client communications automation.
The core benefit of templates is the ability to personalize messages quickly and at scale using merge fields (also called variables), which automatically pull in specific client, case, or firm data.
How Templates Work and How to Use Them
Templates empower firm users to communicate more efficiently and consistently across multiple contacts and cases. Here is how your firm can use them:
1. Creating and Managing Your Template Library
Templates are managed in a dedicated management modal, accessible from your Messages sidebar or directly within the new message modal.
Create and Edit: Use the rich text editor within the management modal to create, edit, preview, and delete templates.
Firm-Level Access: All templates created are available to everyone at your firm.
Organize: Templates are organized by preset categories to help keep your library clean and easy to navigate:
Case Update (e.g., Status Update)
Client Reminder (e.g., Upcoming Event Reminder)
Billing (e.g., Replenish Retainer Fund Reminder)
Client Onboarding (e.g., Welcome New Client)
Custom (for user-created templates)
2. Personalizing Messages with Merge Fields
Merge fields allow you to insert dynamic information into your messages and templates, ensuring they feel personalized without manual editing for every client.
Insertion: Insert merge fields (variables) via a drop-down menu or by typing them directly into the message editor.
Data Types: Fields are grouped by categories like Firm, Case, Contact, Company, and General, matching your existing document template fields.
Live Preview: Variables render in blue in the editor and are resolved with real client data when the message is sent.
Error Highlighting: The system provides real-time error highlighting in red if required data for a field is missing or unavailable (e.g., if you include a contact name field but are sending a message to multiple contacts).
3. Selecting a Template When Drafting a Message
When drafting a new portal message, a "Templates" entry point is available on the modal.
Click the entry point to access the templates.
Search, browse by category, or select the template you wish to use.
The template content will instantly pre-populate the message body.
Review the message, ensure all merge fields are resolved (no red highlights), and send.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why are templates only available for portal messages and not email?
A: Portal messaging is a fully owned, reliable, two-way communication channel that enables faster delivery and validation of the core template feature. We are excited to expand this feature soon! We plan to bring this same functionality to SMS text messaging in late summer 2026, followed by a full, two-way email integration by the end of the year.
Q: Can I use this feature to automatically send messages?
A: Right now, templates must be selected and sent manually. We are actively working on a full automation builder for a future release.
Q: Are templates private, or are they shared with my firm?
A: All templates are currently at the firm-level and are accessible to everyone at your firm.
Q: Can I save a message I just typed as a new template?
A: Right now, you cannot save a typed message directly as a template. To create a new template, you'll need to add it to your template library first.
Q: Will there be default templates provided?
A: Yes! To save you time, we’ve included built-in categories and ready-to-use templates, so you don’t have to start from scratch.