Overview
Email templates are reusable email designs that you can use across campaigns, sequences, and transactional emails. Instead of writing the same email layout from scratch every time, create a template once and reuse it wherever you need it. Manage templates from Email > Templates in the admin dashboard.
Built-In Templates
GritCMS seeds a set of default templates on first run so you can start sending emails right away. These templates cover common use cases across the platform:
Onboarding Templates
| Template | Subject | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Email | Welcome to ! | Sent when a subscriber joins a list. |
| Email Confirmation | Confirm your email | Double opt-in confirmation email. |
| Affiliate Welcome | Welcome to our affiliate program! | Sent when someone joins your affiliate program. |
Transactional Templates
| Template | Subject | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Password Reset | Reset your password | Sent when a user requests a password reset. |
| Order Confirmation | Order # confirmed | Sent after a purchase is completed. |
| Course Enrollment | You're enrolled in | Sent when a student is enrolled in a course. |
| Booking Confirmation | Booking confirmed: | Sent when a booking is made. |
| Booking Reminder | Reminder: tomorrow | Sent before an upcoming booking. |
| Commission Earned | You earned a commission! | Notifies affiliates of earned commissions. |
Campaign Templates
| Template | Subject | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter | General newsletter layout with unsubscribe link. | |
| Broadcast | Simple broadcast layout with unsubscribe link. | |
| Abandoned Cart | You left something behind | Re-engages visitors who did not complete a purchase. |
Template Variables
Templates use double-brace syntax for dynamic content. When an email is sent, GritCMS replaces these variables with actual values.
Common Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{first_name}} | The recipient's first name. |
{{site_name}} | Your site or business name. |
{{subject}} | The email subject line (useful in campaign templates). |
{{content}} | The main email body content. |
{{unsubscribe_url}} | A link for the recipient to unsubscribe. |
Transactional Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{confirmation_url}} | Double opt-in confirmation link. |
{{reset_url}} | Password reset link. |
{{order_id}} | The order number. |
{{order_total}} | The order total amount. |
{{course_name}} | The name of the course. |
{{course_url}} | Link to start the course. |
{{event_name}} | The booking event name. |
{{booking_date}} | The date of the booking. |
{{booking_time}} | The time of the booking. |
{{cart_url}} | Link to the abandoned cart. |
{{referral_code}} | The affiliate's referral code. |
{{commission_amount}} | The commission amount earned. |
{{dashboard_url}} | Link to the affiliate dashboard. |
HTML and Plain Text Versions
Every template supports two content versions:
- HTML Content -- The rich, formatted version of the email that most recipients will see. You can include headings, images, links, and styled text.
- Text Content -- A plain text fallback for email clients that do not render HTML. Keep this version simple and readable without any markup.
Both versions should contain the same core message. If you use template variables in the HTML version, include them in the plain text version as well.
Template Types
Each template is categorized by type, which helps you organize templates and find the right one when creating campaigns or sequences:
| Type | Used For |
|---|---|
| onboarding | Welcome and confirmation emails for new subscribers or users. |
| transactional | System-triggered emails such as order confirmations, password resets, and booking notifications. |
| campaign | Manually sent campaigns and newsletters. |
Creating Custom Templates
- Navigate to Email > Templates and click New Template.
- Enter a Name to identify the template internally.
- Set the Subject line. You can use template variables here.
- Write the HTML Content in the HTML editor.
- Write the Text Content as a plain text fallback.
- Select the Type (onboarding, transactional, or campaign).
- Save the template.
Your custom template will now be available when creating campaigns and sequences.
Tips
- Always include an unsubscribe link in campaign and newsletter templates using
{{unsubscribe_url}}. This is a legal requirement in most jurisdictions. - Keep the plain text version up to date. Some subscribers prefer plain text emails and some email clients fall back to it.
- Personalize with variables. Using
{{first_name}}in the greeting makes emails feel more personal and improves engagement. - Test before sending. Send a test email to yourself to verify that variables render correctly and the layout looks right across email clients.