Siebel Communications Server Administration Guide > Configuring Communications Templates >

Creating Simple Templates

This section describes how to create a simple template. Simple templates are used for the Send Email, Send Fax, Send Page, or Send Wireless Message commands. These commands may be accessed from the File application-level menu, from the communications toolbar, or using keyboard shortcuts. Simple templates also apply to replies in Siebel Email Response.

For information about the fields for the Templates list and the Simple tab, see Fields for Templates.

Outbound communication requests use advanced templates. Template items are supported for advanced templates only. For more information, see Creating Advanced Templates and Specifying Template Items for an Advanced Template.

To create a simple template

1. From the application-level menu, choose Navigate > Site Map > Communications > My Templates.
2. In the Templates list:
   1. Add a new record. (Alternatively, you can add the record in the Simple form below.)
   2. Specify the name of the template for which you added a new record.
   3. Specify the channel type, such as Email, Fax, Pager, or Wireless Message.
   4. Specify the language and locale that is applicable to this template.
   5. Optionally, provide a short description for the template.
3. In the Simple form:
   1. Specify the name of the template, if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
   2. Specify the channel type for the template, if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
   3. Specify the template type, such as Greeting, Body, or Closing.
      • When using the Send Email, Send Fax, Send Page, or Send Wireless Message command, users can choose specific templates of type Body to insert into the message.
      • When replying to an inbound email message using Siebel Email Response, users can choose specific templates of each type to insert into the reply.
   4. Specify the language and locale for this template, if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
   5. For an email or fax template, specify whether this is an HTML template or a plain-text template.

      For a simple template, this setting determines whether the template is listed in the Body drop-down in usage context. Templates are listed only when they correspond to the user preference setting for Default Message Format. For more information, see Template Visibility and Access.

   6. For a template that is intended for public use, check the Public box when the template is ready to be publicly available.
   7. Optionally, specify for Pick Available Substitutions the appropriate business component (Object) as the template's recipient group.
      • The business component you specify here determines which substitution fields are available for the template text. The business components listed are those that serve as the primary business component for a business object. For more information, see Substitution Fields in Templates.
      • For the Send commands, the recipient group also helps determine when users can specify the template. For more information, see Template Visibility and Access.

        The actual recipients are determined in the context in which the template is used.

   8. Specify a subject line for the template, as applicable for the channel type.

      The subject line is overridden by any subject line specified by the user in the context in which the template is used—for example, in an email message in the Send Email window, or in a reply in Siebel Email Response.

   9. Enter the template text. As appropriate, copy and paste fields from the list of available field substitutions. Include the brackets around the field names.

      The Text field allows you to use editing and formatting controls, as described in Editing and Formatting Controls for Template Text. For an HTML email or fax template, formatting you apply is preserved. For a plain-text template, formatting is stripped when the template is saved.

      The Substitutions list is populated with field names as described in Fields for Templates (for the Simple tab).

4. Test the template to verify that it functions as required and that field substitution behavior works correctly. Do this before you make a template publicly available.

   To test a template, send it in the intended context: that is, by using the applicable Send command, or by specifying a test reply for Siebel Email Response.