7Configuring Communications Templates
Configuring Communications Templates
This chapter provides information about configuring and managing communications templates. It includes the following topics:
About Communications Templates
Communications templates are sent to outbound communications recipients in various scenarios. The following features use each of the two types of templates:
Replies to inbound messages in Siebel Email Response use simple templates. For more information, see Creating Simple Templates.
The Send Email, Send Fax, Send Wireless Message, and Send Page commands use simple templates. For more information, see Creating Simple Templates.
Outbound communication requests use advanced templates. Only advanced templates support template items. For more information, see Creating Advanced Templates and Specifying Template Items for Advanced Templates.
Templates provide both structure and content for outbound messages. Content can include both explicitly specified text and Siebel field values substituted into the outbound message. Field data can be substituted for all supported Siebel data types. In an end-user context of using the Send commands or replying to inbound messages, the user can also specify additional content.
For outbound communication requests, which can include multiple templates for each request, each template is associated with a communications profile that determines how the template message is delivered. For more information about outbound communication requests, see Defining Outbound Communication Requests
A set of templates supporting different communication channels is provided with Siebel Business Applications. You can use these templates or adapted them for use with the Send Email command or Siebel Email Response, outbound communication requests, Siebel Workflow, and so on. For information about configuring a list of values for a custom channel type, see Siebel CTI Administration Guide.
This topic contains the following information:
Content and Formatting for Templates
Templates can include any of the following content:
A single block of template text in the Text field.
One or more template items providing component parts for the template. A template item can be based on a Siebel literature item or a text file.
A combination of template text and template items.
For email or fax messages, you can specify that the content of a template item appears in the body of a message or as an attachment. Both plain-text and HTML content are supported for email or fax templates, but fax templates have some limitations. Standard HTML tagging options can support text formatting, images, hyperlinks, tables, and so on.
HTML Formatting
For email or fax templates, you can define HTML in the template text or, for advanced templates, in template items. (Only advanced templates support template items. Advanced templates are sent using outbound communication requests.)
You can format template text as HTML by using the controls in the Text field. When you save the template, formatting of text in this field is preserved only if you select the HTML Template check box for the template.
For advanced templates, select the HTML Template check box to specify that HTML text from template items for the message body is sent as HTML. If the HTML Template check box is not selected, then the text is converted to plain text before the message is sent.
If the default message format (in the Send Email group in the Outbound Communications view of the User Preferences screen) is set to HTML, then HTML formatting is enabled for the Send Email and Send Fax windows. Only HTML templates appear in the Body drop-down list.
Similarly, if the default message format setting for Siebel Email Response is set to HTML (also in the Outbound Communications view of the User Preferences screen), then HTML formatting is enabled for email replies in the Outbound Messages form of the Communications screen. Only HTML templates appear in the Body drop-down list.
Related Topics
Visibility and Access for Templates
Preference Settings for Outbound Communications
Editing and Formatting Controls for Text in Templates
Editing and Formatting Controls for Send Email and Send Fax Commands
Substitution Fields in Templates
Field values from Siebel database records can be substituted into the structure of the template for each recipient of a communication that uses the template. Field substitution can apply to text entered directly into the template, to text in the subject line, and to literature items and files.
Available fields for substitution correspond to the fields that apply to the recipient group or business object for the template as follows:
For simple templates, which you use with Siebel Email Response replies or Send commands, you can specify a business object that has a primary business component, for example, Account.
For advanced templates, which you use with outbound communication requests, you can specify a predefined recipient group that corresponds to one of the recipient groups you can specify for requests, for example, Account Team Members.
You can insert fields from the Account business component into template text (for simple or advanced templates) or into template items (for only advanced templates).
For a template item, you can use advanced field substitution, where you specify an iteration child business component from which to substitute field values for a template item. Each template item repeats, in iterative fashion, for every applicable child record.
For example, assume that the recipient group is Account Team Members and the Iteration Child Business Component field for the template item is Opportunity. In the outgoing message, the content of the template item is repeated once for each opportunity (child business component) that is associated with the account (parent business component).
Field substitution is supported in plain-text or HTML templates or in template items. (Template items that specify files in other formats, such as RTF or Microsoft Word, do not support field substitution.)
In an HTML template or a template item, for example, you can specify a row containing substitution fields in a single-row HTML table to align field data. If you specify an iteration child business component, then the tables repeat, and you can align field data from multiple records.
Field substitution functions correctly for an outbound communication request if the request specifies the same recipient group that the template specifies. If the recipient groups are different, then the field names (with enclosing brackets) might appear in each message as literal character strings without substitution. Substitution still occurs for fields that are applicable to the recipient group of the request.
Siebel Repository Requirement for Using Substitution Fields
The Siebel repository applicable to where you create templates must be consistent with the repository applicable to where you use the templates. Otherwise, field substitution behavior might not occur as expected.
For example, if you use the Siebel Mobile Web Client (connected to a local database), then create templates only if the applicable business objects and business components (and substitution fields) in that environment are consistent with those in the enterprise repository.
Visibility and Access for Templates
You can create templates for only your personal use, or you can make them publicly available to all users of the applicable communications features.
Depending on the context of use, the templates that appear to a user, such as in the Body drop-down list, depends on the following factors:
The setting of the Public check box for the template. A user cannot access templates for which the Public check box is not selected. Templates the user creates in the My Templates view of the Communications screen are not subject to this limitation.
The specified channel (such as email or fax, or wireless message) for the template. A user can access only the templates that are applicable to the feature. For example, only email templates are available for Send Email and other email features.
The specified template type, such as Greeting, Body, or Closing. For the Send commands, a user can access the Body template type in the Body drop-down list. For email replies, a user can access each template type in a different drop-down list. (The template type does not apply to communication requests.)
The specified language and locale for the template. For the Send Email, Send Fax, and Send Wireless Message commands, a user can access only the templates for which the language and locale correspond to the outbound communications preferences of the user. If these user preferences have no values, then the language and locale for the Application Object Manager apply (as for all Siebel client types).
For the Send Email command and for email replies, the user can specify overrides for the language and locale settings to access a different set of templates.
In a global deployment, you create some templates in specific languages and locales. Because you can see only templates that you create for the language and locale setting, you create each template that you want to use for another language and locale in that language and locale.
For simple templates used with the Send commands, the specified object (such as Account) for the template. A user can access only templates for which the specified business object corresponds to the business component (such as Account) for the current applet when the user selects the Send command. A user can also access templates with no specified object.
For templates used with the Send Email or Send Fax commands, or with email replies, the setting of the HTML Template check box for the template. In the Outbound Communications view of the User Preferences screen, users can specify a default message format of either Plain Text or HTML. They specify this user preference setting separately for Send Email and Send Fax and for Siebel Email Response. Note the following information about this preference setting:
If the preference setting is HTML, then the user can access only the templates for which HTML Template is selected.
If the preference setting is Plain Text, then the user can access only the templates for which HTML Template is not selected.
Access groups that are used to filter objects. For more information, see Using Access Groups to Filter Objects.
About Catalogs and Categories for Siebel Email Response
The templates that appear to an agent depend on the agent’s Outbound Communications user preference settings and how the templates are filtered. For more information about setting user preferences, see Siebel Applications Administration Guide.
Templates are filtered using catalogs and categories. A catalog is the name that you give to a group of categories. For information about creating catalogs and categories, see Creating a Catalog and Categories.
You can define one or more catalogs for use with Siebel Email Response as follows:
You need only one catalog if everyone in your organization can share the same categories.
You need multiple catalogs if users in your organization cannot use some categories.
A company might have two groups that share one catalog and a third group that has its own catalog.
You must define a catalog as a response group input argument. A catalog contains categories that you can associate with templates and solutions. During the planning process, you gather and categorize templates and solutions.
You associate templates and solutions that contain answers to similar questions with a single category. When agents use categories, they do not need to review all templates and solutions to find the information that they want to send to a customer. They can use Search Center to look through the templates and solutions that are grouped in the appropriate categories. To use Search Center for this purpose, the you must index categories. For more information, see Siebel Search Administration Guide.
About Solutions
You can use Solutions and Templates objects as templates in Siebel Email Response. For information about determining when to use solutions, when to use templates, and how each compares to a free-form reply, see Solutions and Templates Decision Table.
Solutions appear to customers over the Web through Siebel Self Service and to employees through products such as Siebel Call Center. You use solutions for answers to questions that customer communications channels share. For information about creating and storing solutions, see Siebel Applications Administration Guide.
You might discover that you answer some questions in email and service requests many times. Storing responses to frequently asked questions enables you to reuse the answers without performing duplicate research.
Siebel Email Response uses solutions as a type of template that does not have substitution fields. Solutions contain information and instructions for customers that departments or channels share. When you maintain information in one place, maintenance is minimized and customers receive the most current information.
An agent can import solutions into the body of a Siebel Email Response reply when you associate the solutions with a category. An agent can use solutions when responding to telephone, email, and service requests.
Solutions and Templates Decision Table
The following table helps you to determine when to use solution documents (called FAQs in Siebel Self Service), when to use reply templates, and how solutions and templates compare to a free-form reply.
Table Solutions and Templates Decision Table
| Free-Form Reply | Template | Solution |
|---|---|---|
Personalized. |
Less personal than free-form. |
Less personal than free-form. |
Time-consuming. |
Faster than free-form. |
Faster than free-form. |
More error-prone. |
Legal and other departments can verify and approve content before using. |
Legal and other departments can verify and approve content before using. |
Does not use substitution fields. |
You can select identified fields from an incoming email and insert them in predefined places in your template. You can include multilevel substitution fields using the Advanced Template form, such as links to service requests, orders, and opportunities. |
Does not use substitution fields. |
A onetime effort that you cannot share with other customers unless you re-create the email. |
You can send to any customer by selecting the template in Siebel Email Response. |
You can share the same solution files in different channels. You update solutions only once, and then all users can access the most current information. An agent can insert the contents of a solution file into the body of an email message (in Siebel Email Response), use solutions to reply to a customer request in a telephone call (in Siebel Call Center), and publish solutions on a service Web site (in Siebel Self Service). |
You can attach files to an email. |
You can attach a file to an email that contains a template. However, Siebel Email Response does not support adding attachments to templates. |
You can attach a file to an email that contains a solution. However, Siebel Email Response does not support automatically adding attachments from solutions. |
Creating Simple Templates
Simple templates apply to replies in Siebel Email Response. You also use simple templates for the Send Email, Send Fax, or Send Page, or Send Wireless Message commands. You access these commands from the File application-level menu, from the communications toolbar, or by using keyboard shortcuts. For information about the fields for the Templates list and the Simple form, see Fields for Templates.
You can complete the procedure this topic to create a simple template. You can also create a simple template by saving a message as a template. For more information, see Saving Messages as Templates.
To create a simple template
Navigate to the Communications screen, then the My Templates view.
Administrators and other advanced users can navigate to the All Templates view of the Communications screen.
In the Templates list, complete the following steps:
Add a new record. (Alternatively, you can add the record in the Simple form.)
Specify the name of the template for the new record.
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Specify the channel type, such as Email, Fax, Pager, or Wireless Message.
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Specify the language and locale that is applicable to the template.
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Optionally, provide a short description for the template.
In the Simple form, complete the following steps:
Specify the name of the template if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
Specify the channel type for the template if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
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Specify the template type, such as Greeting, Body, or Closing:
When replying to an inbound email message using Siebel Email Response, users can select templates with each type to insert into the reply.
When using the Send Email, Send Fax, or Send Page, or Send Wireless Message command, users can select templates with a Body template type to insert into the message.
Specify the language and locale for the template if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
For an email or fax template, specify whether this template is an HTML template or a plain-text template.
For a simple template, this setting determines if the template appears in the Body drop-down list. Templates appear in the list only when they correspond to the user preference setting for Default Message Format. For more information, see Visibility and Access for Templates.
For a template that is intended for public use, select the Public check box when the template is ready for publicly availability.
Optionally, specify for Pick Available Substitutions the appropriate business object (Object) for the recipient group of the template:
The primary business component of the business object that you specify determines the substitution fields that are available for the template text. The available business components 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 helps determine when users can specify the template. For more information, see Visibility and Access for Templates.
The actual recipients are determined when the using the template.
Specify a subject line for the template, as applicable for the channel type.
The subject line is overridden by any subject line the user specifies when using the template, for example, when sending an email message in the Send Email window, or when replying to an email message in Siebel Email Response.
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. For an HTML email or fax template, formatting you apply is preserved. For a plain-text template, formatting is eliminated when you save the template. For more information, see Editing and Formatting Controls for Text in Templates.
The Available Substitutions list is populated with field names. For more information, see Fields for Templates (for the Simple form).
Test the template to verify that it functions as required and that field substitution behavior works correctly.
To test a template, send it in the intended usage context, for example, by using the applicable Send command, or by specifying a test reply for Siebel Email Response. Perform this test before you make a template publicly available.
Creating Advanced Templates
You specify advanced templates for outbound communication requests. You can manually specify advanced temples, or a module like Siebel Workflow that can invoke business service methods can specify them. For information about the fields for the Templates list and the Advanced form, see Fields for Templates.
Advanced templates have the following characteristics that simple templates do not have:
You can associate a delivery profile with an advanced template.
You specify a recipient group for an advanced template. (You specify a business object is for a simple template.)
You can specify to create activities for requests that use the advanced template.
You can specify to include a bookmark URL for the recipient source record.
You can create template items for advanced template. For more information, see Specifying Template Items for Advanced Templates.
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Note: For an advanced template, a communications profile you specify as the delivery profile must already exist before you can specify it for the template. For more information about creating profiles, see Process of Setting Up Communications Driver Profiles.
To create an advanced template
Navigate to the Communications screen, then the My Templates view.
Administrators and other advanced users can navigate to the All Templates view of the Communications screen.
In the Templates list, complete the following steps:
Add a new record. (Alternatively, you can add the record in the Advanced form.)
Specify the name of the template for the new record.
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Specify the channel type, such as Email, Fax, Pager, or Wireless Message.
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Specify the language and locale that is applicable to the template.
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Optionally, provide a short description for the template.
Click the Advanced view tab.
In the Advanced form, complete the following steps:
Specify the name of the template if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
Specify the channel type for the template if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
Specify the delivery profile for the template.
Specify the language and locale for the template if you did not already do so in the Templates list.
For an email or fax template, specify whether this template is an HTML template or a plain-text template.
Note: The HTML Template setting affects the text you enter in the Text field. It does not affect template items.-
For a template that is intended for public use, select the Public check box when the template is ready for public availability.
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For an email template, specify whether to include a Siebel bookmark with the message.
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Select the Create Activity check box if you want to set activity logging for any outbound communication request that specifies this template.
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Optionally, specify the recipient group, which determines the kind of recipients that the template is sent to.
The recipient group you specify determines only the substitution fields that are available for the template text. The actual recipients are determined when using the template for a communication request.
Specify a subject line for the template, as applicable for the channel type.
Optionally, enter the template text.
As appropriate, copy and paste fields from the list of available substitution fields. Include the brackets around the field names. The Text field allows you to use editing and formatting controls. For an HTML email or fax template, formatting you apply is preserved. For a plain-text template, formatting is eliminated when you save the template. For more information, see Editing and Formatting Controls for Text in Templates.
The Available Fields list is populated with field names. For more information, see Fields for Templates (for the Advanced form).
A template that includes template items does not have to include template text.
Optionally, add template items to the template.
A template that does not include template text must generally include one or more template items to provide content. You can combine template text and template items in the same template. The template text appears in the message body before the content for the specified template items. For more information, see Specifying Template Items for Advanced Templates.
Test the template to verify that it functions as required and that field substitution behavior works correctly.
To test a template, send it in the intended usage context, for example, by creating and submitting an outbound communication request. Perform this test before you make a template publicly available.
Editing and Formatting Controls for Text in Templates
For email or fax templates, you can edit and format template text by using controls in an editing bar that appears when you click in the Text field in the Simple form or Advanced form.
You can use the editing controls, such as controls for clipboard operations, without applying HTML formatting.
For an HTML email or fax template, formatting you apply in the Text field is preserved when you save the template. For a plain-text template, such formatting is eliminated when you save the template.
Managing Line Breaks for HTML and Plain-Text Templates
The following behavior regarding line breaks applies to both plain-text and HTML templates:
Pressing ENTER creates a new paragraph.
Pressing SHIFT+ENTER creates a new line.
Managing Links and HTML Elements from Other Sources
For email messages, you can directly enter URL or mailto links, and they are automatically converted to links if the template is saved as HTML. (This behavior might not apply to email sent using third-party email clients.) Examples of these links follow:
www.example.com
http://www.example.com
ftp://ftp.example.gov
mailto:user@example.com
You might select graphics or other tag-based elements that appear on Web pages, such as horizontal rules or tables, by dragging the mouse pointer. In some cases, you can copy and paste such elements into the template text.
Editing and Formatting Options
This topic lists the editing and formatting options for template text in the order in which they appear from left to right in the user interface. The following editing and formatting options are available:
Find or Replace. Click the arrow to display the Find controls above the editing bar or to hide these controls. When the Find controls appear above the editing bar, click the arrow on the left to toggle between the Find controls and the Find and Replace controls. Enter text to find, or enter replacement text, and then click Go. Find operations are not case-sensitive.
Cut. Click to cut selected text to the clipboard.
Copy. Click to copy selected text to the clipboard.
Paste. Click to paste text from the clipboard into the template text. Depending on the source, the text you paste might include HTML formatting.
Font. Select a font from a drop-down list to apply to selected text. Available fonts include Arial (the default), Verdana, Times New Roman, and Courier.
Size. Select a font size from a drop-down list to apply to selected text. Point sizes include 8 (the default), 10, 12, 14, 18, 24, and 36.
Font Color. Click the arrow to display font colors above the editing bar, and then click to select a color to apply to selected text.
Bold. Click to apply bold formatting to selected text or to remove bold formatting.
Italic. Click to apply italic formatting to selected text or to remove italic formatting.
Underline. Click to apply underlining to selected text or to remove underlining.
Ordered List. Click to apply numbering to selected text or to remove numbering. Apply numbering to make the text an ordered list.
Unordered List. Click to apply bullets to selected text or to remove bullets. Apply bullets to make the text an unordered list. Bullets appear differently at different levels of indenting.
Indent. Click to increase indenting for selected paragraphs.
Outdent. Click to decrease indenting for selected paragraphs.
Left Align. Click to left-align selected paragraphs.
Center Align. Click to center selected paragraphs.
Right Align. Click to right-align selected paragraphs.
Specifying Template Items for Advanced Templates
You can specify template items to construct templates in modular fashion by using literature items or files. Also, you can use template items to use advanced field substitution (iteration child business component), to specify content for both the message body and attachments, and to specify plain text or HTML versions of the message body (for email only).
You can combine template text and template items in the same advanced template. A template that does not include template text must include at least one template item. If you include template text, then this text appears in the message body before any content for template items.
You must select either a literature item or a file to include for the template item.
Select the HTML Template check box for a template to specify that HTML text from template items for the message body is sent as HTML. If the HTML Template check box is not selected, then the text is converted to plain text before the message is sent. For more information about template item fields, see Fields for Template Items.
To specify template items for an advanced template
Navigate to the Communications screen, then the My Templates view.
Administrators and other advanced users can navigate to the All Templates view of the Communications screen.
In the Templates list, select the advanced template for which you want to add template items.
For an HTML template, verify that the HTML Template check box is selected.
Click the Template Items view tab.
In the Template Items list, add a new record for each template item.
To add a file, perform one of the following actions:
Click New File (recommended), and choose a file from the Choose File dialog box. Go to Step 6, then go to Step 9.
Click New (or choose New Record from the menu). Go to Step 6, then go to Step 7.
- To add a literature item, click New (or choose New Record from the menu). Go to Step 6, then go to Step 8.
Specify a sequence integer number for the template item.
The default value is the lowest positive integer that is not assigned to an existing template item.
To finish adding the file (begun in Step 5), complete the following steps:
Click the select button for the Attachment Name field.
In the Add Attachment dialog box, click Browse, specify a file from the operating system, then click Add. Go to Step 9.
To finish adding the literature item (begun in Step 5), complete the following steps:
Click the select button for the Literature Name field.
In the Pick Literature dialog box, specify a literature item, then click OK.
To designate a template item as an attachment to an email or fax message, specify a label in the Attachment Label field.
In the Template Item form, complete the following steps:
Optionally, specify an iteration child business component from which you can specify substitution fields.
For more information, see Fields for Template Items.
Select the Substitute Values check box if you want to use field substitution for the file or literature item you specified for the template item in previous steps.
The Available Fields list is populated with field names.
Select the Message Body check box, as appropriate:
For an email or fax template, select the Message Body check box to include the template item content in the message body. Otherwise, the template item content is an attachment to the email or fax message.
For a wireless message or page template, select the Message Body check box to include the template item in the message body. For a wireless message template, template item content that you do not specify for the message body is ignored. For a page template, the message fails if you do not specify any template item for the message body. (Template items must be plain-text files or literature items.)
Modifying Files for Template Items
You can modify a file you add to a template item.
To modify a file for a template item if the original operating system file still exists
Open the file in the operating system environment.
Modify the file, and save it to the operating system.
Delete the template item record to which you added the file.
Create a new template item record, and add the modified version of the file.
Nonexistent Original Operating Systems
If the original operating system file does not exist, then complete the procedure in this topic.
To modify a file for a template item if the original operating system file does not exist
Open the file from the template item record by clicking the hyperlink in the Attachment Name field.
Modify the file, and save it to the operating system.
Delete the template item record to which you added the file.
Create a new template item record and add the modified version of the file.
Copying or Deleting Templates and Template Items
You can copy or delete a template, copy a template item in a template, or delete a template item from a template.
Copying Templates and Template Items
When you copy a template, you must specify a new name for the new template. As appropriate, you can modify existing settings such as the delivery profile, specify different template text, or add template items. No template items are automatically associated with the new template.
When you copy a template item in a template, the copy is identical to the template item that you copy, except that its sequence number is one higher than the highest sequence number for all the other template items. As appropriate, you can modify existing settings. For example, you can specify a different file or literature item, change whether the content in the template item appears in the message body, or change the value-substitution settings.
Deleting Templates and Template Items
When you delete a template, its template items are also deleted. However, the files or literature items for the template items are not deleted from the Siebel File System. When you delete a template item, the file or literature item for the template item is not deleted from the Siebel File System.
Each user can delete any template that the user created, or delete template items from such a template. A Siebel administrator can delete any template or template item.
Using Substitution Fields in Templates for Siebel Email Response
Templates can include substitution fields that obtain data directly from your Siebel database, such as a customer name or a service request status. You insert a substitution field by selecting it in the Available Substitutions list, copying the substitution, and pasting it into the Template Text field where you want the value to appear. In a template, you can use substitution fields from only one recipient group.
Setting Up Workflow to Use Substitution Fields
Templates in Siebel Email Response can include substitution fields from any business component that has a correctly configured relationship to the Comm Outbound Email business component. Business components with this relationship include Account, Campaign, Contact, Opportunity, and Service Request.
Before you attempt to set up templates that include substitution fields other than a default active business component, you must modify the eMail Response - Response workflow.
To set up a workflow to use substitution fields
In the Siebel Tools Object Explorer, select the Workflow Processes object.
In the Workflow Processes list, query for a process name of eMail Response - Response Workflow.
In the Workflow Processes list, select eMail Response - Response Workflow, and click Revise.
In the Workflow Processes list, right-click eMail Response - Response Workflow and choose Edit Workflow Process.
The Business Process Designer appears.
Right-click the Get Response Text business service step and choose Show Input Arguments.
In the Input Arguments list, add the input arguments in the following table.
Input Argument Type Value Property Name ActivityBusComp
Literal
Action
None
ActivityBusObj
Literal
Action
None
SourceId
Process Property
None
Object Id
Right-click the Expand Template Text business service step and choose Show Input Arguments.
In the Input Arguments list, add the input argument in the following table.
Input Argument Type Value Property Name Expand Template
Literal
Y
None
- In the History Toolbar, click Back to return to Siebel Tools.
- In the Workflow Processes list, right-click eMail Response - Response Workflow and choose Validate.
- In the Workflow Processes list, select eMail Response - Response Workflow and click Deploy.
Setting Up Additional Business Components for Substitution Fields
Recipient groups are based on business objects. When you create a template, you associate it with a recipient group. Siebel Email Response checks the recipient group that you assign to the template to determine the associated business object. For example, the Service Request Contact recipient group is based on the Service Request business object, and the Opportunity Sales Team recipient group is based on the Opportunity business object. You can use fields from any business component within the related business object as substitution fields in a template.
Siebel Email Response looks at the user properties defined on the Comm Outbound Email business component for a record that describes the relationship between the Comm Outbound Email business component and the target business object. Any business object that has a primary business component can be chosen. In the following table, the user property record shows that the Comm Outbound Email business component is related to the Account business object, using the Account Id field from the Comm Outbound Email business component as the foreign key:
Table Comm Outbound Email business component
| BusComp User Prop | Value |
|---|---|
Source Id Field: Account |
Account Id |
In procedure below, you will configure the Order Entry business object that will be used for substitution fields. The Order Entry business object has a primary business component, Order Entry - Orders.
To set up other business objects for substitution fields
In Siebel Webtools, extend the Comm Outbound Email business component to expose a custom field that stores the Order Id.
Add a new user property to the Comm Outbound Email business component as follows:
BusComp User Prop Value Source Id Field: Order Entry
Order Id
In this example, Order Entry is the name of the business object, and Order Id is the name of the foreign key between Comm Outbound Email business component and the Order - Order Entry business component.
Creating a Catalog and Categories
Complete the following procedures to create a catalog and categories:
Setting Up a Catalog for Siebel Email Response
You must set up a catalog for Siebel Email Response so that agents can use templates and solutions in replies to customers.
To create a catalog for the eMail Response - Process Message workflow
Navigate to the Administration - Catalog screen, then the Catalog Administration view.
In the Catalogs list, create a new record.
In the Name field, enter the catalog name you want to use.
Note: Catalog names must be unique.The new catalog appears in the Catalogs list.
Setting Up Categories for Siebel Email Response
After creating the catalog, you must set up categories for Siebel Email Response. To set up categories, complete the procedures in this topic.
When setting up categories, first create the categories in a catalog.
To create a category in a catalog
Navigate to the Administration - Catalog screen, then the Catalog Administration view.
In the Catalogs list, select the appropriate catalog, and click the link in the Name field.
In the Categories list, create a new record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Description Name
Type the name of the category. Enter the name that you assign to your templates and solutions during the planning process. Enter a name that clearly describes the templates to associate with the category.
Display Name
Type the category name as you want it to appear to the agents.
Effective Start Date Effective End Date
Select the dates that determine when the category is in effect.
Associating Templates with Categories
Next, associate a template with a category. You can associate a template with more than one category. You identify these templates during the planning process. For more information, see Business Analysis for Deployment of Siebel Email Response.
To associate a template with a category
Navigate to the Administration - Catalog screen, then the Catalog Administration view.
In the Catalogs list, select the appropriate catalog, and click the link in the Name field.
Select the category with which you want to associate a template.
In the Categories form, click the drop-down arrow to find the Response Template view.
In the Response Templates list, create a new record.
In the Add Templates dialog box, scroll to find and select one or more templates that you want to associate with the category.
Click OK.
The Response Templates list shows the templates that you select to associate with the category.
Associating Solutions with Categories
Next, associate a solution with a category. You identify these solutions during the planning process. For more information, see Business Analysis for Deployment of Siebel Email Response.
To associate a solution with a category
Navigate to the Administration - Catalog screen, then the Catalog Administration view.
In the Catalogs list, select the appropriate catalog, and click the link in the Name field.
Select the category with which you want to associate a solution.
In the Categories form, click the drop-down arrow to find the Solutions view.
In the Solution list, create a new record.
In the Add Solutions dialog box, scroll to find and select one or more solutions that you want to associate with the category.
Click OK.
The Solutions list shows the solutions that you select to associate with the category.
Repeat these three procedures for each category that you create during the planning process.
Using Access Groups to Filter Objects
Access groups enable you to restrict visibility to various objects. By adding an access group to catalogs, you can filter objects by using the user’s access group, division, or organization. Using access groups, you can also filter catalogs and corresponding response templates and solutions. For more information about access groups, divisions, and organizations, see Siebel Security Guide.
To assign an access group to a catalog
Navigate to the Administration - Catalog screen, then the Catalog Administration view.
In the Catalogs list, select the appropriate catalog, and click the link in the Name field.
Click the Access Groups view tab, and create a new record.
In the Add Access dialog box, select the groups that need visibility to this catalog and click OK.
Note: You can create new access groups in the Access Group screen.Click the Private Flag field.
Assigning Access Groups to Categories
By adding an access group to categories, you can filter objects by using the user’s access group, division, or organization. Using access groups, you can also filter categories and corresponding response templates and solutions.
To assign an access group to a category
Navigate to the Administration - Catalog screen, then the Catalog Administration view.
In the Catalogs list, select the appropriate catalog, and click the link in the Name field.
Select an existing category or create a record and complete the fields.
Click the Access Groups view tab, and create a new record.
In the Access Group dialog box, select the groups that need visibility to this category and click OK.
Process of Setting Up HTML Wrapper Templates
You can set up a special template containing HTML features that serves as a wrapper around outbound email messages, even when Siebel communications features do not directly support HTML. A wrapper template can contain links to your Web site, marketing messages, and so on. Agents do not need to change the way in which they reply to incoming messages through Siebel Email Response. When an agent clicks Send, the email is embedded in the wrapper template and sent to the message recipient. Auto-acknowledgment messages and messages that users send using Send Email (F9) do not use wrapper templates.
To set up a wrapper template for use with Siebel Email Response replies, perform the following tasks:
Creating Wrapper Templates
First, use any HTML editor to create a wrapper template.
This task is a step in Process of Setting Up HTML Wrapper Templates.
To create an HTML wrapper template
Using any HTML editor, create an HTML template.
Make sure that the template contains the substitution value of [Email Body] where you want your email body to appear.
Creating Advanced Templates for Wrapper Templates
Next, create an advanced template.
This task is a step in Process of Setting Up HTML Wrapper Templates.
To create an advanced template for a wrapper template
Navigate to the Administration - Communications screen, then the All Templates view.
In the Templates list, select a template.
Click the Advanced view tab.
In the Templates form, select Email Activity Receiver in the Recipient Group field.
Click the Template Items view tab.
In the Template Item form, select the Substitute Values and Message Body check boxes.
Add the wrapper template and associated graphics files to items in the Template Items view.
Modifying the eMail Response - Client Send Email Workflow
After creating the HTML wrapper template and your communications template, modify the eMail Response - Client Send Email workflow.
This task is a step in Process of Setting Up HTML Wrapper Templates.
To modify the Client Send Email workflow
In the Siebel Tools Object Explorer, select the Workflow Processes object.
In the Workflow Processes list, query for a process name of eMail Response - Client Send Email.
In the Workflow Processes list, select eMail Response - Client Send Email and click Revise.
In the Workflow Processes list, right-click eMail Response - Client Send Email, and choose Edit Workflow Process.
The Business Process Designer appears.
Right-click the Send Response business service and choose Show Input Arguments.
In the Input Arguments list, add the input arguments in the following table.
Input Argument Type Other Columns Comm Template Name List
Literal
Value: [Siebel template name that contains your HTML template (without the HTML file extension)]
Recipient Business Component
Literal
Value: Comm Outbound Email
Source Business Object
Literal
Value: Comm Outbound Email
Comm Profile Override
Business Component
Business Component Name: Comm Outbound Email
Business Component Field: Email Sender Name
Source Id List
Process Property
Property Name: Object Id
Property Data Type: String
In the History Toolbar, click Back to return to Siebel Tools.
In the Workflow Processes list, select eMail Response - Client Send Email and choose Validate.
In the Workflow Processes list, select eMail Response - Client Send Email and click Deploy.
Fields for Templates
This topic contains descriptions for the fields in the My Templates or All Templates view. You specify these fields when you create templates. The fields are organized according to where you specify them. For information about the fields for template items, see Fields for Template Items.
This topic contains the following information:
Fields for the Templates List
The following fields are available in the Templates list:
Name (required). Specify a unique name for the template.
Channel Type (required). Select from a drop-down list the type of communication channel for the template. Predefined values include Email, Fax, Pager, and Wireless Message.
For templates to use with outbound communication requests, the channel type can help determine how to deliver a template, such as for fax messages.
The Default Preference setting you can specify when creating requests (for use with the Only Send Preference check box) generally corresponds to the Channel Type setting for the included templates.
For the Send commands and for email replies in Siebel Email Response, the channel type also determines if the template appears in the Body drop-down list. For more information, see Visibility and Access for Templates.
Status. Select the status of the template. Select Draft or Active. Only templates with a status of Active are available for selection in the Body field of the outgoing message form.
Language (required). Specify the language for the template. This setting filters the templates that are available for use. The field value defaults to the current language in effect for the user’s session. For more information, see Visibility and Access for Templates and Preference Settings for Outbound Communications.
Locale (required). Specify the locale for the template. This setting filters the templates that are available for use. The field value defaults to the current locale in effect for the user’s session. For more information, see Visibility and Access for Templates and Preference Settings for Outbound Communications.
Description. Enter a brief description of the template.
Fields for the Simple Form
This topic describes the template fields you specify in the Simple form. These fields are for simple templates.
Template Properties
The following fields are grouped under Template Properties:
Name (required). For more information, see Fields for the Templates List.
Channel Type (required). For more information, see Fields for the Templates List.
Template Type. Specify the type of template. This option helps users choose templates with the appropriate function. Default values include Greeting, Body, and Closing. Consider the following points when you specify a template type:
A reply message for Siebel Email Response can use all of these template types. Greeting and closing templates are generic in Siebel Email Response. You do not associate them with a category.
The Send commands use templates with the Body template type. You associate body templates with a category.
Language (required). For more information, see Fields for the Templates List.
Locale (required). For more information, see Fields for the Templates List.
HTML Template. Select this option to specify that an email or fax template is an HTML template. Do not select this check box if the template is plain text. If this check box is not selected, then any formatting you apply in the Text field is eliminated when you save the template.
If the HTML Template check box is not selected, then the text is converted to plain text before the message is sent. For information about HTML formatting in the Text field, see Editing and Formatting Controls for Text in Templates.
This setting and the outbound communications user preference setting for default message format (for Send Email or Send Fax, or for email replies for Siebel Email Response) determine if the template is available for usage. For more information, see Visibility and Access for Templates and Preference Settings for Outbound Communications.
Public. Select this option to make this template available for all users to specify when using the template, such as when using the Send commands or when sending email replies. Do not select this check box to make the template available only to the current user and to administrators.
Pick Available Substitutions
The following fields are grouped under Pick Available Substitutions:
Object. Select from a drop-down list the type of recipient group (object) for the template. The recipient groups you can choose correspond to business objects for which a primary business component is specified, such as Account, Opportunity, Contact, and so on.
The object you specify for the template is optional and is used to obtain values for the Available Substitutions list.
The recipient group you specify determines only the substitution fields that are available for the template text. The actual recipients are determined when using the template, such as when using the Send commands or when sending email replies.
Available Substitutions. Displays the business component fields that are valid for substitution. You can copy and paste such fields into the Text field for the template.
The fields available for substitution are from the primary business component of the business object in the Object field.
All substitution fields must be enclosed in brackets ([ ]) in the template text.
For example, available substitution fields for Contact include [Contact.Last Name], while fields for Account include [Account.Name].
Note: For an HTML template, make sure that the enclosing brackets and text of any substitution field text do not include any tagging changes. For example, do not change from bold to regular text in the enclosing brackets of a substitution field. Doing so might prevent proper data substitution.If your template must contain a literal bracket character ([ or ]), then insert a backslash character (\) before the bracket to escape the bracket character so that the character is correctly interpreted.
Note: If a substitution field is not enclosed in brackets, or if you enclose the substitution field some other notation, such as percentage characters (%), then Communications Outbound Manager cannot perform substitution for the field.
Compose Template
The following fields are grouped under Compose Template:
Subject. Enter text for a subject line for the template.
Text in the Subject field can also include substitutions from the Available Substitutions list. The value in the Object field determines the available substitutions. Note the following points about the text in this field:
For a new email message (and not for a reply), the text from this field is used in the Subject line of the message.
For a reply message in Siebel Email Response, the subject-line text is derived from the subject line of the original inbound email message.
For a fax, the text from this field appears on the cover page of the faxed message.
Note: If you use OpenText RightFax with the Unicode patch, then the subject text appears on the fax cover page only for ENU (U.S. English) software. For all other languages, the subject text appears on a second page of the faxed message. For more information, see Integrating with Fax Products.For a page or wireless message, the text from this field is not used.
Text. Specify text for the template. As appropriate, you can copy and paste fields from the available substitutions.
All template text appears at the start of the message body. For information about editing and formatting in this field, see Editing and Formatting Controls for Text in Templates.
Fields for the Advanced Form
This topic describes the template fields you specify in the Advanced form. These fields are for advanced templates.
Template Properties
The following fields are grouped under Template Properties:
Name (required). For more information, see Fields for the Templates List.
Channel Type (required). For more information, see Fields for the Templates List.
Delivery Profile. Select the communications profile to use to deliver the template to recipients. The profile must support the specified channel type.
You must specify the delivery profile for any template that is sent using an outbound communication request, except for templates for the Wireless Message channel, for which specification is optional.
For templates with the Wireless Message channel type that you use for outbound communication requests, note the following points:
If a template has a profile, then, (for each recipient) Communications Outbound Manager identifies the highest priority mobile device that has a corresponding profile and sends the message to the associated address using that profile. If there is no match, then no message is sent to that recipient.
If a template does not have a profile, then, (for each recipient) Communications Outbound Manager identifies the highest priority mobile device and that device’s highest priority address and uses the associated profile to send the message to that device. For more information, see Process of Setting Up Communications Driver Profiles.
Language (required). For more information, see Fields for the Templates List.
Locale (required). For more information, see Fields for the Templates List.
HTML Template. Select this option to specify that an email or fax template is an HTML template. Do not select this check box if the template is plain text. If this check box is not selected, then any formatting you apply in the Text field is eliminated when you save the template. For information about HTML formatting in the Text field, see Editing and Formatting Controls for Text in Templates.
Public. Select this option to make this template available for all users to specify when using the template, such as when sending outbound communication requests. Do not select this check box to make the template available only to the current user and to administrators.
Note: The Public field is ignored for any template that is sent using an outbound communication request that Siebel Workflow initiates. In this scenario, any defined template can be specified.Attach Bookmark. Select this option to include a Siebel bookmark in communication requests sent using the template.
A Siebel bookmark is a URL that links to a specific record in the Siebel application. A bookmark included in an email message allows a user to click the link to navigate directly to this record. If you specify this option, then a bookmark is included in outbound messages sent using this template. The bookmark URL is appended to the message body. The bookmark URL functions as a link whether the template is HTML or plain text.
For example, if you are sending email to account team members, then a bookmark URL is included in the email and provides access to the account record that is the recipient source for the communication request.
You can include bookmarks in messages sent using templates of any applicable channel. However, only bookmarks in email messages allow the recipient to click the link to navigate to the target record in the Siebel application.
If the recipient user is running the Siebel application, then the bookmark record can open in the application window or can open in another browser window. If the user is not logged in, then the user is prompted to log in before the user can access the record.
Note: You can manually insert a bookmark in an email message or document by choosing the Create Bookmark command from the applet-level menu.Before you specify to include bookmarks, note the following requirements:
The Siebel administrator must specify a value for the WebServer server component parameter for Communications Outbound Manager. To access the bookmarked record, the recipient users must have access to the Web server and Application Object Manager that this parameter specifies. For more information, see Administering Communications Outbound Manager.
For each business component representing a type of record for supported bookmarks, a developer must verify that the Default Bookmark View user property is appropriately defined.
This user property specifies the Siebel application view in which the bookmark record must open for the user, who is in this scenario the email recipient. The specified view must be an user view that is available to the intended recipients. This user property is already defined for many key business components. For example, for the Account business component, the default bookmark view is Account List View. For more information about configuring user properties for business components, see Configuring Siebel Business Applications and Siebel Developer's Reference.
Create Activity. Select this option to set activity logging for outbound communication requests that include the template. For more information about activity logging, see Viewing Activity Records for Outbound Communication Requests.
If the Create Activity check box is selected for the template, then one activity is created for each recipient after the message is sent to that recipient. For each activity record, the text from the template Subject field appears in the Description field, and the text from the template message body appears in the Comments field. Sending a message to a large number of recipients generates an equally large number of activity records.
The user who starts the Siebel Server running Communications Outbound Manager is the owner of each created activity. Typically, the user ID for this user is SADMIN.
Note: If you create a new recipient group using a custom business component, and select the Create Activity check box for an advanced template that uses the recipient group, then you must create a System Activity object on the custom business component to specify fields to log with activity logging. For more information, see Configuring Recipient Groups for Requests and Advanced Templates.
Pick Available Substitutions
The following fields are grouped under Pick Available Substitutions:
Recipient Group. Select the type of recipient group for the template. The recipients might be, for example, all contacts associated with an opportunity. This particular group is identified as Opportunity Contacts.
The recipient group for the template is optional and is used to obtain values for the Available Fields list.
The recipient group you specify determines only the field substitutions that are available for the template text. The actual recipient group, and actual recipients, are determined when using the template for a communication request.
The Recipient Group drop-down list displays recipient groups for many major business objects and business components. For predefined values, see Predefined Recipient Groups.
You can customize the list of values for the Recipient Group drop-down list to add or remove recipient groups. For more information, see Configuring Recipient Groups for Requests and Advanced Templates.
In any greeting or closing templates that are set up as defaults in the Outbound Communications view of the User Preferences screen, only field substitutions from the Action recipient group appear correctly for the recipient group. For more information about setting user preferences, see Siebel Applications Administration Guide.
Available Fields. Displays the business component fields that are valid for substitution. You can copy and paste such fields into the Text field for the template.
The fields available for substitution are from the recipient business component that the Recipient Group (such as Contact, for Account Contacts) specifies, or from the primary business component in the recipient source business object (such as Account, for Account Contacts). The business component name, followed by a period, prefaces the fields for the primary business component.
All substitution fields must be enclosed in brackets ([ ]) in the template text.
For example, available substitution fields for Account Contacts include [Last Name], from the Contact business component, and [Account.Name], from the Account business component.
Note: For an HTML template (with HTML text in the Text field) or an HTML template item, make sure that the enclosing brackets and text of any substitution field text do not include any tagging changes. For example, do not change from bold to regular text in the enclosing brackets of a substitution field. Doing so might prevent proper data substitution.If your template must contain a literal bracket character ([ or ]), then insert a backslash character (\) before the bracket to escape the bracket character so that the character is correctly interpreted.
Note: If a substitution field is not enclosed in brackets, or you enclose the substitution field in some other notation, such as percentage characters (%), then Communications Outbound Manager cannot perform substitution for the field.
Compose Template
The following fields are grouped under Compose Template:
Subject. Enter text for a subject line for the template.
Text in the Subject field can also include substitutions from the Available Fields list. The recipient group determines the available substitutions. Note the following points about the text in this field.
For an email message sent using a communication request, the text from this field is used in the Subject line of the message.
For a fax sent using a communication request, the text from this field appears on the cover page of the faxed message.
Note: If you use OpenText RightFax with the Unicode patch, then the subject text appears on the fax cover page only for ENU (U.S. English) software. For all other languages, the subject text appears on a second page of the faxed message. For more information, see Integrating with Fax Products.For a page or wireless message, the text from this field is not used.
Text. Specify text for the template. As appropriate, you can copy and paste fields from the available substitutions.
All template text appears at the start of the message body. For information about editing and formatting in this field, see Editing and Formatting Controls for Text in Templates.
Fields for Template Items
This topic describes the fields you can specify for a template item. Template items apply to only advanced templates. The fields are organized according to where you specify them. For information about the fields for templates, see Fields for Templates.
This topic contains the following information:
Fields for the Template Items List
The following fields are available in the Template Items list:
Sequence (required). A sequence number is automatically assigned the template item. The sequence number is used to assemble the template items for the communication.
The default sequence value for a new template item is the lowest positive number that is not assigned to an existing template item for the same template. For template items for the message body, messages to deliver to recipients are constructed as follows:
All plain-text template items are concatenated in sequence to form the plain-text message body for the email message. (This constructions applies to email, fax, page, and wireless message templates.)
All HTML template items are concatenated in sequence to form the HTML message body for the email message. If HTML template text is defined, then the HTML template items for the message body appends this text. (This construction applies to email templates only.)
Only template items that have the Message Body check box selected form the plain-text message body or (for email only) the HTML message body.
For an email message, the recipient’s email client displays the HTML version of the message body if it can do so; otherwise, the email client displays the plain-text version of the message body. Sending separate plain-text and HTML versions of the same email message body is called MIME multipart or alternative support. (MIME stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension.)
You can change the sequence number for a template item, but you cannot specify a sequence number that another template item uses. Instead, you must shift the numbers to make space for the one you want to modify. For example, if you have sequences 1 and 2, then to swap the numbers you can change 1 to 3, change 2 to 1, and then change 3 to 2.
Attachment Label. Specify a label for a template item to attach to an email or fax message. In this context, an attachment is any template item for which the Message Body check box is not selected.
For a template item that you add as an attachment to an email or fax message, the Attachment Label field provides an optional string to name the attachment. If you do not specify an attachment label, then the file name and extension are used as the attachment label.
For an HTML template item that you add as an attachment to an email or fax message, note the following points about the attachment label:
The Attachment Label field specifies a string that is used for embedding the template item into the HTML. The string must exactly match a reference in the HTML markup so that the HTML content can provide recipients access to the template item content, such as an embedded picture.
The email client for an email recipient, or the email server for your fax gateway, matches these strings to correctly locate and display or process each embedded attachment.
For example, for a my_picture.jpg attachment label (without enclosing quotes), the matching HTML reference for the embedded picture file follows:
<IMG SRC="my_picture.jpg">
If you do not specify an attachment label, then the attachment is a true attachment to the HTML email or fax message and is not embedded in the HTML message.
Note: If you specify an attachment label that does not exactly match a reference in the HTML markup, then email clients, or the email server for your fax gateway, might not be able to access the template item. The template item is an embedded attachment for which the HTML markup provides no access.For more information, see the description for the Attachment Name field in this topic.
Embedding pictures or other referenced files in HTML makes an email message larger and makes sending an email message take longer, or makes fax gateway processing take longer for a fax. For an email message, you can also make a file available on the Internet and include its URL in the HTML. In this scenario, do not also add the files as template items. Recipients can view the images only if they are connected to the Internet when they read the email message.
Literature Name. Specify a literature item from the Siebel File System. For information about adding a literature item for a template item, see Specifying Template Items for Advanced Templates.
For a literature item you specify, values are substituted using the business component fields in the Available Fields list if the Substitute Values check box is selected.
You can specify a template item containing a literature item for the message body for the template, or specify a template item as an attachment.
You can drill down on the literature item to navigate to another view where you can open the item. For information about adding literature items to the Siebel File System, see Siebel Applications Administration Guide.
Attachment Name. Specify the name of an operating system file. The file can be a text file, an HTML file, a graphics file, or another type of file. For information about adding a file for a template item, see Specifying Template Items for Advanced Templates.
After you specify a file, its name (without the file extension) appears in the Attachment Name field. (The file extension appears in the File Type field.)
You must add any graphics (picture) file for an HTML message as a file and specify the file as an attachment to the message. You cannot specify the file for the message body. You must specify an attachment label for the file. For more information, see the description of the Attachment Label field in this topic.
For a file you specify, values are substituted using the business component fields in the Available Fields list if the Substitute Values check box is selected.
You can specify a template item containing a file for the message body for the template, or specify a template item as an attachment.
Note: When you specify a file for a template item, the file is automatically added to the Siebel File System. Then, the operating system file is not referenced. When you send the file, you send the version in the Siebel File System.File Type. (read only) Displays the extension of a file you add. The file name, without the extension, appears in the Attachment Name field.
File Size. (read only) Displays the size, in kilobytes, of a file you add.
Fields for the Template Item Form
The following fields are available in the Template Item form.
Template Item Commands
The following fields are grouped under Template Item Commands:
Substitute Values. Select this option to enable value substitution for the template item. For more information, see the descriptions for the Available Fields list and for the Iteration Child Business Component field.
Message Body. Select this option to specify that the template item content is used in the message body of the template message.
Multiple plain-text or HTML template items marked for the message body are concatenated into a single message body for each of these types, in the sequence that their sequence numbers determines. For more information, see the description for the Sequence field in this chapter.
Note: For a fax template, specify HTML template items as attachments only. Do not specify HTML template items for the message body.If a template item is part of the message body, then it must be either a plain-text or HTML file. Communications Outbound Manager uses the file extension to distinguish if a template item file is in HTML format. Any file with an extension containing htm (such as .HTM, .HTML, or .SHTML) is recognized as an HTML file.
The setting of the HTML Template check box also determines how HTML template items are handled. For more information, see Fields for Templates.
You can specify a file or literature item, for which values are substituted using business component fields, for the message body or as an attachment. (When you specify a file or literature item for the message body, files or literature items must be plain-text or HTML files only; other file types are not supported and might produce unacceptable results.)
If Message Body check box is not selected, then the current template item is an attachment to the message, and the template item uses the label you specify in the Attachment Label field.
For templates of the Fax channel type, any template items you do not specify for the message body are subject to the support of the sending fax server. Some fax servers support only certain types of attachments; some fax servers might not support any attachments.
For templates of Wireless Messaging channel type, any template items you do not specify for the message body are ignored.
For templates of e Pager channel type, any template that has one or more template items that you do not specify for the message body is not sent.
Pick Available Substitutions
The following fields are grouped under Pick Available Substitutions:
Iteration Child Business Component. Select the name of a business component from which you want to include record data.
The available business components you can specify are direct children of the recipient source business object for the Recipient Group.
Note: In the source business object, any business component that you want to specify in the Iteration Child Business Component field must have a link in which the parent business component is the primary business component on the business object.If the Substitute Values check box is selected, and you specify a child business component, then the template item is appended to the message body or attachment once for each record in the child business component, in iterative fashion. Business component field values are substituted for each record.
A template item can include fields from the child business component for which values are substituted. The Template Item form displays the available substitutions.
For example, if you target a template to Account Team Members, and you want to include a list of opportunities for the account, then you can choose Opportunity as the iteration child business component for a template item.
If the file or literature item for the template item includes any of the field names in the Available Fields list, then the values for these fields, for all opportunities that are children of the account, are included in the message body or attachment. In this example, values for opportunity name and expected revenue figures might be substituted.
Available Fields. Displays the business component fields that are valid for substitution. You can use the Available Fields list for reference, or copy and paste such fields into a template file or literature item that you use for the template item.
The fields in the Available Fields list come from one of the following sources:
The recipient business component for the Recipient Group (such as Contact, for Account Contacts), or the primary business component in the recipient source business object (such as Account, for Account Contacts). The business component name, followed by a period, prefaces the fields for the primary business component. These business component fields appear in the Available Fields list if the Iteration Child Business Component field is empty.
The business component in the Iteration Child Business Component field that represents a child (such as Account Note) of the recipient source business object (such as Account). The business component name, followed by a period, prefaces the fields for the iteration child business component.
All substitution fields must be enclosed in brackets ([ ]) in the template item file or literature item.
Note the following examples:
Available substitution fields for the Account recipient group (for a simple template) include [Account.Name], [Account.Last Name], [Account.Location], and so on, from the Account business component, which is the primary business component for the Account business object.
Available substitution fields for the Account Contacts recipient group (advanced template) include:
[Last Name], [City] and so on, from the Contact business component
[Account.Name], [Account.Last Name], [Account.Location], and so on, from the Account business component
Available substitution fields for the Account Note iteration child business component include [Note], [Note Type], and so on, from the Note business component.
If your template must contain a literal bracket character ([ or ]), then insert a backslash character (\) before the bracket to escape the bracket character, so that the character is correctly interpreted.