1. Implementing Your Agency
  2. Setting Up Communication Templates

Setting Up Communication Templates

Communication events trigger delivery of different communication types to various users. The agency defines the content, format, and recipients using communication templates.

Agency users add, modify, and delete communication templates on the Communication Event Details page.

The communication events themselves are delivered with Oracle Permitting and Licensing. For a partial list of the available communication events, see Delivered Communication Events.

Adding Communication Templates

  1. Select Communication Setup > Communication Events in the navigator.

  2. Click the event on the Communication Event page for which you want to add a template.

  3. On the Communication Event Details page, click Add in the Communication Template section.

  4. On the Communication Template Details page, enter a unique identifier code and name for the communication template.

    To make the code unique, Oracle recommends that you create it using a portion of the communication event name. For example, you might use SUB01 for the email template of the Application Submit communication event. This is because communication template codes must be unique across all communication events. If you create a communication template for one event that has the same code as a template for another event, you will receive an error when you try to save it.

  5. Enter values or click Insert (+) and choose from the list to set up the template:

    Page Element

    Description

    Channel Type

    Specify the type of communication that this template generates. Values are:

    • Alert: Generates text that is displayed to users when they log in to the application.

      Note: You only use this channel type when setting up the General Alert (PSC_GENERIC_ALERT) communication event.

    • Email: Generates an email that is sent to users.

    • Emails and Notifications: Generates both an email and a notification with the same message.

    • Notification: Generates a notification that appears when users click the notification icon in the application.

    • Text: Generates a short message service (SMS) text message that is sent to users. Currently, the text channel type is available only for ad hoc communications. Text for events will be supported in the future.

    Note: The fields that are available to define on this page vary depending on the channel type and display format that you select.

    Visibility

    Select which users can see this communication listed on the application's Communication Details page. All communications can be accessed by agency staff. Values are:

    • Applicant and contacts: Includes agency staff, the applicant, and contacts added to the transaction.

    • Agency staff only: Includes only agency staff.

    • Applicant: Includes agency staff and the applicant on the transaction.

    Enabled

    Turn this switch on to activate the communication template. When this switch is turned off, the application does not generate the communication when the associated event is triggered.

    Start Date Time and End Date Time

    Enter the time period for which the alert is displayed. These fields appear only for the Alert channel type.

    Display Format

    Select the format of the email or notification that this communication template generates. Values are:

    • HTML: Displays rich text, links, and images

    • Text: Displays plain, unformatted text.

    This field appears only for the email or notification channel types.

    Priority

    Turn on this switch to display notifications generated by this communication template at the top of the notification list.

    This field appears only for the Emails and Notifications and Notification channel types.

    User Can Delete

    Turn on this switch to enable users to delete notifications generated by this communication template from their notification lists.

    This field appears only for the Emails and Notifications and Notification channel types.

    Add Attribute

    These fields enable you to insert variables for attributes into your communications. You select the field and the attribute that you want to insert in that field, and click Insert to enter a variable for that attribute.

    For more information about inserting variables for attributes, including resource and contact attributes, see Using Attributes in Communication Templates.

    Add Grid

    Add a grid with attributes from a related resource in the message body.

    This button appears only for the email and notification channel types, and the display format must be HTML.

    For more information, see Using Attributes in Communication Templates.

    Attachments

    Insert

    Click + to add an attachment from your local device. After adding an attachment, you can click the Actions icon to view attachment details, download attachments, or delete attachments.

    If the communication has a report attached that has been generated dynamically by a business rule in the Business Rules Framework, when adding the attachment, select the output repository where the generated report resides. For more information, see Setting Up Generate Report Actions.

    To

    Insert

    Click the Insert button to view a drop-down menu from which you can search for and select recipients. The display shows the options and the count of values available, which are determined by the transaction you are working with and the channel type you selected in the Template Attributes section.

    For example, when you select a value here for the email channel type, the email ID is inserted into the field. You can delete the ID using the X icon, but you cannot edit it.

    Enter or click + and select the email addresses, user IDs, or phone numbers of the people or organizations that you want to send the communication to.

    Enter email addresses for the Email and Emails and Notifications channel types; user IDs for the Alert, Emails and Notifications, and Notification channel types; and phone numbers for the Text channel type.

    Cc and Bcc

    Insert

    Enter or click + and select the email addresses of the people or organizations that you want to receive a copy or blind copy of the communication.

    These fields appear only for the Email and Emails and Notifications channel types.

    From

    Insert

    Enter or click + and select the email address, user ID, or phone number of the person or organization who is sending the generated message.

    For texts, select the phone number of the person or organization who is sending the generated text message from the drop-down list. The numbers are retrieved from Twilio, a third-party messaging service.

    Subject

    Insert

    Enter a brief description of the purpose and content of the communication, or click + and select from the list of transaction attributes.

    This field appears only for email or notification channel types.

    Note: When configuring a business license communication, agency users can select the Business URL attribute that provides a link to open the associated business entity Overview page. The Business URL option is available under Transaction attributes of the Subject.

    Message Body

    Insert

    Enter the main body text of the communication.

    For the Alerts and Text channel types and emails and notifications using the Text display format, you can enter only plain, unformatted text.

    For emails and notifications using the HTML display format, you can enter rich text, links, and images, or click + and select from the list of transaction attributes.

    Note: When configuring a business license communication, agency users can select the Business URL attribute that provides a link to open the associated business entity Overview page. The Business URL option is available under Transaction attributes of the Message Body.

    Remarks

    Enter any additional information about the communication template. These remarks are not included in the generated communication.

  6. Click Save.

Modifying Communication Templates

  1. Select Communication Setup > Communication Events.

  2. Click the row on the Communication Event page for which you want to modify a template.

  3. Click the row in the Communication Template grid that you want to modify.

  4. On the Communication Template Details page you can:

    • Click Clone to create a copy of the communication template.

    • Update the communication template field values.

      Note: You cannot edit the Code or Channel Type fields.

  5. Click Save.

Deleting Communication Templates

  1. Select Communication Setup > Communication Events.

  2. Click the row on the Communication Event page for which you want to delete templates.

  3. Click Edit in the Communication Template grid.

  4. Select the check boxes next to all of the communication templates that you want to delete.

  5. Click Delete. You will be prompted to confirm the permanent deletion.