Chapter 02: Creating and Managing Email Templates

2.1 Email Template Basics

Understanding email templates is fundamental to using the Advanced Email App effectively. An email template is a complete definition of an automated email notification, including what the email says, who receives it, when it sends, and what files are attached. Think of an email template as a reusable pattern that the system uses to generate and send actual emails when specific business events occur in Business Central.

Unlike manually sending emails where you compose each message individually at the moment you need to send it, email templates are configured once and then execute automatically whenever the conditions you specify are met. This automation approach ensures consistency in communication, reduces the workload on your team members who would otherwise need to remember to send notifications manually, and eliminates the possibility of forgetting to send important notifications during busy periods or when key personnel are unavailable.

Each email template in the Advanced Email App consists of several key components that work together to define the complete notification behavior. The email content components (recipients, subject, body, and attachments) define what the email looks like and who receives it. The trigger configuration defines when the email sends by specifying which table and field changes cause the email to execute. The scenario filters (optional) provide fine-grained control over when the email actually sends by allowing you to specify conditions that must be met. The rule group assignments (optional) control which users in your organization actually trigger the emails when they make data changes.

When you create an email template, you are essentially teaching Business Central to recognize a specific business situation and respond to it automatically by sending a notification. For example, you might create a template that recognizes when a sales order exceeds $10,000 and automatically notifies the sales director so they can review high-value orders before they are processed. Or you might create a template that recognizes when inventory levels for critical items fall below reorder points and alerts the purchasing team so they can order new stock before shortages occur.

Email Components Overview

The fundamental building blocks of every email template are:

Code and Description - Every email template must have a unique identifier (code) and a descriptive name that explains its purpose. The code is used internally by Business Central to reference the template, while the description appears in lists and helps users understand what each template does. Choosing clear, consistent naming conventions for your templates makes managing multiple notifications easier and helps new team members understand your email automation configuration quickly.

Recipients (To, Cc, Bcc) - These fields specify who receives the email notification. The To field contains primary recipients who need to take action or be informed. The Cc (carbon copy) field contains people who should be aware of the notification but may not need to take direct action. The Bcc (blind carbon copy) field contains recipients whose email addresses remain hidden from other recipients. All three fields support both static email addresses and dynamic placeholders that determine recipients based on data values in Business Central.

Subject Line - The subject appears in recipients' email inboxes and helps them understand the content and urgency of the notification. Effective subject lines are concise, informative, and often include key data values (like order numbers or customer names) to provide context before recipients open the email. The subject field supports placeholders so you can include relevant data values dynamically.

Email Body - The body contains the main message content. In the Advanced Email App, the body is created using a rich text editor that supports HTML formatting, allowing you to create professional-looking emails with formatted text, colors, bullet lists, and other visual elements. The body supports placeholders extensively so you can construct messages that include relevant data values, calculations, and references to related information.

Attachments - Email templates can include zero or more file attachments. Attachments can be fixed files (documents that you upload once and attach to every email) or dynamic report attachments (Business Central reports that are generated at the moment the email sends, using current data). Attachments are particularly useful for including order confirmations, invoices, packing slips, or other documents that recipients need to review or process.

Best Practices for Naming

Developing consistent naming conventions for your email templates helps maintain an organized, manageable email notification system as the number of templates grows over time:

Use Descriptive Codes - If you are not using automatic numbering, choose codes that clearly indicate the template's purpose. For example, "ORD-CONFIRM" immediately tells you this template sends order confirmations, while "INV-LOW" indicates inventory low stock alerts. Avoid cryptic abbreviations that only make sense to the person who created the template.

Include the Trigger Context - Consider including information about what triggers the email in your description. "Sales Order Created - Manager Notification" is clearer than just "Manager Notification" because it explains both when the email sends and who receives it.

Organize by Department or Process - If your organization has multiple departments using email notifications, consider prefixing codes with department identifiers like "SALES-ORD-CONFIRM" or "PURCH-RECV-NOTIFY". This grouping makes it easier to find all templates related to a specific department or business process.

Document the Business Purpose - Use the description field to explain not just what the email does technically, but why it exists from a business perspective. "Credit Limit Warning - Prevent Over-Extension" is more informative than "Credit Limit Email" because it explains the business rationale for the notification.

2.2 Configuring Email Recipients

Determining who receives your email notifications is one of the most important aspects of template configuration. The Advanced Email App provides flexible recipient specification that supports both static email addresses for situations where notifications always go to the same people, and dynamic recipient determination using placeholders for situations where recipients vary based on data values in Business Central.

Understanding To, Cc, and Bcc Fields

The three recipient fields serve different purposes and follow established email conventions that recipients understand:

To Field (Primary Recipients) - Use the To field for people who are the primary audience for the notification and who may need to take action based on the email content. In business communication convention, being listed in the To field indicates that the email is directed at you and you should read it and respond appropriately. For email notifications, you typically put the person or role that needs to be informed and potentially act on the notification in the To field.

Cc Field (Copied Recipients) - Use the Cc (carbon copy) field for people who should be aware of the notification but who are not the primary audience and may not need to take action. In business communication convention, being copied on an email indicates "for your information" rather than "action required". All recipients can see who was copied, which provides transparency about who is being kept informed. Use Cc for managers who want to monitor notifications sent to their teams, for other departments that should be aware of activities, or for administrative personnel who track notifications for audit or compliance purposes.

Bcc Field (Hidden Recipients) - Use the Bcc (blind carbon copy) field for recipients whose email addresses should not be visible to other recipients. This is useful when sending notifications to external parties (like customers) while also alerting internal staff, or when you need to maintain privacy of certain recipients' email addresses. Other recipients cannot see who was included in Bcc. Use Bcc sparingly and primarily in situations where recipient privacy is important or where you want to avoid cluttering the visible recipient list with administrative or monitoring addresses.

⚠️ WARNING: Be cautious when using placeholders in the Bcc field for customer or vendor email addresses. If the placeholder resolves to an email address that the primary recipient should not know about (for example, another customer's email address), you could inadvertently disclose confidential information. Always verify that your placeholder logic produces appropriate results for the Bcc use case.

Static Email Addresses

The simplest form of recipient specification is entering email addresses directly in the recipient fields. This approach works well when notifications always go to the same people regardless of what data triggered the email.

Single Static Recipient:

Multiple Static Recipients: When you need to send the email to multiple specific people, separate email addresses with semicolons:

Combined Static and Dynamic: You can mix static email addresses with placeholders in the same field, allowing some recipients to always receive the email while others vary based on data:

To: [18:102]

In this example, the email goes to both the customer's email address (from placeholder [18:102]) and always to the sales manager, with the director copied.

📋 NOTE: When using multiple email addresses, Business Central sends a single email with all addresses in the appropriate fields, not separate individual emails to each recipient. All recipients see the same email content, and recipients in the To and Cc fields can see the other recipients (though Bcc recipients remain hidden).

Dynamic Recipients Using Placeholders

Placeholders allow email recipients to be determined dynamically based on data values in Business Central. This powerful capability enables you to send emails to different people depending on who the customer is, who the salesperson is, which location is involved, or any other data field that contains an email address or can be used to look up an email address.

Direct Email Field Placeholders:

Many Business Central tables include email address fields that you can reference directly with placeholders. The most common examples are customer and vendor email addresses:

To: [18:102]

This placeholder references Table 18 (Customer), Field 102 (Email), and resolves to the email address of the customer associated with the record that triggered the notification. For example, if a sales order triggers the email, the system looks up the customer on that sales order and uses that customer's email address.

Salesperson/Purchaser Email Addresses:

Business Central tracks email addresses for salespeople and purchasers, allowing you to send notifications to the person responsible for a transaction:

To: [13:5052]

This placeholder references Table 13 (Salesperson/Purchaser), Field 5052 (Email), and resolves to the salesperson's or purchaser's email address. To use this effectively, you need to set up a source reference (covered in Chapter 4) that links from your trigger table to the Salesperson/Purchaser table.

User Email Addresses:

You can send emails to Business Central users based on user assignments in your data:

To: [USER:email]

This placeholder resolves to the email address associated with a Business Central user ID. This is particularly useful when you have user fields on records (like "Assigned To" or "Responsible Person") and want to notify the assigned user.

Examples and Use Cases:

✅ EXAMPLE: Order Confirmation to Customer

Business Scenario: When a sales order is created, automatically send a confirmation email to the customer who placed the order.

Configuration:

To: [18:102]
Subject: Your Order [36:3] has been received
Body: Thank you for your order. Your order number is [36:3]

When a sales order is created, the system looks up the customer's email address from the Customer table and sends the confirmation email to that address. Each customer receives an email addressed specifically to them.

✅ EXAMPLE: High-Value Order Alert to Sales Manager and Salesperson

Business Scenario: When a sales order exceeds $50,000, notify both the salesperson who created the order and the sales manager for review and approval.

Configuration:

To: [13:5052]
Cc: salesmanager@company.com
Subject: High-Value Order Alert: [36:3] - Amount [36:61]

The salesperson receives the email as the primary recipient (they need to ensure proper order handling), while the sales manager is copied so they can monitor high-value orders and intervene if necessary.

✅ EXAMPLE: Customer Statement to Customer with Internal Copy

Business Scenario: When customer statements are prepared, send the statement to the customer with a blind copy to accounts receivable for record-keeping.

Configuration:

To: [18:102]
Bcc: ar@company.com
Subject: Account Statement for [18:2]

The customer receives their statement without knowing that accounts receivable also received a copy, maintaining professional separation between customer communication and internal record-keeping.

Multiple Recipients with Placeholders:

You can combine multiple placeholders and static addresses to send emails to several dynamic recipients:

To: [18:102];[13:5052]

This configuration sends the email to both the customer and the assigned salesperson, with copies to the sales manager and director.

💡 TIP: When using placeholders for recipients, always test your configuration with sample data to verify that the placeholders resolve correctly and that emails are sent to the intended recipients. Check the Validation Log after triggering a test email to see what email addresses were actually used.

2.3 Composing Email Subject Lines

The subject line is the first thing recipients see when your email arrives in their inbox. An effective subject line clearly indicates what the email is about, conveys appropriate urgency, and provides enough context that recipients can prioritize reading and responding to the email appropriately. In automated email notifications, subject lines are particularly important because recipients receive many messages throughout the day and need to quickly identify which emails require immediate attention.

Static Subject Lines

For notifications where the context is always the same, static subject lines work perfectly well:

Static subjects are appropriate when the email content is self-explanatory and doesn't vary significantly between instances. However, for most transactional notifications (orders, shipments, invoices, etc.), dynamic subject lines that include specific data values are more effective.

Dynamic Subject Lines with Placeholders

Including data values in subject lines transforms generic notifications into specific, actionable messages. Recipients can see key information like order numbers, customer names, or amounts directly in their inbox without opening the email.

Including Identifiers:

Always include key identifiers (like document numbers) in subject lines so recipients can reference the correct record:

Subject: Order Confirmation - Order No. [36:3]
Subject: Shipment [110:3] ready for pickup
Subject: Invoice [112:3] sent to customer [18:2]

These subject lines immediately tell recipients which specific order, shipment, or invoice the email concerns, allowing them to locate the relevant record in Business Central quickly.

Including Amounts and Quantities:

For notifications where monetary amounts or quantities are significant, include these values in the subject line:

Subject: High-Value Order Alert: [36:3] - Amount [36:61]
Subject: Low Inventory Alert: [27:3] - Quantity [27:22]
Subject: Payment Received: [18:2] - Amount [379:49]

This approach allows recipients to assess the significance of the notification at a glance and prioritize accordingly.

Including Status Information:

When email notifications are triggered by status changes, including the new status in the subject line provides immediate context:

Subject: Order [36:3] status changed to [36:120]
Subject: Production Order [5405:3] now [5405:40]

Recipients immediately understand not just that something changed, but what the current state is.

Best Practices for Effective Subject Lines:

Keep Subject Lines Concise - Email clients typically display only 50-70 characters of subject line in inbox views. Structure your subjects so the most important information appears first:

✅ GOOD:  Order [36:3]: Customer [18:2] - Amount [36:61]
❌ POOR:  Please be advised that an order has been created with number [36:3]

Use Consistent Formatting - Establish a pattern for subject lines across your organization so recipients learn to recognize different types of notifications quickly:

Sales Orders:    "Order [36:3]: [Customer Name]"
Shipments:       "Ship [110:3]: [Customer Name]" 
Invoices:        "Inv [112:3]: [Customer Name]

Front-Load Important Information - Place critical data at the beginning of the subject line in case the full subject is truncated:

✅ GOOD:  [36:3] Order Confirmation - [18:2]
❌ POOR:  Order Confirmation for Customer [18:2] - Order Number [36:3]

Include Context for Alerts - For notifications that require action, include enough context that recipients understand what they need to do:

✅ GOOD:  URGENT: Credit Limit Exceeded - [18:2]

Avoid All Caps Unless Critical - Reserve all-caps formatting for truly urgent or critical notifications. Overuse reduces effectiveness:

✅ GOOD:  URGENT: System Going Offline in 15 Minutes
❌ POOR:  ORDER CONFIRMATION FOR ORDER [36:3]

2.4 Creating Email Body Content

The email body contains the detailed message you want to communicate to recipients. The Advanced Email App provides a rich text editor that allows you to format email bodies with HTML styling, creating professional-looking emails that are easy to read and understand. Effective email body composition combines clear writing, logical structure, and appropriate formatting to ensure recipients quickly grasp the message and know what action (if any) they need to take.

Using the Rich Text Editor

The rich text editor in the Advanced Email App provides a familiar word-processor-like interface for composing email content. The toolbar at the top of the editor provides formatting options:

Text Formatting:

• Bold - Use for emphasis on key points, warnings, or important data values

• Italic - Use for secondary emphasis or to distinguish certain types of information

• Underline - Use sparingly, primarily for section headings within emails

• Font colors - Use strategically to draw attention (red for warnings, blue for informational)

• Font sizes - Vary sizes to create visual hierarchy (larger for headings, normal for body text)

Paragraph Formatting:

• Bullet lists - Use for multiple related items that don't have a specific sequence

• Numbered lists - Use for sequential steps or prioritized items

• Alignment - Left-align body text (standard), center-align headings or special notices

• Indentation - Use to create visual hierarchy in complex messages

💡 TIP: While the rich text editor supports extensive formatting options, resist the temptation to over-format emails. Too many fonts, colors, and styles make emails look unprofessional and can reduce readability. Stick to one or two font families, use color sparingly for emphasis, and maintain consistent formatting across all your email templates.

Basic Email Body Structure

Professional business emails follow a consistent structure that helps recipients process information efficiently:

Greeting - Start with an appropriate salutation:

Hello,
Dear [18:2]

For automated notifications, simple greetings like "Hello" or "Hello [Recipient Name]" work well. Avoid overly formal language that sounds robotic when repeated in automated messages.

Opening Statement - Begin with a clear statement of why the email was sent:

A new sales order has been created and requires your attention.

Your payment for invoice [112:3] has been received.

Inventory levels for item [27:3]

The opening statement should immediately tell recipients what happened or what action is needed.

Detailed Information - Provide relevant details that recipients need to understand the situation:

Order Details:
- Order Number: [36:3]
- Customer: [18:2]
- Order Date: [36:19]
- Total Amount: [36:61]

Use bullet lists or formatted sections to present details in scannable format.

Action Required (if applicable) - Clearly state what recipients should do:

Even when no action is required, explicitly stating that helps recipients process the email appropriately.

Closing - End with a professional closing:

Including a note that the email is automatically generated helps set expectations and directs recipients appropriately if they want to respond or ask questions.

Inserting Placeholders in Email Body

Placeholders make email bodies dynamic by inserting actual data values from Business Central. You can insert placeholders anywhere in the body text where you want to show data values.

Simple Data Insertion:

Order [36:3] has been created for customer [18:2].

The total amount is [36:61]

When the email sends, placeholders are replaced with actual values:

Structured Data Presentation:

Use HTML formatting to create well-organized data presentations:

<p><strong>Order Information:</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Order No.:</strong> [36:3]</li>
  <li><strong>Customer:</strong> [18:2]</li>
  <li><strong>Amount:</strong> [36:61]</li>
  <li><strong>Status:</strong> [36:120]</li>
</ul>

This creates a bulleted list with bold labels and data values, making the information easy to scan.

Tables for Multiple Items:

For more complex data presentations, use HTML tables:

<table border="1" cellpadding="5">
  <tr>
    <th>Field</th>
    <th>Value</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Order No.</td>
    <td>[36:3]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Customer</td>
    <td>[18:2]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Amount</td>
    <td>[36:61]</td>
  </tr>
</table>

📋 NOTE: The rich text editor may allow you to insert basic HTML directly, or you may need to switch to an HTML view depending on your Business Central version. Consult your Business Central documentation for specific HTML editing capabilities in your version.

Formatting Tips and Tricks

Create Visual Hierarchy:

Use formatting to guide recipients' eyes to the most important information:

<p style="font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold;">URGENT: Approval Required</p>

<p>A high-value order has been created:</p>

<p style="background-color: yellow; padding: 10px;">
  <strong>Order [36:3]</strong> - Amount: <span style="color: red;">[36:61]</span>
</p>

Use Colors Strategically:

• Red: Warnings, urgent items, amounts that exceed thresholds

• Yellow background: Highlighted information that requires attention

• Blue: Informational links or references

• Green: Positive status, confirmations, completed actions

Add Conditional Context:

While the Advanced Email App doesn't support conditional content directly in the email body, you can use scenarios (Chapter 4) to create different email templates for different conditions, each with appropriate messaging.

Include Links to Business Central:

While placeholders don't directly create clickable links to Business Central records, you can include instructive text:

To view this order in Business Central, search for order number [36:3]

✅ EXAMPLE: Professional Order Confirmation Email Body

<p>Hello [18:2],</p>

<p>Thank you for your order. We have received your order and it is being processed.</p>

<p><strong>Order Summary:</strong></p>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Order Number:</strong> [36:3]</li>
  <li><strong>Order Date:</strong> [36:19]</li>
  <li><strong>Total Amount:</strong> [36:61]</li>
  <li><strong>Expected Ship Date:</strong> [36:44]</li>
</ul>

<p>Your order will be processed within 2-3 business days. You will receive a shipment notification when your order ships.</p>

<p>If you have any questions about your order, please contact us at orders@company.com or call (555) 123-4567.</p>

<p>Thank you for your business!</p>

<p style="font-size: 10.5pt; color: gray;">--this is an autogenerated email--</p>

This example demonstrates professional structure, clear information presentation, appropriate use of formatting, and helpful closing information.

2.5 Working with Placeholders

Placeholders are the key to creating dynamic, data-driven email notifications that provide relevant, specific information to recipients. Understanding placeholder syntax, knowing how to find the correct placeholder for the data you want to include, and using placeholders effectively are essential skills for creating powerful email notifications.

Understanding Placeholder Syntax

Placeholders in the QUALIA system use a specific format that identifies which table and which field contains the data you want to include. The basic syntax is:

[TableID:FieldID]

Table ID is the numeric identifier Business Central uses internally to identify tables. For example, Table 18 is the Customer table, Table 36 is the Sales Header table, and Table 37 is the Sales Line table.

Field ID is the numeric identifier Business Central uses internally to identify fields within a table. For example, in the Customer table (18), Field 2 is the customer's name, Field 102 is the email address, and Field 39 is the credit limit.

When you include a placeholder like [18:2] in an email subject or body, the Rule Engine replaces that placeholder with the actual value from Table 18, Field 2 for the specific record that triggered the email notification. If a sales order for customer "Contoso Ltd" triggers an email, [18:2] becomes "Contoso Ltd" in the actual email that gets sent.

📋 NOTE: The TableID:FieldID syntax may seem technical and unintuitive at first, but it provides precision and avoids ambiguity. Field names can change in different Business Central versions or localizations, but field IDs remain consistent. The Factbox on the Email card page helps you find correct placeholders without memorizing IDs.

Table and Field ID Format

The placeholder format strictly requires:

• Opening square bracket [

• Table ID number

• Colon :

• Field ID number

• Closing square bracket ]

• No spaces anywhere in the placeholder

Correct Placeholder Formats:

✅ [18:2]
✅ [36:3]
✅ [27:22]

Incorrect Placeholder Formats:

❌ [18: 2]      (space after colon)
❌ [ 18:2 ]     (spaces inside brackets)
❌ (18:2)       (parentheses instead of brackets)
❌ 18:2         (no brackets)
❌ [18-2]

⚠️ WARNING: Incorrect placeholder syntax results in the placeholder appearing literally in the sent email instead of being replaced with data values. If recipients receive emails with text like "[18:2]" visible, this indicates incorrect placeholder syntax or invalid table/field IDs.

Using the Factbox for Placeholder Lookup

The Factbox panel on the right side of the Email card page provides a Placeholder Lookup section that shows you valid placeholders for the trigger table. This feature eliminates the need to memorize table and field IDs or look them up in documentation.

To use the Factbox for placeholder lookup:

1. Configure a trigger in the Triggers section of your email (see Chapter 4 for trigger configuration details). The Factbox shows placeholders for the table specified in your trigger.

2. Look at the Factbox area on the right side of the page. If the Factbox is not visible, look for a "Show FactBoxes" option or arrow to expand it.

3. In the Factbox, locate the QUA_FactBoxFields section. This section lists fields from your trigger table.

4. Scroll through the field list to find the field whose data you want to include in your email.

5. Note the placeholder syntax shown for that field. It will be in the format [TableID:FieldID].

6. Copy or manually type that placeholder into your email subject or body where you want the data to appear.

💡 TIP: Keep the Factbox visible while composing email subjects and bodies so you can quickly look up placeholders as you write. This is much faster than switching between pages or consulting reference documentation.

System Placeholders

In addition to table and field placeholders, the QUALIA Rule Engine provides special system placeholders that provide access to values that aren't stored in specific table fields:

[USERID] - The user ID of the person who triggered the email notification. Use this to include information about who performed an action:

Order created by user [USERID]

[TODAY] - The current system date. Use this for date stamping emails or including current date references:

As of [TODAY]

[W] - The work date currently set in Business Central. This may differ from the calendar date if users have set a different work date:

Work date: [W]

[CDT] - Current date and time. Use for precise timestamp information:

This notification was generated on [CDT]

[CT] - Current time only:

Generated at [CT]

These system placeholders are particularly useful in email footers or for audit trail purposes where you want to document when and by whom the email was triggered.

Common Placeholder Examples

The following table provides frequently used placeholders for common Business Central tables. Use these as a starting point and reference the Factbox for additional fields:

Sales Order Placeholders (Table 36 - Sales Header):

Customer Placeholders (Table 18 - Customer):

Item Placeholders (Table 27 - Item):

Vendor Placeholders (Table 23 - Vendor):

📋 NOTE: Number fields like amounts and quantities are formatted according to Business Central's regional settings. Date fields are formatted according to the user's date format settings. If you need specific formatting, you may need to use calculated fields or custom formatting, which is beyond the scope of the Advanced Email App's simplified interface.

Troubleshooting Placeholder Issues

Placeholder Appears Literally in Email:

If recipients see placeholders like [36:3] in the actual email instead of data values, possible causes include:

• Incorrect syntax (missing bracket, space in placeholder, wrong delimiter)

• Invalid table or field ID (number doesn't exist in Business Central)

• Field not accessible from the trigger context (requires source reference configuration)

Solution: Verify placeholder syntax exactly matches [TableID:FieldID] with no spaces. Use the Factbox to confirm correct IDs. Check the Validation Log for error messages about placeholder resolution.

Placeholder Shows Blank or Zero:

If a placeholder is replaced but shows blank or zero instead of expected data:

• Field may genuinely be blank in the record

• Field may not be populated yet at the trigger timing (e.g., using Before Insert when field is populated after insert)

• Wrong field ID (checking a different field than intended)

Solution: Verify the record actually contains data in that field. Check trigger timing - use After triggers if fields are populated during the insert/modify process. Verify field ID is correct using the Factbox.

Cannot Access Related Table Data:

If you need data from a table other than the trigger table (e.g., customer data when trigger is on sales lines):

Solution: Configure a Source Reference to link the tables (covered in Chapter 4, Section 4.5). Source references allow placeholders to access data from related tables.

2.6 Managing Email Templates

As you create more email notifications, effective template management becomes important for maintaining an organized system that is easy to understand and modify.

Editing Existing Templates

To modify an existing email template:

1. Open the Advanced Emails list page using the search function.

2. Locate the template you want to edit in the list. You can use filters or the search function within the page to find specific templates.

3. Click on the template row to open it, or select the row and click the Edit action.

4. Make your changes to any aspect of the template (recipients, subject, body, attachments, triggers, scenarios, rule groups).

5. Close the page or navigate away. Business Central prompts you to save changes. Click Yes to save.

📋 NOTE: When you modify an email template, changes take effect immediately for future email notifications. The modification does not affect emails that have already been sent - those remain in recipients' inboxes with their original content. However, any new triggers of the email will use the updated template configuration.

⚠️ WARNING: Modifying triggers or scenarios on existing templates changes when the email sends, which could result in emails no longer sending in situations where they previously sent, or sending in new situations where they didn't before. Test modified templates thoroughly, especially if you change trigger or scenario configuration.

Copying Templates

Creating a copy of an existing template is useful when you want to create a similar email notification with minor variations.

To copy an email template:

Business Central doesn't provide a direct "copy" function for email templates, but you can achieve the same result by:

1. Open the existing template you want to copy.

2. Note all the configuration details (recipients, subject, body text, attachments, triggers, scenarios, rule groups).

3. Create a new email template using the New action on the Advanced Emails list page.

4. Enter a new unique Code (don't use the same code as the original).

5. Copy the configuration from the original template to the new template manually, modifying as needed.

💡 TIP: An alternative approach is to export the template to XML using the export functionality (if available in your version), modify the XML file to change the code and any other values, then import the modified template. This is faster for complex templates with many configuration elements.

Deleting Templates

To delete an email template:

1. Open the Advanced Emails list page.

2. Select the template you want to delete.

3. Click the Delete action or press the Delete key.

4. Business Central asks for confirmation. Click Yes to permanently delete the template.

⚠️ WARNING: Deleting an email template cannot be undone. The template and all its associated configuration (attachments, triggers, scenarios, rule groups) are permanently removed. Before deleting templates, consider whether you might need them in the future. If there's any doubt, consider deactivating the template instead by modifying its triggers or scenarios so it doesn't execute, but keeping the configuration for future reference.

📋 NOTE: Deleting an email template does not delete any emails that were previously sent using that template. Historical emails remain in recipients' inboxes and in any email archiving systems your organization uses. Deletion only prevents future emails from being sent using that template.

Template Organization Strategies

As your collection of email templates grows, implementing organization strategies helps you find and manage templates efficiently:

Use Consistent Naming Conventions:

• Prefix templates by department: SALES-, PURCH-, INV-, FIN-

• Prefix templates by process: ORD-, SHIP-, INV-, PAY-

• Use descriptive names that indicate both trigger and purpose

Document Templates:

• Use the Description field fully - don't abbreviate excessively

• Include information about when the template should be reviewed or updated

• Consider maintaining separate documentation that explains business rationale

Regular Review:

• Schedule periodic reviews of all templates (quarterly or semi-annually)

• Verify templates are still needed and functioning correctly

• Update templates to reflect business process changes

• Remove obsolete templates that are no longer relevant

Testing After Changes:

• Always test templates after modifying them

• Test with various data scenarios to ensure placeholders resolve correctly

• Verify emails reach intended recipients and contain expected content

• Check attachments render correctly