This video will show you how to create and configure System Messages. You will also be shown a use case for when not to change the system message variables.

Instructions for configuring System Messages

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Access System Messages

• The “System Messages” component is the one with the speech bubble icon in the System group.
• Click to open the component.

• Here you will see a list of some of the default emails that are configured in your installation.

• The ones that are red are emails that are not active in your system.

• The ones that are black are active emails that are sent in your system.

Step 2: Create New Message

• Click + Add to add a new message.

• In this window, you can set the default sender information, subject, and body text.

• On the right side, you will see a list of settings.

• You can choose from a component rule, system language, site channel, groups/individuals to send copies of these messages, and your send method.

• By default, we will want to select “email”.

• Component rules are all of the types of system notifications that are available to you, everything from new donations and campaigns to notifications on CRM records being updated.

• Choose “New Phone added” from our list of component rules.

• Here you will see that a default template has been created for you with some variable data.

• On the left, you will see all the variables available to you related to the component rule.

• Feel free to make edits to the text that is being sent out and add or remove any variables as needed to ensure the system message meets your brand standards.

• One thing to note, system messages do use HTML formatting. 

• If you’d like to style your message, update fonts, etc. you can do so by clicking the HTML button and editing the styling there.

• This will need to be done for each individual message that you want formatted.

• Close this message.

Step 3: Send Test Notification

• To send yourself a test message (to see whether your variables are working correctly or your HTML styling is to your liking) right-click on any System Message and choose “send”.

• This will pull up a dialogue box with all the available variables for you to enter test data into.

• Once you have filled out the variables you can choose yourself or a person from within your CRM records and then click the send button to send your test email.

Additional Info: When To Leave A Notification Alone

• Let’s take a look at a specific use case in system messages.

• To edit an existing system message you can double-click to open it.

• Find and open the Process Notification message.

• The process notification message is used to send out notifications when a motion form or workflow triggers the sending of an email notification.

• Here you will see the template for the email body you are sending out.

• In this example, we see the body variable. 

• The body variable will pull in the custom body text from a Motion 2 email.

• If you were to override this text then every process email would be identical and would not contain any specific information.

• For any system messages that use the body variable, it is a good idea to leave that message as it is

If you were to override the Process Notification Message variables then every process email would be identical and would not contain any specific information. It is a good idea to leave this message as it is.