Email templates provide a variety of benefits. Upfront work to create professional-looking templates will save time in the long run. Also, because multiple users can access templates, branding guidelines can be better adhered to and messaging can be consistent across business units.
What Email Template Should You Choose?
Salesforce provides four email template types. Here’s an overview of the different types and some considerations.
1. Text Email Templates
This template only contains text; no formatting is possible (e.g. font colour, font size, bold)
You can use this email template when manually sending an email (clicking “Send an Email” from the Activity History related list). With this option, you can change the formatting and modify the content.
2. HTML (Using Letterhead) Email Templates
You will need to create a Letterhead, which is the visual container of the email. You also need to select an email Layout. This specifies how the content is distributed. The email formatting can be done using Formatting Controls; no HTML/CSS knowledge is needed. This can result in a professional-looking email.
You can use this email template when manually sending an email. With this option, you can change the formatting and modify the content.
3. Custom (without using Letterhead)
No letterhead is needed, but you must build your HTML and CSS to customize the email layout and formatting.
In the picture below, no HTML or CSS has been used. Therefore, there is no formatting.
You will be able to re-use the email template when manually sending an email, but you won’t be able to modify the email’s layout or content.
4. Visualforce
You need HTML, CSS, and Apex knowledge to use this template. Visualforce templates allow you to access information from other records instead of just being limited to the information on the current record. You can also specify a “Reply-to” address. You can re-use this email template when manually sending an email, but you won’t be able to modify the email’s layout or content.
For example, this code must be entered in the user interface to display the email message and related fields.
Tips and Tricks
Custom Date Formatting
Salesforce uses the system’s location settings to format the date. However, most organizations like to display dates in different formats. You can use formulas to customize the date format.
e.g. If you need to format the date like this Month, DD, YYYY. Here’s the formula you need, where Record.DateField is your date field.
{!CASE(MONTH(Record.DateField),1,”January”,2,”February”,3,”March”,4,”April”,5,”May”,6,”June”,7,”July”,8,”August”,9,”September”,10,”October”,11,”November”,12,”December”,”Month”)} {!DAY(Record.DateField)}, {!YEAR(Record.DateField)}
Display Information from Other Records
You have three options to achieve this:
- Use a Visualforce template. As mentioned previously, you need to create your CSS, and HTML.
- Send your email by trigger. From a trigger, you can choose an email template and update the content to add information from other records before you send the email.
- Add a Text Area field on the record and populate its content with the information from the other records. e.g. A trigger on Opportunity Lines updates a Text Area field on the parent Opportunity to include the Product name, quantity, and amount. Then simply add that Text Area field on the email template.
Add Record Link
There is a Merge Field value you can use to add the current record link: {!Account.Link}. However, the recipient will see something like this: “https://na17.salesforce.com/001o00000031ABP.”
If you want to customize the text the recipient sees, you will need a HYPERLINK() function inside a formula field: HYPERLINK(‘/’ & Id, ‘Click here to view record’)
If you are using an HTML template, you can also enter the text you want to display on the email template, click on the “Insert a Link” icon, and set the link Merge Field value on the pop-up window.
The end result will be: Click here to view the record.
Attach Email Sent to Record
Emails sent by workflow don’t appear on the Activity History related list, like the emails sent manually do. A workaround is to use the Email To Salesforce functionality.
Email to Salesforce lets you attach emails to Salesforce Objects by sending the email to an email address auto-generated by Salesforce.
If you add that generated address on the “Additional Address” field of the email alert, the email will be attached to the contact / lead that the email was sent to.
Additionally, if you want to attach the email to a record other than a contact or a lead, you must add this to the email body or subject: ref: RECORD_ID. e.g. You want to attach the email to a custom object with id a0v170000004CFu, you will need to add ref: a0v170000004CFu on your email body.
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