Create an auto message in eCourtDate to send content automatically from a trigger, or to reuse it whenever you message a client by hand.
An auto message is a reusable message template that sends on its own when a trigger fires, and that you can also pick by hand when you message a client, run a bulk action, or collect a form submission.
Overview
Every auto message pairs a message template for each of your enabled languages with a trigger, filters that narrow who receives it, and scheduling that controls when it goes out. You manage auto messages under Admin > Messaging on the Auto Messages tab.
- Send automatically when the trigger you select fires for a record.
- Reuse the same wording by hand from a client record, a bulk action, or a form.
- Narrow the audience with the Filters card and cap repeats with Maximum Messages.
- Hold messages back with Delay and Delay to Business Hours.
- Test without contacting anyone using Simulate Mode and the Preview tab.
Prerequisites
Before you create an auto message, confirm the following:
- An eCourtDate staging or production agency
- Access to the Admin menu, which holds the Messaging section (super admins see it by default)
- At least one enabled language in General Settings, otherwise the Message Templates card shows "Choose enabled languages in General Settings" in place of the template fields
- At least one status created if you plan to use the Enabled Trigger filter, otherwise the Filters card shows a "Create statuses here." link
- At least one client record to preview against
How-To Steps
Create an auto message
- Go to Admin > Messaging in the top navigation bar.
- Click the Auto Messages tab.
- Enter a name in the Auto Message Name field of the Create Auto Message card.
- Click Create.
- Review the new auto message, which opens as soon as it is created with the trigger set to manual.
Import a sample template instead (optional)
- Click the Sample Templates tab.
- Choose a use case card under Template Starter.
- Review the templates listed under the Auto Messages heading.
- Click Import on the template you want to create it and open it.
- Click Customize instead when you want to reword the template first, then click Import Original or, after you generate a new version with Customize with AI, click Import Customized.
Write the message
- Enter a subject in the English Subject field.
- Write the message in the English Template editor.
- Click Merge Tags to copy a tag, then paste it into the template.
- Click Show Languages to reveal a subject and template for each of your other enabled languages.
- Click Auto Translate All to fill those templates from the English version.
- Click Save.
A character count sits under each template. If you type a merge tag the platform does not recognize, an "Unknown tags" warning lists it under the editor.
Set the trigger
- Select an option in the Trigger field.
- Click Save.
A new auto message starts with the trigger set to manual, so it only sends when you pick it yourself. The list of triggers comes from your agency's options, and the trigger you choose decides which extra fields appear in the Filters card.
Restrict when the message sends
- Scroll to the Filters card.
- Select a value in Enabled Trigger, which lists your agency's statuses, or your client groups when the trigger is based on a client group.
- Check Override Statuses that Disable Messages to send even when the status normally blocks messages.
- Narrow the audience further with Client Status, Client Group, and Client Type.
- Check Require Future Date and enter Future Date From and Future Date To in days, when those fields appear for your trigger.
- Enter Payment Statuses, Payment Date Field, and Payment Date Difference, when those fields appear for your trigger.
Most fields in this card save the moment you change them. Click Save at the top of the page if you are unsure.
Cap how many messages a contact receives
- Enter a number in Maximum Messages in the Edit Auto Message card.
- Click Save.
The field defaults to 0, which is unlimited. Set it to 1 for a single message per contact.
Add additional recipients
- Enter a comma-separated list of phones and emails in the Additional Recipients field.
- Click Save.
Schedule the send
- Scroll to the Scheduling card.
- Enter the number of minutes to wait in the Delay field, which defaults to 5.
- Check Delay to Business Hours to hold the message until your agency's business hours.
When the box is clear, the card warns that "This message can be sent at any time." Once you check it, the card shows your business hours and timezone and offers an Edit Business Hours link.
Attach a file or insert file links
- Select a file in the Attach File field.
- Click Save.
- Click Insert Files and choose a file to place its merge tag in the template you last clicked into.
Insert Files skips a file whose tag is already in that template. When your agency has no files yet, the dropdown offers an Upload Files link instead.
Preview the message
- Click Save so the preview uses your latest wording.
- Click Preview at the top of the auto message, which opens the Preview tab in a new browser tab with Simulate Client already applied and the English template loaded into Content.
- Leave Simulate Client checked to render the message with sample details, or search for a client to render it with real details.
- Select a Language.
- Click Preview Messages.
The Preview link only appears once the auto message has a saved English template.
Test with Simulate Mode
- Check Simulate Mode in the Edit Auto Message card.
The checkbox saves as soon as you check it, and the card confirms that "Any messages will be sent in Simulate Mode (no actual messages will be sent)." Staging agencies always run in Simulate Mode.
Send an auto message from a client record
- Click Clients in the top navigation bar.
- Open the client you want to message.
- Click Send Auto Message and choose the auto message to send it right away.
- Click the options button in the Send a Message card instead, click Auto Messages, and choose the auto message to load its subject, content, and attached file into the form so you can edit it before you send.
Send an auto message from a bulk action
- Click Bulk Actions in the top navigation bar.
- Set Action Type to Send a Message when you create the bulk action, or open an existing bulk action whose Bulk Action Type is Send a Message.
- Click Templates and choose the auto message to load its content into the bulk message.
Trigger an auto message from a form
- Go to Admin > Forms in the top navigation bar.
- Open the form you want to use.
- Select the auto message in the Trigger Auto Message field under Submission Settings.
- Click Save.
Submission Settings only appears on forms that do not redirect.
What to Expect
Creating an auto message opens it immediately, and its header shows the name alongside a trigger badge. Saving confirms with an "Auto Message updated" alert, and the right column of the page lists recent messages and links to every message the auto message has produced. On the Auto Messages tab, each card reports its Trigger, Delay, and Mode, where Mode reads either Live Mode or Simulate Mode. Messages produced in Simulate Mode are recorded but never delivered.
Best Practices
- Leave the trigger on manual while you test, then set the real trigger once the wording is right.
- Click Save before you click Preview, because the preview opens with the saved English template.
- Set Maximum Messages to 1 for any message a contact should only receive once.
- Check Delay to Business Hours so nothing goes out overnight.
- Clear the "Unknown tags" warning under a template before you save it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does the manual trigger do?
A: An auto message left on the manual trigger never fires on its own. It stays available in the Send Auto Message and Auto Messages dropdowns on a client record and in the Templates dropdown on a bulk action.
Q: How do I stop a contact receiving the same auto message twice?
A: Set Maximum Messages to 1 in the Edit Auto Message card. The field defaults to 0, which is unlimited.
Q: Why can I not see the Preview button?
A: The Preview link only renders once the auto message has a saved English template. Write the template, click Save, and the button appears at the top of the page.
Q: Does an auto message reach a client whose status disables messages?
A: No, unless you check Override Statuses that Disable Messages in the Filters card.
Q: Can I send the same auto message in other languages?
A: Yes. Click Show Languages to reveal a subject and template for each language enabled in General Settings, then click Auto Translate All or write each version yourself.
Troubleshooting
Issue: The Message Templates card shows a notice instead of the subject and template fields.
Symptoms: The card reads "Choose enabled languages in General Settings".
Solution: Open General Settings, enable at least one language, then reload the auto message.
Issue: The Enabled Trigger dropdown has nothing to choose.
Symptoms: The Filters card shows a "Create statuses here." link.
Solution: Click the link, create the statuses your agency uses, then return to the auto message and select one.
Issue: Messages are recorded but never delivered.
Symptoms: The card on the Auto Messages tab reports Mode as Simulate Mode.
Solution: Clear the Simulate Mode checkbox in the Edit Auto Message card. Staging agencies always run in Simulate Mode, so run any live test in a production agency.
Issue: The preview shows wording you already changed.
Symptoms: The Preview tab opens with the previous version of the template.
Solution: Close the tab, click Save on the auto message, then click Preview again.
Issue: Messages go out overnight or at the weekend.
Symptoms: The Scheduling card warns that "This message can be sent at any time."
Solution: Check Delay to Business Hours in the Scheduling card.
Related Articles
An auto message is a reusable message template that sends on its own when a trigger fires, and that you can also pick by hand when you message a client, run a bulk action, or collect a form submission.
### Overview
Every auto message pairs a message template for each of your enabled languages with a trigger, filters that narrow who receives it, and scheduling that controls when it goes out. You manage auto messages under **Admin** > **Messaging** on the **Auto Messages** tab.
- Send automatically when the trigger you select fires for a record.
- Reuse the same wording by hand from a client record, a bulk action, or a form.
- Narrow the audience with the **Filters** card and cap repeats with **Maximum Messages**.
- Hold messages back with **Delay** and **Delay to Business Hours**.
- Test without contacting anyone using **Simulate Mode** and the **Preview** tab.
### Prerequisites
Before you create an auto message, confirm the following:
- An eCourtDate staging or production agency
- Access to the **Admin** menu, which holds the **Messaging** section (super admins see it by default)
- At least one enabled language in **General Settings**, otherwise the **Message Templates** card shows "Choose enabled languages in General Settings" in place of the template fields
- At least one status created if you plan to use the **Enabled Trigger** filter, otherwise the **Filters** card shows a "Create statuses here." link
- At least one client record to preview against
### How-To Steps
#### Create an auto message
1. Go to **Admin** > **Messaging** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Auto Messages** tab.
3. Enter a name in the **Auto Message Name** field of the **Create Auto Message** card.
4. Click **Create**.
5. Review the new auto message, which opens as soon as it is created with the trigger set to manual.
#### Import a sample template instead (optional)
1. Click the **Sample Templates** tab.
2. Choose a use case card under **Template Starter**.
3. Review the templates listed under the **Auto Messages** heading.
4. Click **Import** on the template you want to create it and open it.
5. Click **Customize** instead when you want to reword the template first, then click **Import Original** or, after you generate a new version with **Customize with AI**, click **Import Customized**.
#### Write the message
1. Enter a subject in the **English Subject** field.
2. Write the message in the **English Template** editor.
3. Click **Merge Tags** to copy a tag, then paste it into the template.
4. Click **Show Languages** to reveal a subject and template for each of your other enabled languages.
5. Click **Auto Translate All** to fill those templates from the English version.
6. Click **Save**.
A character count sits under each template. If you type a merge tag the platform does not recognize, an "Unknown tags" warning lists it under the editor.
#### Set the trigger
1. Select an option in the **Trigger** field.
2. Click **Save**.
A new auto message starts with the trigger set to manual, so it only sends when you pick it yourself. The list of triggers comes from your agency's options, and the trigger you choose decides which extra fields appear in the **Filters** card.
#### Restrict when the message sends
1. Scroll to the **Filters** card.
2. Select a value in **Enabled Trigger**, which lists your agency's statuses, or your client groups when the trigger is based on a client group.
3. Check **Override Statuses that Disable Messages** to send even when the status normally blocks messages.
4. Narrow the audience further with **Client Status**, **Client Group**, and **Client Type**.
5. Check **Require Future Date** and enter **Future Date From** and **Future Date To** in days, when those fields appear for your trigger.
6. Enter **Payment Statuses**, **Payment Date Field**, and **Payment Date Difference**, when those fields appear for your trigger.
Most fields in this card save the moment you change them. Click **Save** at the top of the page if you are unsure.
#### Cap how many messages a contact receives
1. Enter a number in **Maximum Messages** in the **Edit Auto Message** card.
2. Click **Save**.
The field defaults to 0, which is unlimited. Set it to 1 for a single message per contact.
#### Add additional recipients
1. Enter a comma-separated list of phones and emails in the **Additional Recipients** field.
2. Click **Save**.
#### Schedule the send
1. Scroll to the **Scheduling** card.
2. Enter the number of minutes to wait in the **Delay** field, which defaults to 5.
3. Check **Delay to Business Hours** to hold the message until your agency's business hours.
When the box is clear, the card warns that "This message can be sent at any time." Once you check it, the card shows your business hours and timezone and offers an **Edit Business Hours** link.
#### Attach a file or insert file links
1. Select a file in the **Attach File** field.
2. Click **Save**.
3. Click **Insert Files** and choose a file to place its merge tag in the template you last clicked into.
**Insert Files** skips a file whose tag is already in that template. When your agency has no files yet, the dropdown offers an **Upload Files** link instead.
#### Preview the message
1. Click **Save** so the preview uses your latest wording.
2. Click **Preview** at the top of the auto message, which opens the **Preview** tab in a new browser tab with **Simulate Client** already applied and the English template loaded into **Content**.
3. Leave **Simulate Client** checked to render the message with sample details, or search for a client to render it with real details.
4. Select a **Language**.
5. Click **Preview Messages**.
The **Preview** link only appears once the auto message has a saved English template.
#### Test with Simulate Mode
1. Check **Simulate Mode** in the **Edit Auto Message** card.
The checkbox saves as soon as you check it, and the card confirms that "Any messages will be sent in Simulate Mode (no actual messages will be sent)." Staging agencies always run in Simulate Mode.
#### Send an auto message from a client record
1. Click **Clients** in the top navigation bar.
2. Open the client you want to message.
3. Click **Send Auto Message** and choose the auto message to send it right away.
4. Click the options button in the **Send a Message** card instead, click **Auto Messages**, and choose the auto message to load its subject, content, and attached file into the form so you can edit it before you send.
#### Send an auto message from a bulk action
1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar.
2. Set **Action Type** to **Send a Message** when you create the bulk action, or open an existing bulk action whose **Bulk Action Type** is **Send a Message**.
3. Click **Templates** and choose the auto message to load its content into the bulk message.
#### Trigger an auto message from a form
1. Go to **Admin** > **Forms** in the top navigation bar.
2. Open the form you want to use.
3. Select the auto message in the **Trigger Auto Message** field under **Submission Settings**.
4. Click **Save**.
**Submission Settings** only appears on forms that do not redirect.
### What to Expect
Creating an auto message opens it immediately, and its header shows the name alongside a trigger badge. Saving confirms with an "Auto Message updated" alert, and the right column of the page lists recent messages and links to every message the auto message has produced. On the **Auto Messages** tab, each card reports its Trigger, Delay, and Mode, where Mode reads either Live Mode or Simulate Mode. Messages produced in Simulate Mode are recorded but never delivered.
### Best Practices
- Leave the trigger on manual while you test, then set the real trigger once the wording is right.
- Click **Save** before you click **Preview**, because the preview opens with the saved English template.
- Set **Maximum Messages** to 1 for any message a contact should only receive once.
- Check **Delay to Business Hours** so nothing goes out overnight.
- Clear the "Unknown tags" warning under a template before you save it.
### Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: What does the manual trigger do?**
A: An auto message left on the manual trigger never fires on its own. It stays available in the **Send Auto Message** and **Auto Messages** dropdowns on a client record and in the **Templates** dropdown on a bulk action.
**Q: How do I stop a contact receiving the same auto message twice?**
A: Set **Maximum Messages** to 1 in the **Edit Auto Message** card. The field defaults to 0, which is unlimited.
**Q: Why can I not see the Preview button?**
A: The **Preview** link only renders once the auto message has a saved English template. Write the template, click **Save**, and the button appears at the top of the page.
**Q: Does an auto message reach a client whose status disables messages?**
A: No, unless you check **Override Statuses that Disable Messages** in the **Filters** card.
**Q: Can I send the same auto message in other languages?**
A: Yes. Click **Show Languages** to reveal a subject and template for each language enabled in **General Settings**, then click **Auto Translate All** or write each version yourself.
### Troubleshooting
**Issue:** The **Message Templates** card shows a notice instead of the subject and template fields.
**Symptoms:** The card reads "Choose enabled languages in General Settings".
**Solution:** Open **General Settings**, enable at least one language, then reload the auto message.
**Issue:** The **Enabled Trigger** dropdown has nothing to choose.
**Symptoms:** The **Filters** card shows a "Create statuses here." link.
**Solution:** Click the link, create the statuses your agency uses, then return to the auto message and select one.
**Issue:** Messages are recorded but never delivered.
**Symptoms:** The card on the **Auto Messages** tab reports Mode as Simulate Mode.
**Solution:** Clear the **Simulate Mode** checkbox in the **Edit Auto Message** card. Staging agencies always run in Simulate Mode, so run any live test in a production agency.
**Issue:** The preview shows wording you already changed.
**Symptoms:** The **Preview** tab opens with the previous version of the template.
**Solution:** Close the tab, click **Save** on the auto message, then click **Preview** again.
**Issue:** Messages go out overnight or at the weekend.
**Symptoms:** The **Scheduling** card warns that "This message can be sent at any time."
**Solution:** Check **Delay to Business Hours** in the **Scheduling** card.
### Related Articles
- [How to Create a Flow](/how-to-create-a-flow)
- [How to import sample templates](/how-to-import-sample-templates)
- [How to Use Merge Tags](/how-to-use-merge-tags)
- [How to preview messages](/how-to-preview-messages)
- [How to Disable Messages based on Status](/how-to-disable-messages-based-on-status)
- [Troubleshooting Automated Messages](/troubleshooting-automated-messages)