How to create message templates

Message templates are the content eCourtDate sends to your clients. You write them inside an auto message or a flow, and each language your agency has enabled gets its own subject and template. This article covers the auto message editor.

### Overview

An auto message holds one set of message templates plus the trigger that decides when eCourtDate sends them. The editor gives you a **Name** field, a **Trigger** select, and a **Message Templates** card with a **Subject** and a **Template** field for every language your agency has enabled.

Inside that card you can copy merge tags from the **Merge Tags** dropdown, insert or attach uploaded files, translate the English content into your other languages, and check the character count before you save. You reach all of it from **Admin** > **Messaging**.

### Prerequisites

- Access to **Admin** > **Messaging** in the eCourtDate app
- Languages enabled under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Languages** if you want more than English (the editor shows a "Choose enabled languages in General Settings" alert when none are enabled)
- Any files you plan to send uploaded under **Admin** > **Files**

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Create the auto message

1. Click **Admin** in the top navigation, then select **Messaging**.
2. Click the **Auto Messages** card.
3. Enter a descriptive name in the **Auto Message Name** field, for example "Court Reminder 3 Days Before".
4. Click **Create**. eCourtDate opens the editor for the new record and copies the name into the **English Subject** field.

#### Step 2: Set the trigger

1. Select an option from the **Trigger** dropdown in the **Edit Auto Message** card to control when eCourtDate sends this message.
2. Click **Save**.

#### Step 3: Write the English template

1. Edit the **English Subject** field, which eCourtDate prefilled with the record name.
2. Write the message body in the **English Template** field. The field is a rich text editor with bold, italic, list, and link controls.
3. Watch the **Characters:** badge below the field. It turns yellow above 320 characters and red above 1500.

#### Step 4: Add merge tags

1. Click **Merge Tags** at the top of the **Message Templates** card.
2. Enter part of a tag name in the **Search Merge Tags** box to narrow the list.
3. Click a tag, for example `[ClientName]`, to copy it to your clipboard. eCourtDate confirms with a "Copied to clipboard" alert.
4. Paste the tag into the template where you want the value to appear.
5. Check that no red "Unknown tags" line appears below the field. That line lists any bracketed tag eCourtDate does not recognize.

#### Step 5: Include a file (optional)

1. Click **Insert Files**, then click a file name to drop that file's merge tag, in the form `{tag}`, into the template you last clicked into.
2. Or select a file from the **Attach File** dropdown at the bottom of the card to attach one file to the message.

#### Step 6: Translate the template

1. Click **Show Languages** below the English fields to reveal the fields for your other enabled languages.
2. Click **Auto Translate All** to translate the English subject and template into every enabled language, or click **Auto Translate** followed by a single language name to translate just that one.
3. Read each translation and correct legal or procedural wording by typing directly in the language's **Template** field.

#### Step 7: Preview and save

1. Click **Preview** in the top right to open the preview page in a new tab with your English content loaded.
2. Return to the editor and click **Save**.

### What to Expect

Saving shows an "Auto Message updated" alert. Merge tags stay as bracketed text in the template and are replaced with real values when eCourtDate schedules a message. If a tag has no value for that recipient, eCourtDate removes the tag from the message.

Once the record has messages, the right column of the editor lists them and links to the full message history for this auto message. On the **Auto Messages** list, any record still missing English content shows a red "No English template found." alert.

### Best Practices

- Write the English template first, because both **Auto Translate All** and the per language **Auto Translate** buttons translate from the English content.
- Watch the **Characters:** badge. It stays green between 10 and 320 characters, which keeps text messages short.
- Use the label syntax `[%Case#% CaseNumber]` when you want a label to appear only if the tag has a value.
- Turn on **Simulate Mode** in the **Edit Auto Message** card while you test, so no actual messages are sent.
- Clear every red "Unknown tags" warning before you save, since eCourtDate removes a tag it cannot match when the message is scheduled.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: How do I find the merge tags my agency can use?**

A: Click **Merge Tags** in the editor to search the full list, or click **Merge Tags** on the **Messaging** page to browse them with a live preview. Clicking a tag in the editor copies it so you can paste it into the template.

**Q: What happens if a merge tag has no value for a client?**

A: eCourtDate removes the tag from the message when it is scheduled. Wrap a label in percent signs, for example `[%Case#% CaseNumber]`, so the label disappears along with the empty value.

**Q: Do I have to write each translation by hand?**

A: No. Click **Show Languages**, then **Auto Translate All**. eCourtDate translates the English subject and template into every enabled language and saves the record when the run finishes.

**Q: Why do I only see English fields?**

A: The editor hides the other languages until you click **Show Languages**. If nothing appears after that, add languages under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Languages**, then reload the editor.

**Q: Can I send a file with the message?**

A: Yes. Use **Attach File** to attach one uploaded file to the message, or use **Insert Files** to place a file's `{tag}` inside the template body.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** eCourtDate flags tags you added to a template.

**Symptoms:** A red "Unknown tags" line appears under the **Template** field listing tags in square brackets.

**Solution:**

1. Open the **Merge Tags** dropdown and search for the tag you meant to use.
2. Click the correct tag to copy it, then replace the flagged text in the template.
3. Click **Save**.

**Issue:** An auto message is missing its main template.

**Symptoms:** The record's card on the **Auto Messages** list shows a red "No English template found." alert.

**Solution:**

1. Click **Edit** followed by the record name at the top of the card.
2. Enter content in the **English Template** field.
3. Click **Save**.

**Issue:** The translation buttons are not visible.

**Symptoms:** Only the English subject and template appear, with no **Auto Translate** button.

**Solution:**

1. Click **Show Languages** to reveal the other language fields.
2. Add content to the **English Template** field, since the per language buttons appear only once English content exists.
3. If no other languages are listed, enable them under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Languages**.

### Related Articles

- [How to Create an Auto Message](/how-to-create-an-auto-message)
- [How to Create a Flow](/how-to-create-a-flow)
- [How to Use Merge Tags](/how-to-use-merge-tags)
- [How to preview message templates](/how-to-preview-message-templates)
- [How to import sample message templates](/how-to-import-sample-message-templates)