Sample message templates give your agency a head start by providing pre-built, ready-to-use messages for common scenarios like court reminders, payment notices, and check-in instructions.

### Overview

eCourtDate includes a library of sample message templates that cover the most common communication needs for government agencies. Instead of writing every template from scratch, you can browse samples organized by use case and message type, import the ones you need with a single click, and then customize them to match your agency's language and tone. Sample templates are available for both auto messages (single-step messages) and flows (multi-step sequences). They come pre-configured with merge tags, scheduling suggestions, and multilingual structure so you can get up and running quickly.

- The sample library includes templates for court hearing reminders, payment due notices, warrant notifications, check-in instructions, welcome messages, and more.
- Each sample is organized by record type (events, payments, cases) and message channel (text, email, voice).
- Importing a sample creates a new template in your agency. The original sample is not modified.
- You can import the same sample multiple times if you need variations for different scenarios.

### Prerequisites

Before importing sample templates, make sure you have:

- An active eCourtDate agency on staging or production
- Super admin role or the **Create Auto Messages** and **Update Auto Messages** permissions (for auto messages) or **Create Flows** and **Update Flows** permissions (for flows)
- At least one agency phone number or email configured so imported templates can be used for sending
- Familiarity with your agency's communication requirements (which messages you need, what channels you use, and which languages your clients speak)

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Navigate to Sample Templates

1. Click **Admin** in the top navigation bar.
2. Select **Messaging** from the dropdown menu.
3. Click on the **Sample Templates** tab.
4. You will see a library of pre-built templates organized into sections for **Auto Messages** and **Flows**.

#### Step 2: Browse Available Samples

1. Scroll through the sample library to review available templates.
2. Each sample shows the template name, a brief description of its purpose, and the message type or trigger it is designed for.
3. Look for templates that match your agency's needs. Common categories include:
   - **Court Hearing Reminders**: Messages sent before a scheduled court date
   - **Payment Notices**: Reminders for upcoming or overdue payments
   - **Check-In Instructions**: Directions for probation or supervision check-ins
   - **Welcome Messages**: Initial messages sent when a new client is created
   - **Status Updates**: Notifications when a case or event status changes

#### Step 3: Import a Sample Template

1. Find the sample template you want to use.
2. Click the **Import** button next to that template.
3. The system creates a copy of the sample in your agency's template library and redirects you to the newly created template.
4. The imported template is ready to edit. No messages are sent until you configure a trigger or manually assign the template.

#### Step 4: Customize the Imported Template

After importing, tailor the template to fit your agency's specific needs.

1. Review the **Template Name** and update it to match your naming convention (for example, "Municipal Court - Hearing Reminder 3 Days").
2. Edit the **English Message** content to use your agency's preferred language, tone, and terminology.
3. Verify that the merge tags match the data your agency collects. For example, if you do not track attorney information, remove `[AttorneyName]` references.
4. Update or add multilingual translations by editing the language fields or clicking the **Auto Translate** button.
5. Adjust the **Trigger** setting if the default does not match your workflow. Set it to **Manual** if you only plan to use the template for one-off or bulk messages.
6. Configure the **Scheduling** section to set delays or restrict sending to business hours.
7. Click **Save** to apply your changes.

#### Step 5: Import a Sample Flow

Flows are multi-step message sequences. Importing a sample flow brings in the entire sequence of messages.

1. On the **Sample Templates** page, scroll down to the **Flows** section.
2. Click the **Import** button next to the flow you want.
3. You will be redirected to the newly created flow with all message steps pre-configured.
4. Click **Edit Message** on each step to review and customize the content, timing, and triggers.
5. Click **Save** after editing each message step.

### What to Expect

After importing a sample template, it appears in your **Auto Messages** or **Flows** tab as a fully editable copy. The template is inactive by default (no messages are sent) until you configure a trigger, assign it to a record, or use it in a bulk action. You can begin using the imported template immediately after customizing it, or enable **Simulate Mode** to test it first without sending real messages.

### Best Practices

- **Start with samples and customize.** It is faster to modify a pre-built template than to write one from scratch. Use samples as a foundation and adjust the wording to match your agency's voice.
- **Import to staging first.** If your agency has a staging environment, import and test templates there before moving them to production. This prevents accidental messages to real clients.
- **Review merge tags after importing.** Not every agency uses the same data fields. Remove or replace merge tags that reference data your agency does not collect.
- **Keep a consistent naming convention.** Rename imported templates to follow your agency's naming pattern so staff can quickly find and select the right template.
- **Import one template at a time.** Review and customize each template before importing the next. This ensures every template in your library is ready for use and reduces clutter.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Does importing a sample template send any messages to clients?**
A: No. Imported templates are inactive by default. No messages are sent until you configure a trigger, manually assign the template to a record, or use it in a bulk action.

**Q: Can I import the same sample template more than once?**
A: Yes. Each import creates a separate copy in your agency's library. This is useful if you need multiple variations of the same template for different case types, locations, or departments.

**Q: Will updates to the sample library affect templates I have already imported?**
A: No. Once you import a sample, it becomes an independent template in your agency. Changes to the original sample library do not affect your imported copies.

**Q: Can I share a customized template with another agency?**
A: Template sharing between agencies is not available through the sample library. However, agency administrators can use the copy settings feature to replicate templates across agencies. See the article on copying settings for details.

**Q: What if a sample template references a feature my agency does not use?**
A: Remove or modify any sections of the template that reference unused features. For example, if your agency does not use payment tracking, delete the payment-related merge tags from the template before saving.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The Import button is not visible or is grayed out.
**Symptoms:** You can see the sample templates but cannot click **Import**.
**Solution:**

1. Verify that you have the required permissions. You need the **Create Auto Messages** permission (for auto messages) or **Create Flows** permission (for flows).
2. Confirm you are signed into the correct agency by checking the agency name in the top right corner.
3. Try refreshing the page. If the issue persists, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

**Issue:** Imported template contains merge tags that do not resolve.
**Symptoms:** After sending a test message, some merge tags appear as blank or show the raw tag text.
**Solution:**

1. Open the imported template and review all merge tags.
2. Cross-reference each tag with the merge tags article to confirm the correct syntax.
3. Ensure the client record has data in the fields referenced by the merge tags.
4. Remove any merge tags that reference data your agency does not collect.

### Related Articles

- [How to Set Up Message Templates](/how-to-set-up-message-templates)
- [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)