To ensure that emails are always presented with the format and layout required by your practice, you set up Templates and Signature. These can incorporate Merge Fields to bring in content such as addressee and sender information automatically.
Email Signatures and Templates can only be set up and maintained by an FYI Admin, or a user in a User Group that has Permissions enabled for Templates. Refer to the section Templates and Signatures for Email.
Features
Templates
Templates hold the standard text for the email. When creating an email, selecting a template will automatically populate the body of the email, for example, the text that is included when emailing an engagement letter, or a notice of tax assessment.
There are two ways to create an email that uses a Template.
- Create the email (either from FYI or from Outlook) and select the template required from the Template drop-down in the drawer.
or - Display the Knowledge - Templates tab, highlight the required Template in the list and click Create.
Refer to Creating Emails from Templates.
For information on setting up Email Templates, refer to Creating Email Templates and Signatures.
The following is an example of an Email Template. This Template has been set up with Merge Fields to include the clients' salutation and to add the file that was attached to the email. Refer to Merge Fields below.
The following example is an email where the Template has been selected by the user creating the email. This has the text from the selected Template, followed by the information from the Default Email Signature.
Email Signature
Email Signature holds the signature information that is common to all emails. This would be anything at the bottom of an email such as your company logo and sign-off information such as the name, email and phone numbers of the author of the email.
An Email Signature is automatically applied whenever you create an email in FYI.
- A Default Email Signature can be set up for your practice. This is the email Signature that is used for all users that do not have an alternate Signature set in their user profile. The default signature is selected in Practice Settings - Documents - Settings tab in the Default Email Signature field. Only an Active Signature can be selected. Refer to Managing Practice Settings for Documents.
- If any users need different Email Signatures, these are set up and then the relevant Signature is assigned to a specific user(s). This is then used instead of the default. For example, users in a financial planning division within your organisation may require different information shown in their emails.
For users requiring a different Signature to the default one for your practice, the Signature to use is set from the Practice Settings - General - Users. Only an Active Signature can be selected. Refer to Managing Users.
For information on setting up Email Signatures, refer to Creating Email Templates and Signatures.
The following is an example of an Email Signature. Merge Fields have been added to include the author's Role and Qualifications held in FYI, and the direct phone number when the Signature is applied.
The internal FYI reference number has also been included at the end of the email.
The following is how the Signature looks when used in an email.
Merge Fields
You can incorporate Merge Fields within Email Templates and Signatures. Merge Fields are used to automatically display content, such as the client's Name, the name of the author of the email, practice details, and more. Refer to Including Merge Fields in Email Templates and Signatures.
When creating an Email Template, Merge Fields can be selected from the bottom of the window.
In the example below, the Client Salutation field has been added to the template.
Benefits of Separating Templates and Signatures for Emails
Defining the elements included in Templates and Signatures separately offers not only ease of use but also flexibility. For example, if you decide in the future you want to add a reference number to all emails, this could be added to the Signature(s) only, instead of having to update multiple Template documents.
- The Signature holds the email signature information and any text or logos you want included in all emails (and different Email Signatures can be applied for specific users).
- The Email Templates hold the standard text for the body of the emails.
For a multidisciplinary practice (for example, which includes financial planning along with accounting practice) you can simply set up different Signatures that include any licence requirements for financial planning and specific disclaimers. An FYI Admin can then assign this Signature to the relevant users in their User Profile. By clearly naming the FYI Email Signature, you can easily identify which Signature to assign.
Including Salutations and Sign-Offs
When setting up Email Signatures and Templates, it is important to decide where text and Merge Fields will be added. For example, the salutation (such as "Dear" or "Hi" and a Merge Field for the client name) and the sign-off (such as "Yours sincerely", or "Regards" and a Merge Field for the author) are commonly added to the Email Signature.
If text and Merge Fields have been included in both your Signature and Templates, the content will be duplicated when both the Signature and a Template are used to create an email.
It is essential that this is set up consistently for all your Signature and Templates.