Creating Email Signatures

An Email Signature holds the signature information that is commonly and added at the end of all emails. Typically, the signature will include your practice logo and sign off information such as the name, email, and phone numbers of the author of the email. 

Creating an Email Signature

Email Signatures are created much like an Email Template, adding text, images, and merge fields. The main difference is that Email Signatures must have the Signature setting selected. The Signature setting can be selected when the Template is created or edited later.

A signature can be used by multiple users, or the entire practice, by dynamically inserting the sender's details using Merge Fields. Merge fields can also be used to add a salutation, sign off, and a placeholder for the body text of an Email Template.

Email Signatures are automatically applied whenever you create an email in FYI. Email Signatures are applied at the Practice level, or individually at the User level.

Step 1 - Adding an Email Signature

1. From FYI, click the Knowledge menu option.
    
2. Go to the Templates tab.
    
3. Click the drop-down next to the +Add button and select Email.
    
4. Enter the Template Name and Name fields, and click Create.
    
5. In the Filing section in the drawer, select the Signature setting. Ensure the Status remains Draft, as the signature will be activated once all the details are displayed correctly.
   
   Note: If the Signature setting is not selected, the Template will not be available to select as a Signature. 

Step 2 - Adding Text and Images to an Email Signature

An Email Signature can include a combination of text and images, using one of the following methods.

Step 3 - Adding Merge Fields

Merge Fields allow practices to insert data dynamically into email signatures so they can be used across the entire practice, or for separate divisions and teams. You can include Merge Fields in email signatures using the Merge Field selectors at the bottom of the Email Editor.

At the bottom of the Email Editor the Merge Fields are grouped into different sections. For details on each of the sections, refer to Merge Fields Overview and Merge Fields Glossary - Standard Fields.

To add Merge Fields:

1. Position the cursor in the location in the Email Signature where you want the information to appear.
    
2. Then click to expand the relevant Merge Fields section at the bottom of the Email Editor. You can also enter a keyword to filter the Merge Fields. For example, entering "Client" in the Filter merge fields will filter only those Merge Fields that include "Client".
    
3. Click on the required Merge Field. In the example below, the Author merge fields have been added to populate the sender's name and details, and the Body merge field to insert the Email Template content.
   Note: For practices using Xero Practice Manager (XPM) the AuthorPhone and AuthorMobile fields are maintained directly in XPM and synchronised to FYI.
   

4. Advanced formatting can be used to customise the information that's displayed. For example, you could change the format of the date, perform a calculation using the data, or use a conditional merge field to only display data if the conditions are met.
   
   For example, to display only the First Name of the Author, the Split Merge Field Formatter can be used:

   {{ AuthorName | split: " " | first }}

   For a list of available formatting options, refer to Formatting Merge Fields.
    

5. Salutations, Sign Offs, and the Body are optional merge fields that can be included to provide consistency at the start and end of all emails.
    
   • The Salutation Merge Field displays the client's preferred name, and is best paired with a greeting, for example, "Hi" or "Dear".
      
   • The AuthorName merge field can Sign Off an email, combined with a closing such as "Yours sincerely" or "Regards".
      

   • The Body merge field acts as a placeholder to insert the content of an Email Template. It is only available for Email Signatures.

     Note: Salutations and Sign Offs should not be included in both the Email Signature and Email Templates, to avoid them displaying twice when both the Signature and a Template are used to create an email. It is important that this is set up consistently for all Signatures and Templates.

Step 4 - Formatting Text and Fonts in Email Signatures

Using formatting in the Email Editor helps improve how content is presented to clients.

Note: When using combinations of Merge Fields and formatting, we recommend you add the Merge Fields first and check these are bringing the correct information without adding any formatting. Then edit the Signature and add any formatting.

Formatting the text

Users can format the text using the tools at the top of the signature. The text displays in rich text to reflect any formatting. Changes are saved automatically, with the history of changes displayed in the Activity section of the drawer.

Note: The default font colour of text is grey. This can be changed using the tools at the top of the Email Editor window.

The formatting tools at the top of the editor allow users to:

• Apply text formatting such as bold, italics, and lists.
• Select the font and font size.
• Insert elements such as images and links.

For information on using the Email Editor tools, refer to Formatting Emails.

Formatting the Body Merge Field

Certain styling settings on the Body Merge Field may affect templates depending on how your templates have been set up. Before adding it to any Signatures available practice-wide or to individual users, it is recommended that you set up a Signature assigned for your own use first and check the effect it has on the styling used in your templates.

When styling is applied to the Body Merge Field and a template has been selected, an extra line will be added to the email when this is created. This can be avoided by removing the styling on the Body Merge Field using the Clear Formatting option on the Formatting toolbar.

Step 5 - Activate the Email Signature

When an Email Signature is ready to use it must first be activated. In the Drawer, set the Status field from Draft to Active.

The Email Signature can now be applied to the Practice or Users.

Editing Email Signatures

1. Select the Signature in the Knowledge - Templates list to display the drawer. You can select the Signature view to display just Email Signatures in the Templates list. You could also add a Keyword such as "Signatures" so they are easier to identify in the "All" or "Active" views.
    
2. Expand the Filing section and make any changes. Changes are recorded in the Activity.
    
3. To change the contents, click the Editor button on the side of the drawer to display the Email Editor panel.
   
4. Make any changes required to the contents or to the Merge Fields. To add, edit, or remove images, refer to the Using Images section of the Email Formatting article.
    
5. Close the drawer. Changes are saved automatically.

Archiving or Deleting an Email Signature

Users can archive an Email Signature by setting the Status to Archived. An Email Signature can only be available for selection if it has a Status of "Active".

You can delete a Signature by selecting it in the Templates list and clicking Delete.

Note: Deleted Signatures cannot be restored. Rather than delete a Signature that is not in use, we recommend setting the Status to "Archived". 

• If you need to archive or delete an Email Signature, first check if it has been assigned as your Default Email Signature (refer to Managing Practice Settings for Documents) or if it has been selected in any user's profile (refer to Managing Users).
   
• Signatures cannot be deleted if they are selected as the default signature for the practice. Refer to Managing Practice Settings for Documents.