Email and SMS Templates

A template is a reusable email or SMS message. You write it once, insert variables (placeholders such as the applicant's first name or a link back to their application), choose when it should be sent, and publish it. LendAPI then sends it automatically every time that moment happens on an application.

Templates live under Templates → Email & SMS in the dashboard. Every template is versioned, so you can edit a draft safely while the published version keeps sending.

Key concepts

How it works

flowchart LR
    A[Create template] --> B[Edit draft]
    B --> C[Preview / test send]
    C --> B
    C --> D[Publish → new version]
    D --> E{Set as live?}
    E -- yes --> F[Live version sends on trigger]
    E -- no --> G[Version kept in history]
    G -- Set Live later --> F

A message goes out only when all of the following are true:

1. The template is Active.
2. It has a live (published) version.
3. That version's trigger matches what happened on the application (the right outcome, event, product or tab).
4. It has at least one recipient (email) and a non-empty subject and body.

📘

Drafts are never sent

Your saved draft is never sent. Only the live version is.

Set up a template

Create a template

1. Go to Templates → Email & SMS.
2. Click Add Template. The New Template dialog opens.
3. Choose the Template Type (Email or SMS), enter a unique Template Name, and optionally a Description.
4. Click Add. The editor opens on the new draft.

Template names must be unique within your account. Names are compared without regard to upper or lower case.

Write the message

• Subject (email only) and body. Both can contain variables. The variable picker inserts them for you in the correct {{engine_name}} format.
• Recipients (email only). Add up to 5 recipients. Each is either a fixed address (for example [email protected]) or an email variable from the application. If the applicant should receive the message, add the applicant's email variable (for example email) as a recipient.
• Attachments (email only). You can attach documents from your Document Library, uploaded files, and contracts.
• Attach Contracts (email only). Choose whether to attach signed contracts automatically:
  • Attach all signed contracts
  • Attach contracts signed by role, for PDF contracts fully signed by the roles you pick
  • Attach specific contracts, for the PDF contracts you pick, once fully signed
• Request Document (email only). Link document upload templates so the email asks the applicant to upload specific documents.
• Also send as a physical letter (email only). Appears when a print-and-mail integration is enabled for your account. It is not available for system templates such as Password Reset, Email Verification or Tenant Invite.

SMS templates

SMS templates have a plain-text body instead of a subject and HTML body. The body can be at most 320 characters. The {{ and }} around variable names don't count toward the limit, but the text that replaces them is still sent, so leave room for long values. To send SMS, your account needs an SMS sending number.

Choose the trigger

In the TRIGGER section, pick a Trigger Type:

• Event: if you manage sub-tenants, you can limit an event template to specific tenants with the Tenant field (the default is All tenants).
• Product: the conditions are Tab is loaded, Tab is completed, Form is completed and Form is not completed. Product templates also have a SEQUENCE section for follow-up reminders.

SMS templates use the same Outcome and Event triggers. The full trigger list and the timing rules are in Email Sequences and Triggers.

Use variables

Variables use double curly braces around the variable's engine name:

<p>Hi {{first_name}},</p>
<p>Your application #{{app_id}} for {{loan_amount}} is ready for the next step.</p>
<p>{{app_url}}</p>

• Any variable in your account can be used, including variables created by integrations and your own custom variables.
• Numbers are formatted using the variable's display type. A money variable prints as currency, for example.
• If a variable has no value on the application, it prints as blank. Write copy that still reads well when a value is missing.
• Commonly used built-in variables include first_name, last_name, email, app_id, app_url (the link back into the application), client_portal_url, loan_amount and tenant_name.
• Contract signing emails sent to co-signers must include {{co_signer_url}}. That is the signer's personal signing link. See Contracts and E-Signature.

Preview and test

• Preview renders the template with sample values you enter for each variable, so you can check formatting before publishing.
• Test sends the draft (or any saved version) to addresses you type. Enter emails separated by commas, or a phone number for SMS. Test sends use the values you entered, not a real application. They don't count as sends to an applicant.

👍

Test send to yourself

Always test send to yourself after changing HTML or variables. If the template contains invalid syntax, the test send fails and tells you where the problem is.

Manage templates

Publish and set live

1. Click Save to keep your draft, then Publish. In the Publish Template dialog, fill in What changed in this version? and tick Set as live version to make it live now.
2. Publishing checks the template first. It is blocked if:
   • the name is already used by another template
   • an email has no subject, no body, no recipients (system templates excepted), or more than 5 recipients
   • an SMS body is empty or longer than 320 characters
   • another template already uses the same trigger in a way that would cause duplicate sends. A partial overlap between outcome templates shows a warning instead.
   • a selected contract or signer role is no longer available
3. Open Versions to see every version with its description, last modified time, author and Live badge. From there you can:
   • Set Live on any earlier version to roll back instantly.
   • View Version or Preview a version.
   • Copy to Draft to start editing from an older version.

Setting a different version live doesn't change your draft. To edit starting from the version that is now live, use Copy to Draft.

Activate or deactivate

Use the Active toggle on the template list to switch a template off without deleting it. Inactive templates don't send, even from a pending reminder sequence.

System templates

Some templates come with every account and are marked with a System default template tooltip: account creation, password reset, email verification, tenant invite, application reverted and loan funded. You can edit and republish their content, but their name and trigger are fixed. Templates that are addressed to a specific person by design, such as password reset, don't need a recipients list.

Reference

API and permissions

• API: you create and manage templates in the dashboard. There is no public API for creating or editing templates. Messages sent through templates are recorded on each application's Comms tab.
• Permissions: access is controlled by the Templates → Email & SMS module (None / View / Edit). View access lets a user browse and preview templates. Edit access is needed to create, save, test send, publish, set live or activate. See Roles and Permissions.

Best practices

• Test in Sandbox first. Templates are configured separately in Sandbox and Production. See Sandbox and Live.
• Write a useful publish description. It is the only change log your team sees in Versions.
• Keep one template per trigger. Overlapping triggers cause duplicate messages. LendAPI blocks exact duplicates, but partial overlaps only warn.
• Keep attachments small. Large attachments are more likely to be rejected by the applicant's mail server. Link to large documents instead of attaching them.
• Don't put sensitive data in SMS. Text messages are not encrypted end to end. Send a link back to the application instead.

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