Take control of the messages your clients receive by customizing email and SMS notification templates. Available on Professional, Plus, and Team Plans, custom templates let you personalize the subject lines, content, and tone of automated communications to match your practice's unique voice.
In this article:
- Understanding Email and SMS Templates
- Customizing Email Template Content
- Customizing SMS Template Content
- Using Placeholders for Dynamic Content
- Creating Service and Package-Specific Templates
- Managing Your Template Customizations
- Testing Your Templates
- Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Email and SMS Templates
Notification templates control the content and messaging of automated emails and text messages sent to your clients. While email branding determines how your communications look, templates determine what they say.
What notification templates control
Templates let you customize:
- Email subject lines
- Email titles (the large header text below your branding)
- Email body content
- SMS message text (for select notifications)
Templates do not control visual branding elements like logos, colors, or sender information — those are managed separately through your email branding settings.
Learn more about email branding and customization →
📍 Note: Template customization is available on Professional, Plus, and Team Plans. Some templates support both email and SMS customization, while others are email-only.
Global vs. service-specific templates
You can create templates at two levels:
-
Global templates apply to all services and clients across your practice unless overridden by service-specific templates. These are managed in your Notification Preferences.
- Service-specific templates apply only to a particular service or package, allowing you to tailor communications based on the type of appointment or offering. These override global templates for that specific service.
Customizing Email Template Content
Customize what your automated emails say to create communications that sound like you and resonate with your clients.
Customizing Email Template Content
- Go to Settings > Notification Preferences.
- Select the Client Notifications tab.
- Scroll down to the Notification Templates section.
- Use the search bar to find a specific template by name, or browse the list.
- Open the Notification builder:
-
Unedited Templates: Click the checkbox next to the template you want to customize.
-
Customized Templates: Click Edit template to open the template editor.
-
Unedited Templates: Click the checkbox next to the template you want to customize.
- Make your edits:
- Edit the Email subject line
- Edit the Title (the large header text)
- Edit the email body by typing directly into the message box
- Use the text editor controls at the top of the message box to format content
- Click Done at the bottom-right of the pop-up.
- Repeat for any additional templates you wish to customize.
- Click Save Changes near the top-right of the page.
-
In the Team plan, you can optionally save and apply changes to the entire team.
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In the Team plan, you can optionally save and apply changes to the entire team.
⚠️ Caution: Clicking the checkbox on an already customized template will revert it to default when you click Save Changes. If you click the checkbox by accident, refresh your page instead of clicking save.
Available text formatting options
The template editor provides rich text formatting to help you create professional, well-organized content:
- Text styling: Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough
- Links: Add clickable hyperlinks
- Lists: Use ordered (numbered) or unordered (bulleted) lists
- Alignment: Left, center, right alignment options
- Tables: Organize information in table format
💡 Tip: Use formatting sparingly to maintain clean, readable emails. Bold text works well for highlighting important dates or action items, while bulleted lists help break up information into digestible pieces.
Team Plan options
For Team Plans, after clicking Save Changes, you'll see two options:
- Save changes for me: Applies customizations to your notifications only
- Save and apply to team: Applies customizations practice-wide, overriding individual team members' templates
Choose the option that best fits your practice's communication approach.
Customizing SMS Template Content
Certain notification templates support SMS customization, allowing you to send text message reminders and updates to clients who have opted in to receive them.
Templates that support SMS:
- Upcoming Session Reminder
- Invitation to Book
How to customize an SMS template:
- Go to Settings > Notification Preferences.
- Select the Client Notifications tab.
- In the Notification Templates section, locate and open a template that supports SMS.
- In the Notification Builder pop-up, click the SMS template tab.
- Edit the message text in the text field.
- Click Done at the bottom-right of the pop-up.
- Click Save Changes near the top-right of the page.
📍 Note: SMS templates have a character counter displayed at the bottom of the text field. A link to confirm the session will be included at the end of the message if required, and this counts toward your total character limit.
SMS best practices
Text messages are brief by nature, so keep your SMS templates concise and action-oriented:
- Lead with the most important information (appointment date/time)
- Use clear, direct language
- Include only essential details
- Avoid excessive punctuation or special characters
- Keep the tone friendly but professional
✅ All set: Clients who have a compatible mobile number saved in their client record will receive your customized text message reminders along with your email notifications.
Using Placeholders for Dynamic Content
Placeholders are dynamic fields that automatically populate with personalized or contextual information when notifications are sent. They save you time and ensure every client receives relevant, accurate details.
How placeholders work
When you include a placeholder like %CONTACT_FIRSTNAME% in your template, Practice Better replaces it with the actual client's first name when the email is sent. This means you write the template once, and it personalizes automatically for every client.
Common placeholders available in all templates:
- %SENDER_NAME% - Your full name
- %SENDER_FIRSTNAME% - Your first name
- %SENDER_LASTNAME% - Your last name
- %CONTACT_NAME% - Client's full name
- %CONTACT_FIRSTNAME% - Client's first name
- %CONTACT_LASTNAME% - Client's last name
Template-specific placeholders
Each template type includes additional placeholders relevant to that notification:
Appointment templates:
- Session name and type
- Session date and time
- Session location or meeting link
- Zoom Meeting ID, Link, and Passcode (for telehealth sessions)
Invoice and payment templates:
- Invoice number
- Superbill number
- Amount due
- Payment method
- Due date
Resource templates: (Labs, Notes, Protocols, Programs, Tasks):
- Resource name
- Resource date
- Task details
- Module or lesson title
💡 Tip: To see all available placeholders for a specific template, open the template editor and click the placeholder button (the </> icon) in the toolbar or next to subject/title fields.
How to add placeholders to your templates:
In the email body:
- Position your cursor where you want the placeholder to appear.
- Click the placeholder button (to the left of Bold) in the text editor toolbar.
- Select the placeholder you want from the dropdown menu.
In the email subject or title fields:
- Click the placeholder icon to the right of the text field.
- Select the placeholder from the list.
- The placeholder code will be inserted at your cursor position.
What happens when placeholder data is missing
If a placeholder references information that hasn't been provided, the placeholder will be replaced with an empty space in the sent email. The email will still send successfully — it will just have a blank where that information would appear.
📍 Note: You can't add conditional logic to placeholders. Each placeholder either displays the available data or leaves a blank space.
Creating Service and Package-Specific Notification Templates
Tailor your communications based on the type of service you're providing by creating customized templates for individual services, packages, or programs. This is especially useful when different offerings have different workflows, requirements, or client expectations.
Why use service-specific templates
Service-specific templates let you:
- Provide different pre-session instructions for different appointment types
- Include service-specific preparation requirements
- Adjust the tone for various client populations
- Highlight unique aspects of specialized services
For example, your initial consultation template might be warm and welcoming, while your lab review session template might be more clinical and detail-oriented.
How service-specific templates work
When you create a service-specific template, it overrides the global template from your Notification Preferences for that service only. All other services continue to use the global template.
How to create service-specific templates:
- Go to My Practice > My Services.
- Click Edit on the service you want to customize.
- Scroll down to Notification Options near the bottom of the page.
- Check the checkbox beside a template to enable customization, or click Edit template next to the notification you wish to customize.
- Make your edits in the Notification Builder pop-up.
- Click Done.
- Click Save Changes near the top-right of the page.
Understanding checkbox states for service templates
The checkbox state shows whether a template is customized for that specific service:
- Unchecked: Using the global template from Notification Preferences
- Checked with "Edit template" button: Custom template is active for this service
📍 Note: These service-level customizations override your global templates. If you later uncheck the box and save changes, the service will revert to using your global template.
Managing Your Template Customizations
As you customize templates over time, you'll want to track what's been customized and occasionally reset templates to their defaults.
Understanding template checkbox states
In your Notification Preferences > Client Notifications page, the checkbox next to each template indicates its customization status:
For templates you haven't customized yet:
- Checkbox is unchecked
- Click the checkbox to enable editing
- Must click "Save Changes" to apply your edits
For templates you've already customized:
- Checkbox is checked
- Click "Edit template" to modify your custom version
- Unchecking the box reverts to default after saving
- Must click "Save Changes" to apply your edits
💡 Tip: Use the search bar above the template list to quickly find specific templates by name.
Resetting a template to default
If you want to undo your customizations and return to Practice Better's default template:
Option 1: Use the "Use default" button
- Open the customized template by clicking Edit template.
- Click Use default in the bottom-left corner of the popup.
- Click Done.
- Click Save Changes near the top-right of the page.
This resets the template content (subject, title, and body text) but keeps any branding customizations like your logo and footer.
Option 2: Uncheck the template checkbox
- Uncheck the checkbox next to the template name.
- Click Save Changes near the top-right of the page.
This immediately reverts the template to Practice Better's default version.
What happens to scheduled notifications when you edit templates
When you edit a template, the changes apply to all future notifications sent using that template. However:
- Notifications that have already been sent are not affected
- Scheduled notifications that haven't been sent yet will use the updated template
- Service-specific template edits only affect that service's future notifications
⚠️ Important: If you have scheduled appointment reminders or automated follow-ups, editing the template will change what clients receive when those notifications send.
Team Plan template management
On Team Plans, you have two save options when customizing templates:
Save changes for me:
- Your customizations apply to notifications you send only
- Other team members' templates remain unchanged
- Useful when team members have different communication styles
Save and apply to team:
- Your customizations apply practice-wide
- Overrides all team members' individual template customizations
- Useful for maintaining consistent messaging across your practice
Previewing and Testing Your Templates
Before your customized templates reach clients, test them to ensure everything looks and works as intended.
Preview templates before publishing
You can preview templates directly in your notification settings without triggering actual notifications:
- Go to Settings & Preferences > Notification Preferences.
- Select the Client Notifications tab.
- Click on any template name in the Notification Templates list to open the editor and see a preview.
This shows you the template content but won't display personalized placeholder data since no specific client is associated with the preview.
Using a test client to preview templates
The most effective way to see your templates in action is to create a test client and trigger actual notifications:
- Create a test client in your practice.
- Book an appointment, send a form, or perform another action that triggers the notification you want to test.
- Check the email that's sent to the test client.
- Verify that placeholders populate correctly, formatting appears as intended, and links work properly.
Learn how to create a test client →
What to check when testing templates:
- Placeholder accuracy: Do all placeholders show the correct information?
- Formatting: Does the text formatting display correctly?
- Links: Do hyperlinks direct to the correct destinations?
- Mobile display: Does the email read well on mobile devices?
- Tone and clarity: Does the message sound like you and communicate clearly?
💡 Tip: Send test emails to yourself at different email addresses (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to see how your templates render across various email clients.
Email subject line best practices
Well-crafted subject lines improve email open rates and ensure clients don't miss important communications:
Do:
- Keep subject lines clear and specific
- Include key information like appointment dates
- Use action-oriented language when appropriate
- Use proper capitalization (title case or sentence case)
Don't:
- Use all caps
- Include excessive punctuation (!!!)
- Use spammy phrases like "ACT NOW" or "FREE"
- Make subject lines unnecessarily long
✅ All set: Your templates will render consistently across all major email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Yahoo, etc.) and display correctly on both desktop and mobile devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I create different templates for different services or offerings?
A: Yes! You can create service-, package-, or program-specific templates that override your global templates. Go to My Practice > My Services, edit the service, and scroll to Notification Options to customize templates for that specific service.
Q: What are ALL the available placeholders for each type of email template?
A: The available placeholders vary by template type. To see all placeholders for a specific template, open the template editor and click the placeholder button (the </> icon). The dropdown menu shows all placeholders available for that notification.
Q: Can I preview how my template will look before sending it to clients?
A: Yes. Click on any template name in the Notification Templates list to preview it. For a complete test including placeholder data, create a test client and trigger the actual notification.
Q: Are there character limits for email templates?
A: You can write up to 5000 characters in the body of the email notification. However, it’s recommended keep your messages concise for better readability. Subject lines should be under 60 characters for optimal display across email clients. SMS templates have character limits shown in the editor.
Q: How do I restore a deleted or reset email template if I change my mind?
A: Template customizations are overwritten when you reset to default, and this action can't be undone. If you want to preserve your custom content before resetting, copy the text to a document first.
Q: Can clients reply to emails sent from Practice Better, and where do those replies go?
A: Yes, clients can reply. By default, replies go to Practice Better's support queue. To receive replies directly, set up a custom reply-to email address in your email branding settings.
Learn how to set up a reply-to address →
Q: What happens to scheduled emails if I edit a template after scheduling them?
A: Scheduled notifications that haven't been sent yet will use the updated template. Notifications that have already been sent are not affected.
Q: Can I duplicate an existing template to create a new one with similar content?
A: No, you can't duplicate templates. However, you can create service-specific versions of templates that share similar content with customized details for each service.
Q: What does unchecking a template checkbox do?
A: For a customized template, unchecking the checkbox and clicking "Save Changes" reverts that template to Practice Better's default version. Your customizations are removed and can't be recovered.
Q: Which email templates can I customize, and are there any I can't change?
A: You can customize all client-facing notification templates listed in the Notification Templates section. System emails (like password resets or account security notifications) can't be customized as they maintain standard formatting for security purposes.
Q: Can I include attachments or links to forms in my email templates?
A: You can include hyperlinks to any destination in your email templates. However, you can't attach files directly to templates. Forms are delivered through dedicated form notification templates that automatically include the appropriate form links.
Q: How do I test my template to make sure it displays correctly on different devices?
A: Create a test client and trigger the notification, then check the email on multiple devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) and email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). Practice Better's templates are designed to be responsive across all devices.
Q: Are there recommended best practices for email subject lines to avoid spam filters?
A: Avoid misspellings, all caps, and excessive punctuation. Steer clear of promotional phrases like "FREE" or "ACT NOW." Keep subject lines clear, specific, and professional to ensure optimal deliverability.
Q: What happens if placeholder data is missing from a client's profile?
A: If a placeholder references missing information (such as a client's last name they haven't provided), the placeholder is replaced with an empty space in the email. The notification still sends successfully.
Q: Can I add conditional logic to placeholders (e.g., show different text based on service type)?
A: No, placeholders do not support conditional logic. For different messaging based on service type, create service-specific templates instead.
Q: For Team Plans, what's the difference between "Save changes for me" and "Save and apply to team"?
A: "Save changes for me" applies your customizations only to notifications you send. "Save and apply to team" applies your customizations practice-wide, overriding all team members' individual templates.
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