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Email Templates Documentation

Menu Location: Settings > Email Templates

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Email Templates page is the central hub for managing all automated and manual email communications sent to customers. This includes system-generated emails (order confirmations, delivery notifications) and custom marketing campaigns.

Primary Functions:

  • Create and edit email templates
  • Manage email designs (HTML layouts)
  • Toggle system emails on/off
  • Send test emails
  • Clone existing templates
  • Search email content
  • Preview email templates

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Create Template button - Create new blank email template
  • Queue button - View pending emails waiting to be sent
  • Previews link - View all email template previews
  • Settings menu (gear icon) - Email logo and weekly order settings

Email Design Section

Displays uploaded HTML email designs:

  • Design name and creation date
  • Default design indicator (checkbox)
  • Status validation (shows missing required tags)
  • Actions: View, Edit, Delete

Email Templates Section

Three tabbed views of all email templates:

  • System Emails - Automated system emails (Welcome, Payment Success, etc.)
  • Admin Created - Custom templates created by admins
  • Drip Emails - Automated drip campaign emails

Each template row shows:

  • On/Off status toggle (for system emails)
  • Email name and subject line
  • Pre-header text preview
  • Email design used
  • Action buttons (Edit, Preview, Clone, Send Test)

Email Designs

What Are Email Designs?

Email designs are HTML template wrappers that provide consistent branding around your email content. They contain:

  • Header with logo
  • Footer with unsubscribe link
  • Overall styling and layout
  • Required placeholder tags

Required Tags

Every email design must include these tags:

  • ##UNSUBSCRIBE## - Replaced with unsubscribe URL (required by law)
  • ##VIEWBROWSER## - URL to view email in browser
  • ##BODY## - Where your email template content is inserted

Optional Tags

Additional tags for dynamic content:

  • ##SUBJECT## - Email subject line
  • ##CONTENTS## - Current week's order contents
  • ##FEATURED## - Featured sales for the week

Managing Email Designs

Upload New Design:

  1. Click "Upload HTML" button
  2. Enter design name
  3. Upload HTML file
  4. System validates required tags
  5. Design becomes available for templates

Set Default Design:

  • Click checkbox next to design name
  • This design will be used for all templates unless specified otherwise
  • Only one design can be default

Edit Design:

  • Click wrench icon to edit HTML
  • Make changes in HTML editor
  • Save changes

Delete Design:

  • Click red X icon
  • Confirm deletion
  • Templates using this design will revert to default

Email Templates

System Emails

System emails are triggered automatically by customer actions or system events. These cannot be deleted but can be turned on/off.

Commonly Used System Emails:

Welcome & Account:

  • Welcome Email - Sent when customer creates account
  • Client Account Verified - Sent when account verified (if verification required)
  • Password Reset - Sent when customer requests password reset

Order Related:

  • Weekly Order Email - Weekly order summary/reminder
  • Delivery Tomorrow - Reminder email day before delivery
  • Delivery Today - Reminder email on delivery day
  • Pickup Order Email Notice - Sent when pickup order placed

Payment Related:

  • Payment Success - Confirmation of successful payment
  • Payment Failed - Notification of failed payment
  • Payment for Credit Receipt - Receipt when customer adds credit

Time-Sensitive:

  • 24 Hours To Cutoff - Reminder 24 hours before order cutoff
  • Cutoff in 24 Hours (no login) - For customers who haven't logged in recently

Other:

  • Contact Form Received - Confirmation when contact form submitted
  • Gift Cert Notification - Sent when gift certificate purchased
  • Referral Credit Applied - When referral credit added to account

Admin Created Templates

Custom templates created by admins for:

  • Marketing campaigns
  • Special announcements
  • Seasonal promotions
  • Customer surveys
  • Re-engagement campaigns
  • Win-back offers

These templates can be:

  • Created from scratch
  • Cloned from existing templates
  • Scheduled for future sending
  • Sent manually to filtered customers

Drip Emails

Automated email sequences triggered by customer actions or time-based rules. These are managed through the Drip Campaigns system.

Actions & Operations

Creating a New Email Template

Purpose: Create a new email template from scratch

Steps:

  1. Click "Create Template" button
  2. Enter template name (descriptive, e.g., "Summer Sale 2026")
  3. Click "Create Template"
  4. You'll be redirected to the email editor
  5. Enter subject line
  6. Enter pre-header text (preview text shown in inbox)
  7. Compose email body
  8. Select email design
  9. Save template

Best Practices:

  • Use descriptive names with dates
  • Always fill in pre-header text
  • Preview before sending

Cloning an Email Template

Purpose: Create a copy of existing template as starting point

Steps:

  1. Find template you want to clone
  2. Click clone icon (two overlapping squares)
  3. Enter new template name
  4. Click "Create New Template from Clone"
  5. Edit cloned template as needed

Use Cases:

  • Creating variations of successful emails
  • Updating seasonal campaigns year over year
  • Testing different subject lines or content

Editing an Email Template

Purpose: Modify existing email template

Steps:

  1. Click wrench icon or template name
  2. Modify subject line, body, or design
  3. Use available template tags (##FIRSTNAME##, etc.)
  4. Preview changes
  5. Send test email
  6. Save changes

Available Template Tags:

  • FIRSTNAME## - Customer first name

  • LASTNAME## - Customer last name

  • EMAIL## - Customer email

  • ORDERDATE## - Next order date

  • DELIVERYDATE## - Next delivery date

  • CONTENTS## - Order contents

  • TOTAL## - Order total

  • Many more available in editor

Sending Test Emails

Purpose: Preview email in your inbox before sending to customers

Steps:

  1. Ensure you have email address set in your admin profile
  2. Click envelope icon next to template
  3. Test email sent to your address immediately
  4. Check inbox for preview
  5. Verify formatting, links, and content

Requirements:

  • Admin user must have email address in profile
  • Test emails send immediately (not queued)

Best Practices:

  • Always send test before bulk send
  • Test in multiple email clients if possible
  • Check mobile rendering
  • Verify all links work

Toggling System Emails On/Off

Purpose: Control which automated emails are sent to customers

Steps:

  1. Find system email in list
  2. Click On/Off button in Status column
  3. Confirm action
  4. Status updates immediately

Important Notes:

  • System logs when emails are toggled
  • "Off" status shown in red
  • "On" status shown in green
  • Locked icon means email cannot be toggled off (always sends)

Emails That Can Be Toggled:

  • Delivery Tomorrow
  • Delivery Today
  • Weekly Order Email
  • Welcome Email
  • Payment Success/Failed
  • 24 Hours to Cutoff
  • Contact Form Received
  • Pickup Order Email

Emails That Cannot Be Toggled:

  • Password Reset (required for security)
  • Order Confirmation (required for transactions)
  • Payment receipts (required for compliance)

Searching Email Templates

Purpose: Find templates by name, subject, or content

Steps:

  1. Enter search term in search box
  2. Click Search button
  3. Results show all matching templates
  4. Click "Click to reset search form" to clear

Search Covers:

  • Template name
  • Subject line
  • Email body content
  • Pre-header text

Email Settings

Purpose: Override default business logo for emails only

How to Access:

  1. Click gear icon dropdown
  2. Select "Custom Email Logo"

Configuration:

  1. Upload logo image (PNG or JPG)
  2. Recommended size: 287px wide x 156px high
  3. Click "Save Settings"
  4. Logo will appear in all emails using default design

When to Use:

  • Different branding for emails vs website
  • Seasonal email branding
  • Special campaign branding

Weekly Order Email Settings

Purpose: Control when weekly order emails are sent

How to Access:

  1. Click gear icon dropdown
  2. Select "Weekly Order Email Settings"

Options:

  1. Always send - Send order email whenever customer gets a box, even mid-week
  2. Only during weekly cycle - Only send during scheduled weekly cycle, not for one-off boxes

Use Cases:

  • Option 1: Best if customers frequently add one-off boxes
  • Option 2: Best if you want weekly emails to be predictable and scheduled only

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Creating a Seasonal Promotion Email

Goal: Send a summer sale email to active customers

Steps:

  1. Click "Create Template"
  2. Name: "Summer Sale 2026"
  3. Subject: "Fresh Summer Savings - 20% Off This Week!"
  4. Pre-header: "Don't miss our biggest summer sale of the year"
  5. Compose email body with sale details
  6. Add ##FIRSTNAME## for personalization
  7. Select default email design
  8. Save template
  9. Send test email to yourself
  10. Use Customers page to filter active customers
  11. Send campaign

Tips:

  • Include clear call-to-action
  • Set expiration date for urgency
  • Use engaging images
  • Test on mobile devices

Use Case 2: Turning Off Delivery Tomorrow Emails

Goal: Temporarily disable delivery reminder emails

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Email Templates
  2. Find "Delivery Tomorrow" in System Emails tab
  3. Current status shows "On" (green)
  4. Click "On" button
  5. Status changes to "Off" (red)
  6. Customers will no longer receive delivery tomorrow reminders

When You Might Do This:

  • Holiday weeks with irregular schedules
  • System maintenance affecting deliveries
  • Temporary delivery disruptions

Don't Forget: Turn email back on when normal operations resume

Use Case 3: Updating Welcome Email for New Season

Goal: Update welcome email with seasonal messaging

Steps:

  1. Find "Welcome Email" in System Emails tab
  2. Click wrench icon to edit
  3. Update seasonal references in body
  4. Update featured products/offers
  5. Send test email to yourself
  6. Review and verify content
  7. Save changes
  8. All new customers will receive updated welcome email

Tips:

  • Keep core welcome message consistent
  • Update seasonal elements only
  • Always test after changes
  • Document what you changed and when

Use Case 4: Cloning Last Year's Holiday Email

Goal: Create this year's holiday email based on last year's success

Steps:

  1. Search for last year's holiday email ("Holiday 2025")
  2. Click clone icon
  3. Name new template "Holiday 2026"
  4. Click "Create New Template from Clone"
  5. Update year references
  6. Update dates and offers
  7. Refresh images if needed
  8. Send test email
  9. Save template

Benefits:

  • Faster than starting from scratch
  • Maintains proven structure
  • Consistency year over year

Use Case 5: Troubleshooting Undelivered Emails

Goal: Figure out why customers aren't receiving emails

Steps:

  1. Check Email Templates page
  2. Verify email is toggled "On"
  3. Check email body isn't empty
  4. Send test email to yourself (does it arrive?)
  5. Check Queue page for stuck emails
  6. Review Emails Sent History for delivery status
  7. Check if customers are unsubscribed (Customers page filter)

Common Causes:

  • Email toggled off accidentally
  • Empty email body
  • Customers unsubscribed
  • Email stuck in queue
  • Technical delivery issue

Troubleshooting

Email Template Shows Warning Icon

Symptoms: Warning icon appears next to email status

Solutions:

  1. Hover over warning icon to see message
  2. Usually means "body is empty"
  3. Edit template and add content
  4. Save changes
  5. Warning will disappear

Common Causes:

  • Template created but never filled in
  • Content accidentally deleted
  • Template created for future use

Test Email Not Received

Symptoms: Click test email button but nothing arrives in inbox

Check:

  1. Verify you have email address in admin profile
  2. Check spam/junk folder
  3. Wait a few minutes (can take 5-10 minutes during high volume)
  4. Try different email address
  5. Check Queue page to see if email stuck

Solutions:

  1. Update admin profile with valid email
  2. Check email provider isn't blocking sender
  3. Contact Kiva Logic if persistent

Email Design Missing Required Tags

Symptoms: Warning icon with "missing tags" message

Solutions:

  1. Click Edit on the design
  2. Add missing tags to HTML:

    • UNSUBSCRIBE

    • VIEWBROWSER

    • BODY

  3. Save changes
  4. Validation will re-check

Prevention:

  • Use template HTML file as starting point
  • Don't remove required tags when customizing

Cannot Find Email Template

Symptoms: Email template exists but not visible in list

Check:

  1. Clear search filter (click reset link)
  2. Check all three tabs (System, Admin Created, Drip)
  3. Kiva Admin may have hidden template
  4. Template might be in Queue (scheduled send)

If Problem Persists: Contact system administrator

Customers Not Receiving System Emails

Symptoms: System email toggled "On" but customers report not receiving

Check:

  1. Verify email status is "On" (green)
  2. Check email body isn't empty
  3. Check Emails Sent History to verify sending
  4. Filter customers by "Unsubscribed" status
  5. Check customer email address is valid
  6. Review Queue for stuck emails

Common Causes:

  • Customers unsubscribed
  • Invalid email addresses
  • Email provider blocking
  • Queue backup during high volume
  • Email Templates Editor (admin_email_edit.php) - Edit individual email template
  • Email Template Previews (email-template-previews.php) - View all templates at once
  • Email Pending Queue (admin_email_pending.php) - View scheduled/queued emails
  • Emails Sent History (emails-sent.php) - Log of all sent emails
  • Drip Campaigns - Automated email sequences
  • Customers Page (customers.php) - Send bulk emails to filtered customers

Typical Workflow:

  1. Email Templates → Create/Edit template
  2. Customers Page → Filter recipients
  3. Send Email → Select template
  4. Queue → Monitor sending
  5. Emails Sent History → Verify delivery

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Manager: Create, edit, clone templates; send test emails; toggle system emails on/off
  • Administrator: All Manager capabilities + delete templates; upload custom designs
  • Kiva Admin: All features + hide templates; access to all system email settings

Restricted Features:

  • Upload Email Designs: Requires Administrator
  • Delete Email Designs: Requires Administrator
  • Hide Templates: Requires Kiva Admin (for internal templates)

Best Practices

Template Management

  1. Use clear, descriptive template names with dates
  2. Always include pre-header text for better inbox preview
  3. Keep template library organized (delete old campaigns)
  4. Clone successful templates as starting points
  5. Document major template changes in notes

Email Content

  1. Keep subject lines under 50 characters
  2. Front-load important information
  3. Use personalization tags (##FIRSTNAME##)
  4. Include clear call-to-action
  5. Always provide unsubscribe option (automatic)
  6. Test emails on mobile devices

Testing & Quality

  1. Send test email to yourself before bulk send
  2. Test in multiple email clients if possible
  3. Check all links work
  4. Verify personalization tags display correctly
  5. Review on desktop and mobile

System Email Management

  1. Only toggle off system emails when absolutely necessary
  2. Document why you turned off an email
  3. Set reminder to turn email back on
  4. Monitor Emails Sent History after toggling
  5. Communicate email changes to team

Avoiding Spam Complaints

  1. Only email opted-in customers
  2. Respect unsubscribe requests immediately
  3. Don't over-email (set frequency limits)
  4. Provide value in every email
  5. Keep branding consistent and recognizable

Things to Avoid

  • Don't delete system email templates (you can't, they're protected)
  • Don't send bulk emails without testing first
  • Don't toggle off critical transactional emails (payment receipts, order confirmations)
  • Don't use ALL CAPS in subject lines
  • Don't remove unsubscribe links from designs
  • Don't email unsubscribed customers

Integration Points

Mandrill/Mailgun (Email Sending Service)

  • All emails sent through configured email service
  • Delivery tracking and analytics
  • Bounce handling
  • Spam complaint monitoring

ActiveCampaign (if configured)

  • Email open/click tracking
  • Segmentation sync
  • Tag-based automation triggers

Drip Campaigns

  • Templates can be added to drip sequences
  • Automated sending based on customer lifecycle
  • A/B testing support

Recent Updates

February 2026:

  • Added search functionality to find templates by content
  • Improved template editor with better tag documentation
  • Added warning indicators for empty email bodies
  • Enhanced email design validation

January 2026:

  • Added pre-header text field to all templates
  • Improved mobile preview in template editor
  • Added bulk template operations

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Create new template "Create Template" button
Edit template Click template name or wrench icon
Send test email Click envelope icon (requires email in profile)
Turn email on/off Click On/Off button in Status column
Clone template Click clone icon (two squares)
Search templates Use search box at top
Upload email design "Upload HTML" in Email Design section
Set default design Click checkbox next to design name
View pending emails "Queue" button in header
Preview all templates "Previews" link in header
Set custom logo Gear icon > Custom Email Logo
Weekly email settings Gear icon > Weekly Order Email Settings

FAQs

Can I delete system email templates?

No, system email templates cannot be deleted as they are required for system operations. However, you can toggle most system emails on/off if you don't want them to send.

What happens if I don't set a default email design?

The system will use the built-in default design ("Clean and Responsive") for all templates that don't have a specific design assigned.

How do I know which template tags are available?

When editing a template, click the "Available Tags" or "Help" section in the editor. This shows all available personalization tags for that specific template type.

Can I schedule emails to send later?

Yes, when sending emails from the Customers page, you can schedule them for future delivery. Use the Queue page to manage scheduled sends.

Why can't some system emails be turned off?

Critical transactional emails (password resets, payment receipts) cannot be turned off as they are required for security, legal compliance, or essential customer service.

How long are sent emails stored in the system?

Email send records are stored indefinitely in the Emails Sent History for compliance and customer service purposes.

Can I use HTML in my email templates?

Yes, the email editor supports HTML. You can also use the visual editor if you prefer not to write HTML directly.

What's the difference between email design and email template?

Email design is the overall wrapper/layout (header, footer, styling). Email template is the specific content that goes inside the design's ##BODY## tag.

Change Log

2026-03-01

  • Initial documentation created
  • Documented all primary features and functions
  • Added common use cases and troubleshooting guides
  • Created quick reference card
  • Documented permissions and best practices

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.