Email Templates FAQ

Pulse Commerce offers three types of email templates:

• System Email Templates: Plain-text automatic emails (enabled by default)
• Custom Email Templates: HTML emails you manually send through CRM
• Transactional Email Templates: Professional HTML/CSS branded automatic emails (add-on feature)

Yes, but only ONE automatic template type (System OR Transactional) can be active per email type. Custom Email Templates are always available for manual sending regardless of which automatic template is active.

Transactional Email Templates offer professional HTML/CSS branding and are primarily used with storefront implementations. System Email Templates provide simple plain-text notifications for quick setup and are enabled by default. If Transactional templates are not visible in your admin panel, contact support to check if this feature is available for your account.

System Email Templates:

• Plain text only - no HTML customization
• Enabled by default for all merchants
• Quick setup

Transactional Email Templates:

• Full HTML/CSS with custom branding
• Add-on feature - requires support to enable
• Primarily for storefront users
• Includes abandoned cart campaigns

When you activate a Transactional template, the corresponding System template automatically becomes inactive. For example, activating "Transactional Shipping Notification" will deactivate "System Shipping Confirmation Email." Only one automatic template type can be active per email type.

Navigate to Marketing → E-Mail Templates, then click the tab for the template type you need:

• Custom E-Mail Template tab for manual email templates
• System E-Mail Template tab for automatic plain-text emails
• Transactional E-Mail Template tab for branded HTML emails (if enabled)

Navigate to Settings → General Settings → Order Settings section. Here you can configure email addresses and enable/disable automatic email notifications for order confirmations, shipping notifications, and cancellations.

No. System Email Templates are plain text only with no HTML customization available. You can add or remove variables and change the messaging, but you cannot add HTML formatting, CSS, or images. If you need HTML emails, use Custom Email Templates (for manual emails) or Transactional Email Templates (for automatic branded emails - requires enabling through support).

The system-wide default FROM address found in Settings → General Settings → Order Settings. This is used for CRM communications unless overridden by a specific template's FROM address. Set this to your most commonly used email address (e.g., support@yourdomain.com).

Create separate Custom Email Templates with different FROM addresses. For example:

• Template: "Customer - Order Reply" with FROM: support@yourdomain.com
• Template: "Vendor - PO Communication" with FROM: vendors@yourdomain.com

When you select the template in CRM, the correct FROM address automatically populates.

Order Alert Email Address: Where YOU receive notifications when customers place orders. Can be any email address (no DNS required).

Order Confirmation Email Reply Address: The FROM address customers see on their order confirmation emails. Must be a verified domain email address (DNS authentication required).

Email sending requires proper DNS authentication. If you manage your own domain's DNS, you must add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records provided by Pulse Commerce. See the Email Setup and DNS Configuration article for detailed instructions.

Yes. Each Custom Email Template and System Email Template can have its own FROM address. This allows you to use support@yourdomain.com for customer emails and vendors@yourdomain.com for vendor emails, for example. All FROM addresses must use verified domain emails.

Method 1: Open an order or customer record → Click Email Customer button or CRM tab → Select template from dropdown → Send

Method 2: Navigate to CRM → Send an Email → Enter recipient → Select template from Email Template dropdown → Send

Yes. After selecting a template, you can edit the subject, body, and FROM address before sending. However, changes you make to the email before sending do NOT update the saved template. To permanently change a template, edit it in Marketing → E-Mail Templates.

Common variables include:

• {{Customer FirstName}} / {{Customer LastName}}
• {{Customer Email}}
• {{Order Number}} / {{Order Date}}
• {{Store Name}}
• {{SystemGeneratedMessageBody}} (System templates only)

Available variables depend on template type and context. Check the "Supported Variables" section in the template editor for complete lists.

Common causes:

• Incorrect syntax - must use double curly braces: {{Variable Name}}
• Variable name misspelled
• Variable not supported for this template type
• Missing data (e.g., customer has no first name on file)

Review the "Supported Variables" list in your template editor to verify correct variable names.

Navigate to Settings → General Settings → Order Settings and set Email Customer on Order Completion to Yes. Then click Update to save.

Navigate to Settings → General Settings → Order Settings and set Disable shipping notification email to No. Then click Update to save.

Important: This setting uses negative logic. "No" means emails ARE ENABLED. Think of it as "No, do not disable emails."

Some settings use confusing negative logic:

• "Disable shipping notification email" set to No = Shipping emails ARE ENABLED
• "Disable notification email on cancelling" set to No = Cancellation emails ARE ENABLED

Think of "No" as "No, do not disable" which means emails are enabled.

Check these items:

• Email notification settings are enabled in Settings → General Settings
• FROM address uses a verified domain email
• DNS authentication is complete (if you manage your own DNS)
• Template is marked as Active (for Transactional templates)
• You're not using both System and Transactional templates for the same email type

If all settings are correct and emails still aren't sending, contact Pulse Commerce Support.

Transactional Email Templates are a separate add-on feature. Contact Pulse Commerce Support to request this feature be enabled for your account. Once enabled, the Transactional E-Mail Template tab will appear in Marketing → E-Mail Templates.

Transactional Email Templates must be enabled by Pulse Commerce Support. Contact support and request the Transactional Email Templates add-on. Specify if you need abandoned cart functionality. Once enabled, the tab will appear in your admin panel.

Transactional Email Templates are primarily designed for storefront implementations where professional branded customer emails are important. If you only use the backend OMS without a storefront, System Email Templates (plain text) are typically sufficient for basic order notifications. However, you can still use Transactional templates if you want HTML-formatted automatic emails.

No. Abandoned cart campaigns are only available through Transactional Email Templates, which is an add-on feature. Custom Email Templates are for manual sending only and cannot be triggered automatically based on cart abandonment.

Common causes:

• Incomplete DNS authentication (missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records)
• FROM address doesn't match verified domain
• New domain without established sender reputation
• Email content triggers spam filters

Review the Email Setup and DNS Configuration article to verify proper authentication.

For System/Transactional templates: Place a test order using your own email address as the customer. Verify you receive the email and that all content displays correctly.

For Custom templates: Send a test email to yourself from CRM. Verify FROM address, subject, and body populate correctly.

For shipping notifications: Create a test shipment with tracking number and mark as shipped. Verify the notification is received.

No. Deleted email templates cannot be recovered. System Email Templates cannot be deleted (only edited), but Custom Email Templates can be deleted permanently. Always keep backups of important custom template content before making changes.

If you have both System and Transactional templates configured, only the Active template will send. Check which template type is marked as Active. If a Transactional template is active, the System template is automatically inactive. Deactivate the Transactional template if you want to use the System template instead.

See these comprehensive guides:

• How to Configure and Use Email Templates - Complete guide covering all template types
• Email Setup and DNS Configuration - Domain authentication and email address setup
• How to Set Up and Customize Transactional Email Templates - Detailed Transactional template guide

Contact support when:

• Emails aren't sending after verifying all settings
• DNS authentication issues persist
• You want to enable Transactional Email Templates
• Variables or templates aren't working as expected
• You need help with complex email configurations

Include in your request: Template type (System/Custom/Transactional), template name, test order numbers, screenshots of settings, and any error messages.