# Notification Templates ActuaryPOS Hybrid Solution can send automatic messages to customers and suppliers at key moments — like after a sale, when a payment is received, or when stock is running low. You can customise exactly what these messages say. --- ## What You'll Learn - What notification templates are - How to customise email and SMS notifications - Which tags (placeholders) you can use in messages - How to enable or disable specific notifications --- ## What Are Notification Templates? Notification templates are **pre-written messages** that ActuaryPOS Hybrid Solution sends automatically when certain events happen. For example: - A customer receives a "Thank You" email after a purchase - A supplier gets notified about a new payment - A staff member receives a reminder about low stock You can customise the **wording**, **subject line**, and **format** of these messages. --- ## How to Find Notification Templates 1. Go to **Notification Templates** from the left sidebar. 2. You'll see a list of templates, organised by **type**: - **Email Notifications** - **SMS Notifications** 3. Each template shows its **name**, **subject**, and whether it's **active**. 📸 *[Screenshot: The Notification Templates page showing the list of available templates]* --- ## How to Edit a Notification Template 1. Go to **Notification Templates**. 2. Find the template you want to change. 3. Click the **Edit** (pencil) button. 4. You'll see: - **Subject** — the email subject line (for email notifications) - **Body** — the message content - **Available Tags** — a list of placeholder tags you can use 5. Edit the subject and body as needed. 6. Use **tags** (like `{contact_name}` or `{invoice_number}`) to insert dynamic information. 7. Click **Save**. 📸 *[Screenshot: The notification template editor showing subject, body, and available tags]* --- ## Available Notification Types | Notification | When It's Sent | Channels | |---|---|---| | **New Sale** | After a sale is completed | Email, SMS | | **Payment Received** | When a payment is recorded | Email, SMS | | **Payment Reminder** | When a customer has an outstanding balance | Email, SMS | | **New Purchase Order** | When a purchase order is created | Email, SMS | | **Purchase Payment** | When a payment to a supplier is made | Email, SMS | | **New Quotation** | When a quotation is created | Email, SMS | | **Stock Alert** | When stock falls below reorder level | Email | | **Items in Stock** | When out-of-stock items are restocked | Email | | **Customer Birthday** | On the customer's birthday | Email, SMS | --- ## Using Tags in Templates Tags are placeholders that get replaced with real data when the message is sent. ### Common Tags | Tag | What It Becomes | |---|---| | `{contact_name}` | Customer or supplier name | | `ActuaryPOS Hybrid Solution` | Your business name | | `{invoice_number}` | The sale/purchase reference number | | `{total_amount}` | The total amount of the transaction | | `{paid_amount}` | Amount already paid | | `{due_amount}` | Remaining balance | | `{transaction_date}` | Date of the transaction | | `{business_logo}` | Your business logo (in emails) | | `{location_name}` | The business location name | > 💡 **Tip:** The full list of available tags is shown on the editor page when you edit each template. ### Example Template **Subject:** Thank you for your purchase — Invoice {invoice_number} **Body:** ``` Dear {contact_name}, Thank you for shopping with ActuaryPOS Hybrid Solution! Your invoice number is {invoice_number}. Total amount: {total_amount} Paid: {paid_amount} We appreciate your business! Best regards, ActuaryPOS Hybrid Solution ``` --- ## How to Enable or Disable Notifications 1. Go to **Notification Templates**. 2. Find the notification you want to toggle. 3. Use the **Auto Send** toggle to turn it on or off. - **ON** — message is sent automatically - **OFF** — message is not sent (but the template is saved for later) 📸 *[Screenshot: The Auto Send toggle on the notification templates page]* --- ## Email Setup For email notifications to work, your system must have email configured: 1. Go to **Business Settings** → **Email** tab. 2. Enter your email settings: - **Mail Driver** (SMTP, Mailgun, etc.) - **SMTP Host** and **Port** - **Username** and **Password** - **From Address** — the email address that appears as the sender - **From Name** — the name that appears as the sender 3. Click **Save**. 📸 *[Screenshot: Business Settings Email tab with mail configuration fields]* > ⚠️ If email settings are not configured, email notifications won't be sent. Ask your system administrator for the correct settings. --- ## SMS Setup For SMS notifications to work: 1. Go to **Business Settings** → **SMS** tab. 2. Select your **SMS Gateway** (Nexmo, Twilio, etc.). 3. Enter your gateway credentials (API key, API secret, etc.). 4. Enter a **Sender ID** — the name or number recipients see. 5. Click **Save**. 📸 *[Screenshot: Business Settings SMS tab with gateway selection and credentials]* --- ## Common Questions **Q: Why aren't my notifications being sent?** A: Check: (1) Is the template set to Auto Send? (2) Are your email/SMS settings configured correctly? (3) Does the contact have an email/phone number? **Q: Can I send a notification manually?** A: Specific sales and transactions have a "Send Notification" button that lets you resend the notification. **Q: Can I use HTML in email templates?** A: Yes, email templates support basic HTML formatting (bold, italic, links, tables). **Q: Will customers receive both email and SMS?** A: Only if both channels are enabled and the customer has both an email address and phone number on file. --- ## Tips & Best Practices - 📌 **Personalise your templates** — use tags to include the customer's name and invoice details - 📌 **Keep messages short** especially for SMS — SMS has character limits - 📌 **Test before going live** — send a test notification to yourself first - 📌 **Set up Payment Reminders** to automatically remind customers about outstanding balances - 📌 **Update templates** when you rebrand or change contact details