What it does
Administrators can customize the wording of the notifications their scope sends — the in-app title and body, the email subject, HTML and plain-text versions, and short-message variants. Merge fields fill in real data at send time, and templates are validated before saving, with a preview using sample data.
Who it's for
Organization, institution, and program administrators with permission to manage notification templates.
How it works
Templates you create for your scope apply alongside the platform defaults, which still cover anything you haven't customized.
You edit wording from the Notifications tab: stay on Channels to open a template from an event's Customize wording (pencil) icon, or switch to Templates for the full list, filterable by category and searchable by name, showing each template's channels and active state.
When you create or edit a template, a Customize wording sheet opens. In it you pick the notification event it responds to. The event sets the category, default priority, and default channels. It also determines which merge fields are available, since each event publishes which fields are required and which are optional.
You then write content per channel:
In-app: subject and body.
Email: an HTML version and a plain-text version, plus email-only details — preview text, a short header eyebrow line, and an optional reply-to address.
Push and text message: short single-line variants.
A merge-field picker inserts placeholders at your cursor, in whichever field you're editing. A live validation panel flags required fields you haven't used, unknown or mistyped fields, fields not allowed in that channel, and channels you enabled but left empty. Saving is blocked until validation passes. Choose Preview sent email to render the template through the production email renderer with your sample data before saving.
Templates can be deactivated without deleting them, using the Active toggle in the list. Deactivated templates stop being used but keep their content. Delete removes a template after a confirmation dialog, and it stays recoverable so it can be restored later.
Before you start
You need the manage-notification-templates permission for the scope you're editing. This is separate from manage-notifications, which controls the channel switches on the Channels view.
Know which platform event triggers the message you want to customize — the event decides which merge fields are available.
Platform default templates (marked as system templates) can't be edited or deleted directly; create your own template for that scope instead.
Do this
Open
/notifications/admin, stay on the Notifications tab, then switch to Templates → the list shows templates with their category, channels, and active state.To narrow the list, use the search box or the category dropdown → the list filters as you type or select.
Select New Template, or Edit on an existing one, or Customize wording (pencil) on an event from the Channels view → the Customize wording sheet opens.
Choose an Event in the sheet → the category, default priority, and the merge fields available in the picker update to match that event.
Write content per channel. Place your cursor in a field, then select a field in the Merge fields panel → the placeholder inserts at your cursor.
Watch the validation panel → it lists any missing required fields, unknown fields, or empty channels. Fix anything it lists.
Select Preview sent email to check the rendered result, then select Save template → a success note appears and the sheet closes, or the panel stays open showing what to fix.
You're done when
✓ The sheet closed after Save template showed a success note.
✓ The template appears on the Templates list, or the family/event you edited still shows it, with the right category and channels.
✓ The validation panel showed no remaining issues before you saved.
✓ Platform defaults still cover any events you have not customized.
Boundaries and limits
Access requires the manage-notification-templates permission. Without it, the templates list and wording actions show a restricted message. Channel switches on the Channels view need manage-notifications instead.
Merge fields are limited to what the selected event provides. You can't invent fields, and validation blocks saving when required fields are missing or unknown fields are used.
Some fields are restricted from specific channels — sensitive fields, for example, are kept out of channels where they must not appear. Validation enforces this.
The text-message channel can't be enabled on a template unless text-message delivery is actually set up for the scope.
Sample data must be valid JSON — a set of field-value pairs. The editor rejects anything else.
Custom templates apply to your scope only. Platform default templates stay available and cover events you haven't customized. Editing a default at your scope doesn't change other organizations.
Platform invitation and password-setup templates use school and program names when available, not a fallback like "your program."
You can't create new notification event types here. Templates customize the content of existing platform events.
Common questions
Q: What is a merge field? A: A placeholder — such as a recipient's name or a due date — that the platform replaces with the real value when sent. The picker shows exactly which fields the selected event supports.
Q: Why can't I save my template? A: The validation panel lists the reason: a required field is missing, a field name is unknown, a field isn't allowed in that channel, or an enabled channel has no content.
Q: Can I temporarily stop a custom template without losing my work? A: Yes. Toggle it inactive. The content is preserved and you can reactivate it any time.
Q: Do I need to write both HTML and plain-text email versions? A: The plain-text version is used by mail clients that cannot display HTML. Keeping both filled is recommended for the channels you enable.
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