Templates

Templates are reusable designs for emails and attachments. FormaMail allows you to create email and attachment templates using the same visual editor, then send emails with dynamically generated PDF/Excel attachments in a single API call.

Overview

The Templates page is your central hub for managing all email and attachment templates. You can create, edit, organize, share, and archive templates from this interface.

Template Types

Email Templates

Purpose: Design transactional and marketing emails
Components: Text, buttons, images, tables, conditionals, loops
Output: HTML emails that render beautifully across all email clients
Use cases: Welcome emails, receipts, notifications, newsletters

Attachment Templates

Purpose: Generate PDF documents and Excel spreadsheets
Components: Text, images, tables, charts, conditionals, loops
Output: PDF files or Excel files with data and charts
Use cases: Invoices, reports, certificates, data exports

Templates Page Layout

Search and Filters

Search bar (top-left):

Search by template name
Search by description
Real-time filtering as you type

Filter options:

Type: All, Email, PDF, Excel
Status: All, Published, Draft
Folder: All folders, or specific folder
Shared: All, Shared with me, My templates

Sort options:

Name (A-Z or Z-A)
Last modified (Newest or Oldest)
Most used
Created date

Template Grid View

Templates are displayed as cards showing:

Template Card Information:

Template thumbnail/preview
Template name
Template type badge (Email/PDF/Excel)
Status indicator (Published/Draft)
Last modified date
Usage count (number of times used)
Shared indicator (if shared)

Quick Actions (on hover):

Edit - Open in designer
Duplicate - Create a copy
Share - Share with team
Delete - Move to trash

Creating a New Template

Step 1: Click “Create Template” Button

Located in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Choose Template Type

Options:

Email Template - For sending emails
PDF Attachment - For generating PDF documents
Excel Attachment - For generating spreadsheets

Step 3: Name Your Template

Give it a descriptive name
Add an optional description
Select a folder (optional)

Step 4: Design Your Template

You’ll be redirected to the appropriate designer:

Email Designer for email templates
Attachment Designer for PDF/Excel

Template Organization

Folders

Organize templates into folders for better management.

Creating folders:

Click “New Folder” button
Enter folder name
Optionally set folder color
Click “Create”

Moving templates to folders:

Select one or more templates
Click “Move to folder” from bulk actions
Choose destination folder

Folder features:

Nested folders (up to 3 levels deep)
Drag-and-drop templates between folders
Folder-level permissions
Collapsible sidebar navigation

Template Management

Publishing Templates

Draft vs. Published:

Draft: Work in progress, not available via API
Published: Live and available for use via API

To publish a template:

Complete template design
Click “Publish” button in designer
Confirm publication
Template becomes available immediately

Template Versioning

Every time you publish a template, a new version is created.

Version features:

Automatic version numbering (v1, v2, v3…)
View version history
Revert to previous version
Compare versions side-by-side

To view versions:

Open template
Click “Version History” in top menu
Browse all versions
Click “Restore” to revert

Duplicating Templates

Create a copy of an existing template as a starting point.

Steps:

Find the template you want to duplicate
Click the ”…” menu on the template card
Select “Duplicate”
Enter a new name
New template is created as a draft

Use cases:

Create variations of existing designs
Test changes without affecting original
Share base templates across team

Share templates with team members.

Permission levels:

View: Can see and use template
Edit: Can modify template
Admin: Can delete and manage sharing

To share a template:

Click “Share” button on template
Enter team member email or select from list
Choose permission level
Click “Share”
Team member receives notification

Template Variables

Templates support dynamic variables that are replaced with actual data when sending emails or generating attachments.

Defining Variables

In the template designer, you can define:

Simple variables: {{firstName}}, {{orderTotal}}
Object variables: {{user.name}}, {{order.items}}
Constants: COMPANY_NAME, SUPPORT_EMAIL
Calculated variables: Formulas and expressions

Using Variables

Variables are inserted using double curly braces:

Hello {{firstName}},

Your order #{{order.id}} totaling {{order.total}} has been confirmed.

Template Categories

Templates can be assigned to email categories to enable targeted unsubscribe management. When recipients unsubscribe from a specific category, emails using templates in that category will be blocked.

Why Use Template Categories?

Granular Unsubscribes: Let recipients opt out of specific types of emails (e.g., “Marketing” but not “Transactional”)
Compliance: Maintain proper consent management
Better Deliverability: Reduce spam complaints by honoring category preferences

Assigning Categories

Single Template:

Click the ”…” menu on a template card
Select “Set Categories”
Choose one or more email categories
Click “Save”

Bulk Assignment:

Select multiple templates using checkboxes
Click “Bulk Actions” dropdown
Select “Assign Categories”
Choose categories and assignment mode:
- Replace: Replace all existing categories
- Add: Add to existing categories
- Remove: Remove specific categories
Click “Apply”

Category Warning Badge

Templates without assigned categories show a “No Category” warning badge. This helps you identify templates that may not honor category-based unsubscribes.

Best Practice: Assign categories to all email templates to ensure proper unsubscribe handling.

Email Categories - Create and manage email categories
Unsubscribes - View and manage recipient unsubscribes

Bulk Operations

Select multiple templates to perform bulk actions:

Available bulk actions:

Move to folder
Change status (Publish/Draft)
Delete
Export
Duplicate
Assign Categories

To perform bulk actions:

Click checkboxes to select templates
Click “Bulk Actions” dropdown
Choose action
Confirm if prompted

Template Search Tips

Search operators:

type:email - Find email templates only
status:draft - Find draft templates
folder:invoices - Find templates in “invoices” folder
shared:true - Find shared templates

Search examples:

invoice type:pdf - PDF templates with “invoice” in name
welcome status:published - Published templates with “welcome”
order folder:ecommerce - Templates in ecommerce folder

Template Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Use clear, descriptive names:

✅ Order Confirmation Email - v2
✅ Monthly Invoice PDF - Client
❌ template1
❌ test email

Organization

Use folders: Group related templates
Archive old templates: Don’t delete, archive instead
Regular cleanup: Review and archive unused templates quarterly

Variables

Use descriptive names: customerName not cn
Document requirements: Add description of required variables
Set defaults: Provide fallback values when possible

Testing

Preview before publishing: Always preview with sample data
Test across devices: Email templates should be tested on mobile and desktop
Check all variables: Ensure all variables have valid data

Common Questions

Can I restore a deleted template?

Yes, deleted templates are moved to trash and retained for 30 days. Go to Templates → Trash to restore.

How many templates can I create?

Unlimited on all plans. There’s no limit to the number of templates you can create.

Can I export/import templates?

Yes! Each template can be exported as a JSON file and imported into another account.

Do templates count towards my email limit?

No, templates don’t count towards any limits. Only sent emails count.

What’s Next?

🎨 Email Designer - Learn to design email templates
📄 Attachment Designer - Create PDF and Excel templates
📧 Sending Emails - Use templates via API

Need help? Contact support@formamail.com or check our FAQ

Dashboard Email Designer