Templates (Enhanced)

Overview

Admissions+ has always included a Templates feature. This update is a significantly enhanced and more flexible version of it, designed to let staff configure the email content, automation, and communication settings all within a single workflow.

Why this was built

Schools told us the previous Templates feature was useful but limited. Staff wanted automation, but the setup was split across different screens. Marketing communications and admissions-critical messages used the same unsubscribe behaviour, which sometimes caused important emails to be blocked. And there was no quick way to see how a template was actually performing.

This update brings template setup, automation, compliance, and performance into one place.

Creating a new template

From the Templates area, click New Template. You will be asked to choose a template type:

Once you’ve picked a type, the template setup is broken into three steps: Setup, Advanced Settings, and Content. The example below uses an Enhanced template, because it exposes the full set of options.

Step 1 — Setup

The Setup step is where you give the template its identity and decide who should receive it.

Template name

Give the template a clear internal name. This is for staff use only — recipients never see it.

Folder (optional)

Optionally pick a folder so the template is filed automatically when saved. Folders make it easier to organise large libraries of templates.

Communication Purpose

Choose whether the template is Marketing or Transactional. This is one of the most important new fields, because it determines how unsubscribe and consent rules behave.

• Marketing — recipients can unsubscribe from these. Selecting Marketing reveals additional categories such as School news & newsletters, Events & activities, and other marketing categories.
• Transactional — critical admissions-related communications such as offers and application updates. These are always delivered.

Why this matters

Previously, when a recipient unsubscribed, they stopped receiving every email from Admissions+, which sometimes caused important admissions updates to be missed. The Marketing / Transactional split fixes this.

Target Audience

Specify who this communication is intended for (e.g. applicants, parents, a particular cohort).

Subject Line and Preview Text

Enter the email Subject Line, and optionally a Preview Text. Preview Text is newly added — it appears as a short preview snippet in many email clients alongside the subject line.

Sender details

You can now control all three sender fields:

• From Name — the display name recipients see (newly added — previously only the sender email could be specified)
• Sender Email — the address the email is sent from
• Reply-to Email — where replies should go (which can differ from the sender address)

Step 2 — Advanced Settings

This step is where you configure what actually triggers the template, when it sends, and what is tracked.

Send Method

Choose one of three send methods:

• Applicant Trigger — fires when an applicant does something. Previously known as "Automatically when an applicant does something". Examples: submitting a form, declining an offer, completing a task.
• Staff Trigger — fires when a staff user does something. Previously known as "Automatically when a staff user does something". Examples: adding an applicant to a meeting or group, updating an application status, moving an applicant through a workflow.
• Scheduled Send — sends at a specific future date and time.

Tracking & Follow-Up Settings

All optional. You can enable:

• Open tracking — records when a recipient opens the email.
• Click tracking — records when a recipient clicks a link.
  
  

Step 3 — Content

The Content step is where you build the actual communication. Multiple content assets are available, including:

• Headers
• Text blocks
• Images
• Buttons
• And more

Drag a component into the template, then customise it using the settings panel on the right.

Improved preview experience

You can now preview the email as a real recipient. Instead of seeing merge tags or placeholders, the template renders with actual recipient data. You can also switch between:

• Desktop view
• Mobile view

Saving and sending

In the top-right corner of the editor you’ll see two options:

• Save — available for all template types.
• Save & Send Now — available only for Basic (manual) templates. Enhanced templates fire via their configured trigger.

Sending a Basic template

When you choose Save & Send Now, a pop-up appears where you can:

1. Choose recipients (select applicants or parents).
2. Show all applicants or filter to a specific group.
3. Select exactly who should receive the communication.
4. Optionally Copy parental contacts.
5. Optionally Blind copy recipients (Bcc) — a brand-new option in this release.
6. Click Send.

The main Templates table

Back in the main Templates area, the familiar table view returns — but with a much richer overview, including in-line performance data:

• Delivered count
• Open rate
• Click rate
• Not Delivered count
• Date last updated
• And other useful engagement information

This means staff can see how communications are performing at a glance, without opening each template individually.

Clicking a metric such as Not Delivered will display the list of recipients who failed to receive the communication — making troubleshooting and follow-up much easier. 

Folders and the kebab menu

On the left of the Templates area, folders let you organise templates into categories and navigate the library more easily. The familiar kebab (⋮) menu remains on each template for additional actions and template management options.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between Basic and Enhanced templates?

Basic templates are for one-off, manual sends — their send method is locked to Manual. Enhanced templates support triggers, automation, and are designed for repeatable journeys.

Will my existing templates still work?

Yes. The Templates feature has been enhanced rather than replaced — existing templates remain available, and you can adopt the new capabilities (Communication Purpose, sender name, triggers, etc.) as you edit them.

Do I have to set a Communication Purpose?

Communication Purpose is what powers the Marketing vs Transactional unsubscribe split, so it should be set for any template where consent matters. Marketing templates also let you choose a sub-category (e.g. School news, Events & activities).

Can I send from a custom display name?

Yes. The From Name field lets you control the display name recipients see, in addition to the Sender Email and Reply-to Email.

Where do I configure SMS sender name, STOP message, and quiet hours?

In Settings & Compliance under SMS Settings. See the Settings & Compliance guide for details.

Can I Bcc recipients?

Yes — Blind copy is a new option available when sending from a Basic template.

A note from us

We hope you find this guide useful as you explore the updated Templates feature. There’s a lot of new functionality here — triggers, the Communication Purpose field, in-table performance metrics — and we’ve designed it to give your team much more control over how and when communications go out.

If anything’s unclear, or you have ideas for what would make Templates even better, please reach out to your Applicaa contact. We always love hearing from the schools and colleges we work with.