What are templates, and where are they located?
Templates are reusable messages for communication. You can create both text and voice templates with the PastorsLine platform. Currently, we have template options for Automated Message Campaigns. (Messages we recommend when creating guest follow-up workflows and other campaigns will be added along the way, too! Coming soon are email templates also.)
You can use one of our suggested templates and tweak it or you can create your own.
Existing templates can always be edited to reflect your new needs.
The merge fields you can use with templates are first and last names, email, phone, and birthday.
We also will be adding fully live campaigns you can use as soon as you have an account with us!
Currently, we have the following campaigns auto-populated in your account (these can be found in your 'Campaigns" page:
New Guest Data Capture: This is for a group with a keyword connected to a data capture, so you can start collecting your new guest's information via text right away.
Automated Message Campaign for New Guests: Here is the new guest follow-up workflow that we recommend. It's a 3-week follow-up that includes an internal text to a user on your account, a poll, and 3 text messages.
Directory Update Campaign: By texting a keyword, this data capture allows your members to update your database with their new contact information.
For V2 Start Here
Create a new template for messaging groups or individuals
The brown box in the image below shows the Add Template icon. You click on this icon to begin the process.  Here it is in closeup:  |
The Templates page will open. Click on Create New Template.
The Create New Template page will open. Give your template a name and write out your text.
Insert merge fields or links using our link shortener. If you would like to share this template, toggle on the Share with everyone button (will turn purple when toggled on). Then click Save to create your new template.
Modify an existing template
If you have a lot of existing temples, it may be faster to use the Search option rather than scrolling down the list.
Insert (down arrow icon)
The Insert icon is useful when you have opened templates from within your Inbox or Hub. This feature will insert the template chosen into any conversation or message whether group or individual.
Edit (the paper and pencil icon)
Edit allows you to make any changes you wish to the template you have chosen.
Sharing an existing template
Choose the template you wish to share and click on Edit (above). The Edit Template page will open. Toggle on the Share with everyone button (yellow box below).
The button will turn purple when toggled on (orange box below).
Click Save to keep your changes.
Delete (trash can icon)
Are you sure you are not going to need this template in the future? Not even to use as a base for something else? Clean up your list by deleting it.
Watch it in action below
For the Legacy App Start Here
To access Templates
Option 1: Click on the Templates button in the green ‘Actions’ column on the left side of the PastorsLine page.
Option 2: Click on the Templates icon wherever you see it. Below is how it looks from your Inbox.
When you click on this icon, the Templates box opens. You will see a list of existing templates (PastorsLine templates + any which you have already created). You can open and tweak a template as needed. You can also create a new one.
NOTE
Sometimes, as you clean something up, another issue is revealed. This is what happened with templates. Everyone using PastorsLine in the church was seeing all the templates...theirs and all the others. Quite confusing to be sure.
Here's what we did...
Existing templates: Everyone will see all the templates. However, the list they see is linked to their user name. So, they can clean up that list (delete templates) without impacting the lists that other users see.
Any NEW template a user creates will only appear on that user's individual template list.