Customizing Message Templates
Customize the automated messages your community sends via SMS and email. Each template can be personalized with your own wording while using merge variables for dynamic content.
Accessing Templates
- Go to Settings > Message Templates
- Find the template you want to customize
- Uncheck Use Default Content to unlock the editor
- Write your copy — for email body templates, use the rich-text toolbar to add formatting
- Save your changes
Re-check Use Default Content at any time to revert to Stoked’s default for that template.
Template Types
SMS Templates
SMS templates are plain text. Merge variables and Liquid conditionals are supported.
- Advocate account activated — sent when an advocate is approved
- Conversation reminders — nudges for unresponded messages
- Wallet notifications — points added alerts
Email Templates
Email subject and header templates are plain text. Email body templates use a rich-text editor — you can add bold, italic, links, bullet lists, numbered lists, and emoji.
- Wallet credited/debited — points transaction notifications
- Application confirmation — sent to the applicant when they submit
- Application approved — your welcome email when you approve an advocate
- Email verification — one-time verification code emails
- New conversation / message notifications — conversation alerts for advocates and prospects
Formatting email body templates
When editing an email body template, the rich-text toolbar gives you:
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| B / I / U | Bold, italic, underline |
| Link | Insert a named hyperlink |
| Bullet list / Numbered list | Unordered and ordered lists |
| 😀 | Browse and insert emoji |
| ⒳ | Insert a merge variable |
The plain-text version of every email (for clients that don’t support HTML) is generated automatically — links include the URL in parentheses, lists are formatted with
*or1., and paragraphs are separated by blank lines.
Merge Variables Reference
Insert dynamic content using double curly braces. Templates support Liquid syntax including variables, if/else statements, and unless statements for conditional content.
Community Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{community_name}} |
Your community’s name |
{{community_brand_name}} |
Your community’s brand name |
{{community_site_url}} |
Link to your public community site (the map / advocate directory) |
{{advocate_site_url}} |
Link to the advocate portal where advocates log in to manage their profile |
{{community_site_url}} and {{advocate_site_url}} are available in every message template.
Advocate Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{advocate_first_name}} |
Advocate’s first name |
{{advocate_profile_display_name}} |
Advocate’s display name as shown on their profile |
{{advocate_profile_display_location}} |
Location information from advocate’s profile |
{{advocate_profile_url}} |
Link to the advocate’s public profile page |
{{advocate_conversation_url}} |
Link to the conversation (for advocates) |
{{advocate_conversations_url}} |
Link to all of the advocate’s conversations |
Prospect Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{prospect_first_name}} |
Prospect’s first name |
{{prospect_public_name}} |
Prospect’s public display name (e.g., “Sarah M.”) |
{{prospect_conversation_url}} |
Link to the conversation (for prospects) |
{{prospect_conversations_url}} |
Link to all of the prospect’s conversations |
Conversation Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{message_content}} |
The message text, truncated for SMS if it exceeds the delivery limit |
{{message_content_truncated}} |
True if the message text was truncated for SMS delivery |
{{is_current_relay_target}} |
Indicates if this conversation has the most recent activity |
{{no_other_conversations}} |
True if this is the only active conversation |
{{one_other_conversation}} |
True if exactly one other conversation exists |
{{many_other_conversations}} |
True if multiple other conversations exist |
{{other_conversation_count}} |
Count of other active conversations |
{{other_conversation_advocate_names}} |
List of advocate names from other active conversations |
{{other_conversation_prospect_names}} |
List of prospect names from other active conversations |
Introduction Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{introduction_message}} |
The introduction message text |
{{introduction_phone_url}} |
Introduction URL for automatically logging in a prospect (phone) |
{{introduction_email_url}} |
Introduction URL for automatically logging in a prospect (email) |
Verification Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
{{phone_verification_code}} |
The 6-digit verification code sent to the device |
Custom Field Variables
If your community has Custom Advocate Fields configured, each field is available as a merge variable using its identifier:
{{advocate_custom_field_<identifier>}}
For example, a custom field with the identifier coupon_code would use {{advocate_custom_field_coupon_code}}. Your community’s custom fields appear in the merge variable dropdown when editing a template. If an advocate has no value set for a field, the variable resolves to an empty string.
Conditional Content
Use Liquid syntax for conditional content:
{% if many_other_conversations %}
You have {{other_conversation_count}} other active conversations.
{% endif %}
{% unless no_other_conversations %}
Don't forget your other conversations with {{other_conversation_advocate_names}}.
{% endunless %}
Use message_content_truncated to show a link only when the message was cut off for SMS delivery:
{%- if message_content_truncated %}
{{advocate_conversation_url}}
{%- endif %}
Validation
Templates are validated before saving:
- Syntax must be valid Liquid
- All variables must be recognized
- UTF-8 characters are supported
If there’s an error, you’ll see a message explaining what needs to be fixed.