Create custom email template

Before you begin, you should be familiar with these general guidelines for editing and implementing custom templates.

• Each template includes one or more required tokens. Tokens are tagged text items that pull data into the templates and are created by using the Mustache template system. Read the Mustache Manual to learn more about using tokens in custom templates.
• For reference information about required and optional tokens for each custom template, see Token reference.
  

  Tip: Your implementation team helps you configure token values.
• For information about the allowed and restricted HTML tags and attributes when you create custom email templates, refer to Guidelines for configuring email message templates.
• To change the email subject line, edit the <title> element in the HTML source.
• You can include HTML code in your message text.
• You can include up to five products in an email template.
• Email templates are configured by deployment zone. Changes made to templates in one zone affect email messages sent from that zone only.

Watch this video to see how to create and configure a custom template:

To successfully create and implement a custom template, follow these general steps:

1. Sign in to the Bazaarvoice Portal.
2. From the upper-right corner, select the settings icon .
3. Under Configuration, select Ratings & Reviews. The Site Manager lists all your active deployment zones and implementations. 
4. Under Implementations, edit the implementation for which you want to modify email templates.
5. Select Configure Messages in the Collect Reviews section of the page.

6. Select the logo that you want to appear in email messages and notifications:

   • Select the Logo and Footer tab.
   • Select Choose File in the Email Logo section of the page to upload your company’s logo image. To accommodate the mobile-friendly template, your logo image size must be between 180 and 300 pixels wide and no more than 768 pixels high.
   • In the Logo Link URL field, type the web address you want to associate with that image, such as your company’s home page. The address must be a fully formed URL (for example, http://www.bazaarvoice.com).
7. Edit the master email footer, if you want to include one in email messages. Select the Logo and Footer tab. Select the Master Email Footer toggle and then type text in the Email Footer Text field.
8. Select the Messages tab.

9. If you want to configure email templates for a specific implementation (one that is not published to the Main Site deployment zone), set the Use Template Settings from Main Site toggle to OFF in the Template Settings section of the page. This feature is also referred to as "Flexible Email."

   When set to OFF, configuration options are displayed and you can edit template settings for the implementation (chosen in step 2). Changes made to templates in one zone affect email messages sent from that zone only. Be aware that the configuration options were set when the implementation was created; be sure to verify and modify them as needed.

   When set to ON, template settings are inherited from the implementation that is published to the Main Site deployment zone.
   

   

   Note: If this toggle is not shown on the Email Templates page, or if you are a Ratings & Reviews legacy (PRR) client, contact Bazaarvoice support to inquire about this feature.
   
   If you are creating new deployment zones in an existing implementation to take advantage of this feature, be sure to update the Main Site implementation's email templates. Then, redeploy the Main Site implementation before turning off template inheritance in implementations that will be deployed to new zones. Otherwise, the implementation will not receive the most recent template changes before you turn off inheritance.
10. To specify an email address that is used as the sender of the email messages in the deployment zone, select an email address from the Sender Profile dropdown list. If you want to add a new address, contact support.
11. In the Email Templates Editor section, select the template to customize from the Select template dropdown list.
12. If multiple locales are configured in your implementation, choose a locale from the Locale dropdown list for which the template changes will be applied.
13. Select the Custom template toggle to enable custom template creation.
14. Download the current custom template by selecting Download. If you have never created a custom template, the standard template is downloaded.

15. Use your preferred text editor to make changes. Refer to Token reference for the list of tokens you can use in each template. Refer to Edit standard email templates for text recommendations.

    For best practices and considerations when working with HTML email, refer to the getting started and troubleshooting resources listed at Stack Overflow.

16. Test the template using a third-party application or service, such as Email on Acid or Litmus.
    

    Caution: Bazaarvoice cannot guarantee that your custom email template will work with all email clients. You are responsible for testing the templates you customize.
17. When you are satisfied with your customizations, upload the revised template by selecting Upload New on the Email Templates page.
18. Send test messages to make sure your changes produce the results you expect:

• To send samples of all email message types:
  • On the Messages tab, select Send All Test Emails at the bottom of the page.
  • Enter the email address where you want to send the samples, and then select OK.
  • The recipient will receive a sample of each email message type.

• In the list of email message types, select Edit to open the email template editor for an email type.
• Select Send Test Email.
• Enter the email address where you want to send the samples, and then select OK.
• The recipient will receive a sample of the email message you're editing.

19. Deploy the changes to the implementation.