Editing your review request texts and emails

In this article, you'll learn how to edit the texts and emails that ask your customers for a review. A request that sounds like you and uses the customer's name gets more replies than a generic one, so it's worth a few minutes.

There are two places to edit them. The dashboard page has everything: the wording, which messages go out, the wait between them and the picture. The CRM's Templates page only changes the words. Both edit the same messages.

To open your review templates on the dashboard:

1. 1.In the dashboard menu, click Reviews.
2. 2.Click Review Templates.

At the top of the page are the Enable review follow-ups switch, Sending Days, Sending Hours and Save Sending Schedule. Under those are two cards: SMS Template and Email Template. This article covers the two cards. For the schedule, see Setting when review requests and follow-ups go out.

Switching between message 1 and message 2

Each card has two numbered buttons next to its title, 1 and 2. Message 1 is the first request. Message 2 is the follow-up for customers who haven't left a review yet.

1. 1.Click 1 or 2 to open that message.
2. 2.Check the small dot next to each number. A green dot with a check mark means that message is on. A grey dot with an X means it's off.
3. 3.Click a dot to turn that message on or off.

Setting the wait before a message

Some messages have a delay box above the editor, in hours (hr) and minutes (min):

• •On the SMS Template card, message 2 shows Delay after previous SMS.
• •On the Email Template card, message 1 shows Delay after first SMS, and message 2 shows Delay after previous email.

Type the hours and minutes. The delay saves when you click out of the box, and again when you save the template.

Editing the text message

1. 1.On the SMS Template card, click 1 or 2.
2. 2.Type your message in the box.
3. 3.To add a detail that changes for each customer, put your cursor where you want it and click one of the buttons above the box:

• •First Name: the customer's first name
• •Business Name: your business name
• •Link: the link they use to leave a review
• •Owner First Name: your first name

1. 1.Turn on Include image in SMS if you want your review request picture sent with the text.
2. 2.Click Save SMS Template. You'll see Saved next to the card title when it's done.

The character count under the box helps you keep the text short.

Editing the email

1. 1.On the Email Template card, click 1 or 2.
2. 2.Next to Format:, pick Plain Text or HTML. Plain text reads like a normal email. HTML lets you add formatting, if you know a little HTML.
3. 3.If you picked HTML, you can turn on Include image at top to show your review request picture above the message.
4. 4.Type the Subject Line. Its buttons are First Name, Business Name and Owner First Name. There's no Link button for the subject.
5. 5.Type the Email Body, using the same four buttons as the text, including Link.
6. 6.Click Save Email Template.

Checking the preview

Under each card is a Preview that fills in the buttons with sample details, addressed to a pretend customer named John. It only appears once there's something in the box.

• •The text preview is shaped like a phone screen. Your picture sits on top if Include image in SMS is on.
• •The email preview shows the subject line, then the body. Your picture sits on top if you're on HTML and Include image at top is on.

The preview updates as you type. Nothing changes for your customers until you click the save button.

Editing the wording in the CRM

If you use the CRM, you can change the words there too. You need to be an admin. The same page is in the phone app.

To open the review templates in the CRM:

1. 1.On the web, click the Settings gear at the bottom of the menu, then Templates. In the app, open the menu, tap the Settings gear, then Templates.
2. 2.Find the Review requests tile at the top of the page.

Inside are four messages, each folded down to its name: Text 1 and Text 2 — the follow-up under Texts, and Email 1 and Email 2 — the follow-up under Emails. Click one to open it. Its tag tells you whether it's Sending or Not being sent right now.

Changing a text or email

1. 1.Click the message you want to change.
2. 2.Type in the box. For an email, there's a Subject box and a Message box.
3. 3.To add a detail that changes for each customer, click into a box. Add a field: appears with buttons for {first_name}, {last_name}, {business_name}, {owner_first_name}, {job_type} and {short_address}. Click one to put it where your cursor is. A field that's spelled right gets a soft green highlight.
4. 4.Click Save. If you change your mind first, click Undo changes. A message with unsaved edits shows Unsaved next to its name and stays open.

A few things are fixed here and shown greyed out:

• •Your review link is added for you after your words, so you don't type it. On an HTML email it shows as a Leave a Review button.
• •Your review request picture sits above Text 1.
• •An email ends with the same sign-off every time.
• •In the CRM you can't turn messages on or off, or change delays or pictures. Do that on the dashboard page.

If you delete a field that was in the message, you'll see a warning telling you which one was taken out. Use Add a field to put it back if that wasn't on purpose. A text or email can't be saved with no words before the link, and an email needs a subject.

Related articles

• •How review requests work
• •Setting when review requests and follow-ups go out
• •Customizing your review request image
• •Reviews menu overview
• •Editing the messages sent with estimates and invoices