Understanding and using insert values in documents and messages

In this article, you'll learn what insert values are and how to use them in your document templates and in the messages that go out with them. Set a template up once and every estimate, invoice or document fills in the right customer, job and company details on its own.

What is an insert value?

An insert value is a placeholder in double curly brackets, like {{client.firstName}}. The first part is the group it comes from (client, job, account and so on). The second part is the detail.

When a document or message goes out, the CRM swaps each placeholder for the real detail from the customer's record, the job or your company settings. Your customer never sees the brackets. If that detail is blank on the record, the spot is left empty.

A few you'll use a lot:

• •{{client.firstName}} is the customer's first name
• •{{client.fullName}} is who the document is addressed to
• •{{account.myCompanyName}} is your company name
• •{{document.name}} is what's being sent, like "estimate" or "invoice"

Adding insert values to a document template

Insert values put the right name, address and totals on your estimates, invoices, receipts and custom documents. You add them in the template designer, which only works on a computer. On a phone you'll see a note that designing happens on a desktop. The phone app's Documents screen lets you preview, add, duplicate and delete templates, but not design them.

To open a document template:

1. 1.Click Settings (the gear), then Documents.
2. 2.Click the name of the template you want to change.

To add an insert value:

1. 1.Click into a text, table, logo or signature block on the page. The editing toolbar appears.
2. 2.Put your cursor where you want the detail to go.
3. 3.Click Insert values.
4. 4.Point to a group, then click the value you want. It's typed in at your cursor.
5. 5.Click Save at the top when you're done.

The Insert values menu has these groups:

• •Client values: the customer's name, company, email, phones, address and billing address, plus their portal link
• •Job/invoice values: the job's number, name, type, dates, times, assigned tech, address and contact, plus the invoice number, totals, tax, tip, service fee and balance due
• •Account values: your company's name, address, email, phone, website and the owner's first name
• •Estimate values: estimate number, date, totals, tax, required deposit, notes and description
• •Invoice values: invoice number, date, due date, total, amount paid, balance due and notes
• •Payment values: amount paid, payment method, payment date and reference
• •Rental values: what's rented, the unit numbers, the rental term and dates, where it goes, and the rates
• •Document values: the document's name
• •Job custom values and Client custom values: any custom fields you've set up for jobs and clients. If you haven't made any, these say None.

Insert values in the message sent with an estimate

The message that goes with an estimate (and with your custom documents) uses the same insert values. The default message starts with "Hi {{client.firstName}}," and the default email subject is "View your {{document.name}} from {{account.myCompanyName}}".

To change it while sending an estimate:

1. 1.In the Send estimate pane, click Edit template next to Message.
2. 2.Edit the subject and message. As the hint says, tokens like {{client.firstName}} fill in per customer.
3. 3.Click Save template. This changes the message for every estimate you send from now on.

You can also change it in two other places. They all edit the same message:

• •In the designer, click Settings to open the Document settings drawer, which has Subject and Message boxes.
• •Click Settings, then Templates. Under Estimates, open Sending an estimate, then Text and email. Click into the Subject or Message (also the text) box and the Add a field buttons appear under it. Each one types that placeholder where your cursor is, and placeholders that are spelled right get a soft green highlight. Click Save.

Invoice and other messages use a simpler style

Invoice messages, reminders, receipts, the On my way text and a few others use single-bracket placeholders instead, like {first_name}, {company}, {amount} and {invoice_number}. Each template on the Templates page lists the ones it understands, and the Add a field buttons put them in for you. When a customer has no first name, {first_name} reads "there", so the message says "Hi there,".

To change the invoice message while sending:

1. 1.In the Send invoice form, click Edit template.
2. 2.Edit the wording. Reset to default puts the original back if you want it.
3. 3.Click Save template. It's used for every invoice you send from now on.

On the phone app, the Templates tab in Settings has the same templates and the same Add a field buttons.

Automations

Automation messages use their own short codes, written with underscores, like {{client_first_name}}. See the automations short code guide for the full list.

Quick replies

Quick replies are the saved messages you drop into a text from Conversations. Write {first_name} anywhere in one and it's filled with the customer's first name when you insert it, or "there" when the record has no first name. You set them up under Settings, then Quick replies.

Related articles

• •Editing the messages sent with estimates and invoices
• •Customizing estimate, invoice and receipt templates
• •How to create a custom document from scratch
• •Creating quick replies
• •Automations short code guide