Administrators can configure the LMS to send email notifications to users when certain events occur, using predefined templates. Email templates specify the message recipients and the message content, which can include parameters that insert user or enrollment-specific information. For example, on successful enrollment in a course, an email can be sent to the participant and to their manager, which can be personalized with their names and the course title.
The LMS comes with a number of System Default email templates relating to specific events. You can also
create your own User Templates for events that do not have a predefined System Template.
Some events that can trigger emails have no System Default templates. To enable the LMS to send emails for these events, you can create appropriate email templates for them and then select them in the corresponding System Configuration settings or Enrollment Policy details.
You can configure email templates to have multiple recipients. The following types of recipient can be used in combination:
Languages
If your organization has a multi-language LMS implementation, you can configure email templates to be sent to LMS users in their preferred language, as long as it is one of the languages activated for the LMS. After saving a new email template in the default language, you can add other language versions of the email template. The LMS can then check the recipient user's Language setting in their user profile and send the corresponding language version of the email, if one has been created.
Predefined Messages
When you create a new email template you can select one of the predefined messages and edit it to suite your needs. All of the System Default messages are available to copy into a new message and edit in this way.
Message Parameters
You can add dynamic content to email messages (including the subject) using parameters. This enables you to create a single email for a particular event—a course session, for example—and substitute information corresponding to that event in place of the parameter. Parameters are enclosed in curly braces: {parameter_name}. Examples include: {course_title}, {session_start_date} and {venue}.
Message Format
You can compose email template messages in plain text or HTML. You can also convert—in bulk—all email templates between text and HTML Mime types, using the Translate Email to HTML feature.
Email Attachments
You can attach files from the repository to emails, along with a facility map and training center map, if they have been uploaded to the facility or training center for the course or session corresponding to the event that triggers the email.
Permissions
You can set the permissions per email template to specify which users and organizations can use or edit the template.
Usage
When you open a template in the editor you can see which of the following LMS features use it:
You cannot delete an email template if it is being referenced by any of the features listed above.
All available email templates are listed in the Templates tab in the Email Template Editor. They are grouped into two folders: System Default and User Templates, which you can expand and collapse individually. If your organization has a large number of email templates, administrators can search for templates relating to particular events by filtering a single list of templates in the main page of the Email Template Editor.
You can search for email templates using the following criteria:
When you specify a User Targeting Template the list to email templates is filtered to include only those
templates whose permissions specify a user targeting template to control which users have read-only or
unrestricted access to it.
To search for email templates
Administrators can create a new blank email template as an alternative to copying and editing an existing
template. When you create a new email template it is added to the User Templates folder. To enable the
template to be selected by other administrators to use, you must give them read-only access permission. To enable other administrators to edit the template, you must give them unrestricted access permission.
To create an email template
Email Parameters
Administrators can add dynamic content to email messages (including the subject) using parameters enclosed in curly braces: {parameter_name}. To insert a parameter into an email message, you select it from the Parameters drop-down list and click Append to Message. To insert a parameter into the subject of an email, you have to insert it in the message first, and then cut and paste it into the Subject field.
There are over 160 parameters you can use to include information about user accounts and enrollments.
Example: the Default Enrollment Confirmation Email
This is the System Default email template that can be automatically sent to participants who have successfully been enrolled in a course.
The {default_system_approver} parameter inserts the name of the Default System Approver specified for the Logical Domain. (The Logical Domain specifies users and settings to use whenever an explicit parameter has not been provided.) Using {default_system_approver} ensures that a learning systems administrator user is included in the email.
Administrators can copy an existing template to create a version that inherits its properties (except
permissions), which you can then edit while retaining the original. You should always copy a Default System template if you want to change it because whenever the LMS is upgraded to a new version the System Default templates are reset, so any changes made to them are lost. When you copy a template the new copy is saved as a User Template.
To copy an email template
Administrators can edit an existing template to change its recipients, message content, and permissions, and to add or remove language versions.
To edit an Email Template
If your organization has a multi-language LMS implementation, administrators can configure email templates to be sent to LMS users in their preferred language, as long as it is one of the languages activated for the LMS. A user's preferred language is specified in the Language property in their profile.
You can only add a new language to a saved template. If you are creating a new template, you must save it before the option to add a new language is shown.
To add a language to an email template
Administrators can change the default language for email templates.
To reset the default language for email templates
Access to objects in the LMS is controlled by permissions, which you configure in the standard
Permission Selector.
You can provide users with read-only or unrestricted access to many of the objects configured in the LMS, such as course catalogs, individual sessions, training centers and email templates, to name only a few. Read-only access allows user to view the object while unrestricted access allows users to view and modify it.
Selecting Users
There are several ways to select the users you want to configure access for: