Editing, Previewing, and Testing Email Templates

Every automated email can be previewed, edited, tested and reverted. This article covers the editing workflow and the one rule that surprises people most.

Before You Begin

• Work in Settings > Communication Hub > Email.
• You cannot damage a stock template. Editing one always creates a copy first.
• Always send a test after a change. Merge tags render differently against real data.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Open a Message

In Settings > Communication Hub > Email, click the chevron (›) at the end of a row. The row expands in place.

You will see:

• A one-line trigger description — for example, “Fires immediately when a student completes registration — paid, invoiced, or free.”
• Template — a dropdown showing which template is in use, such as Default · Enrollment Confirmation. Marketplace templates and your own saved templates appear here too.
• Subject — the email subject line, with a Merge tag button for inserting dynamic values.
• Four buttons: Preview, Edit, Send test and Save.

The Four Buttons

The Rule That Surprises People

Beneath the buttons is this note: “Edit opens the builder. Editing a Default or marketplace template first saves a copy to My Templates.”

✔ You can never damage a stock template. The first time you edit one, CPR Enroll clones it into My Templates and points the message at your copy. The original stays intact, so you can always revert by selecting the Default template again from the dropdown.

Changing the Subject Line Only

If all you need is a different subject, edit the Subject field and click Save. That does not create a template copy.

Reverting and Archiving

Templates can be archived or reverted without interrupting active communications, and every change is recorded in audit history.

Always Test Before You Rely On It

Use Send test after every change. Merge tags that look correct in the builder can render unexpectedly when real data is short, missing or unusually long.

Best Practices

• Change the subject line alone when that is all you need. It avoids creating a template copy you then have to maintain.
• Send a test to an address you actually read, and open it on a phone as well as a desktop.
• Test with a record that has missing optional data, not just your cleanest example — that is where merge tags break.
• Revert to Default rather than trying to undo edits by hand if a custom template goes wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

✔ Your emails say what you want. Next, read SMS Settings, Quiet Hours, and Opt-In Compliance for the text side of the Hub.