Email Sending And Templates Documentation 2026 01 14
Email Sending and Email Templates Documentation
Date: January 14, 2026
Issue Type: Documentation Gap
Priority: High
Executive Summary
User questions revealed a critical gap in our documentation regarding how to send emails from the platform and what email templates are. While the platform has extensive email functionality, the documentation was fragmented across multiple articles and didn't provide a clear, comprehensive guide for users asking these fundamental questions:
- How do I send emails from the platform?
- What are email templates?
- How do I create and use email templates?
- What are the different ways to send emails?
Result: Created comprehensive documentation article and enabled helpful tooltip in the email templates UI.
User Questions That Triggered This Update
"How do I send emails from the platform? What are email templates?"
These fundamental questions highlighted that while we had documentation about SMTP settings, SendGrid integration, and email logs, we lacked a central guide explaining:
- The four different methods for sending emails
- What email templates are and how they differ from form notifications
- When to use each method
- How to create and configure email templates
Research and Analysis
Existing Documentation Review
Analysis of the docs/exported-articles folder revealed the following existing email-related documentation:
| Article | URL | Coverage | Gap Identified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emails and SMTP Overview | /emails-and-smtp/article/emails-and-smtp-overview | SMTP protocol overview, advantages of custom SMTP, email logs | No information about EMAIL SENDING METHODS or EMAIL TEMPLATES feature |
| Email Settings | /emails-and-smtp/article/email-settings | How to configure SMTP settings, Gmail setup, SendGrid integration | No guidance on HOW TO SEND EMAILS or use templates |
| Using SendGrid for Emails | /emails-and-smtp/article/using-sendgrid-for-emails | SendGrid SMTP configuration | Technical setup only, no email sending instructions |
| How to Send Email Notifications (Video) | /guides-and-faqs/.../how-to-send-email-notifications... | Video showing form notifications, scheduled tasks | Video format only, no written guide; no coverage of EMAIL TEMPLATES feature |
| Email Logs | /logging-and-audits/article/email-logs | Email log viewing and troubleshooting | Assumes user already knows how to send emails |
Codebase Analysis
Investigation of the appifany2 codebase revealed a comprehensive email templates feature that was poorly documented:
Email Templates Feature Components
- Controllers:
- appifany2/app/Http/Controllers/Client/EmailTemplateController.php - Manages email templates
- appifany2/app/Http/Controllers/Client/EmailTemplateLibraryController.php - Template library
- Models:
- appifany2/app/Models/AppEmailTemplate.php - Email template data model
- appifany2/app/Models/EmailTemplateLibrary.php - Template library model
- Views:
- appifany2/resources/assets/client/v2/tpl/automation/automation-email-templates.html - Template list view
- appifany2/resources/assets/client/v2/tpl/automation/automation-email-template-form.html - Template editor
- appifany2/resources/assets/client/v2/tpl/automation/automation-email-template-logs.html - Template logs
- Short Articles (Internal):
- appifany2/short-articles/form-notification-emails.html - Comprehensive guide to form notifications
- appifany2/short-articles/automation-email-catchers.html - Email catchers documentation
Email Template Capabilities Found
- General Settings: Template name, description, send to (To/Cc/Bcc/Reply-To), from name/email, subject, SMTP configuration, attachment support
- Parameters: Dynamic placeholders for data from records (e.g., {{first_name}}, {{order_number}})
- Magic Links: Secure one-time access links for recipients
- Template Editor: Rich text editor with HTML support
- Logs: Delivery tracking and status monitoring
- Template Library: Pre-built templates for common use cases
- Default Templates: System templates for login, signup, password reset
What Was Done
1. Created New Comprehensive Documentation Article
New Article: Sending Emails and Email Templates
File Location: docs/exported-articles/Emails and SMTP/(No Section)/sending-emails-and-email-templates.html
Article Contents
- Methods for Sending Emails - Complete overview of all four methods:
- Form Notification Emails (basic and custom)
- Email Templates (the dedicated feature)
- Scheduled Tasks
- Automation Action Rules
- Understanding Email Templates
- What email templates are and why they're useful
- Benefits: consistency, efficiency, centralized management, dynamic content
- How to create email templates
- Detailed explanation of all tabs: General, Parameters, Magic Link, Template, Logs
- Where email templates can be used
- Default email templates
- Template library feature
- Email Settings - Overview of SMTP configuration (links to detailed articles)
- Email Logs - How to monitor and troubleshoot
- Best Practices - Actionable tips for effective email usage
- Common Issues - Troubleshooting guide
- Related Articles - Links to all relevant documentation
2. Code Improvements
File: appifany2/resources/assets/client/v2/tpl/automation/automation-email-template-form.html
Change: Enabled tooltip for "Allow Attachment" field (line 148)
Reason: The tooltip was commented out but contained helpful information: "Enable attachment support for this email template. When enabled, an ATTACHMENT_URL parameter will be available."
Impact: Users will now see a helpful tooltip explaining what happens when they enable attachments, reducing confusion and support questions.
3. Documentation Structure
The new article was strategically placed in the "Emails and SMTP" section to:
- Create a logical entry point for users asking "how do I send emails?"
- Serve as a hub linking to more specific articles (SMTP settings, SendGrid, etc.)
- Provide comprehensive coverage in one place while avoiding duplication
- Follow the user's mental model: "I want to send email" → "Here are your options" → "Here's how to do each one"
Why This Matters
User Impact
- Reduced Support Burden: Users can now self-serve on fundamental email questions
- Faster Onboarding: New users can quickly understand their email options
- Better Feature Discovery: Email Templates feature was essentially hidden - now discoverable
- Increased Feature Adoption: Users now know when and how to use email templates vs. simple form notifications
Business Impact
- Plan Upgrades: Email templates require specific plan features - documenting them drives awareness and potential upgrades
- Competitive Advantage: Well-documented features are more valuable than undocumented ones
- Support Efficiency: One article answers multiple common questions
Documentation Quality Metrics
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Articles covering "how to send email" | 1 (video only) | 2 (video + comprehensive written guide) |
| Articles explaining "Email Templates" feature | 0 | 1 |
| Methods for sending emails documented | 2 (form notifications, scheduled tasks in video) | 4 (all methods with written instructions) |
| Email template capabilities documented | 0% | 100% |
Related Documentation
This update complements existing articles without duplicating content:
- Emails and SMTP Overview - Technical background on SMTP
- Email Settings - Detailed SMTP configuration
- Using SendGrid for Emails - SendGrid integration guide
- How to Send Email Notifications - Video tutorial
- Email Logs - Monitoring and troubleshooting
Next Steps / Recommendations
- Add to Sitemap: Include new article in sitemap.xml with proper categorization
- Update Navigation: Consider featuring "Sending Emails and Email Templates" prominently in documentation navigation
- Link from UI: Update the commented-out "Learn More" link in the email templates UI (line 43 of automation-email-templates.html) to point to the new article
- Video Companion: Consider creating a short video walkthrough of email templates to complement the written guide
- User Testing: Monitor if this article reduces support tickets about email sending and templates
Files Modified
- Created: docs/exported-articles/Emails and SMTP/(No Section)/sending-emails-and-email-templates.html
- Modified: appifany2/resources/assets/client/v2/tpl/automation/automation-email-template-form.html (line 148 - enabled tooltip)
- Created: docs/exported-articles/AI Code and Doc Updates/Code Updates/email-sending-and-templates-documentation-2026-01-14.html (this document)
Conclusion
This documentation update addresses a fundamental user need that was previously unmet. The question "How do I send emails from the platform? What are email templates?" is one of the most basic questions a user might ask, yet our documentation didn't provide a clear, comprehensive answer.
The new article serves as both an entry point for beginners and a reference guide for advanced users, covering all email sending methods while specifically highlighting the Email Templates feature that was essentially undocumented. The addition of the tooltip in the UI further reduces friction and improves the user experience.
By marrying the comprehensive codebase functionality with clear, user-friendly documentation, we've eliminated a significant gap that was likely causing confusion and support burden.
We'd love to hear your feedback.