Default email templates provide the ability to use Intelligent Approvals out of the box and begin testing approval process workflows quickly; however, if you want to have bespoke emails for your organization or you want to attach documents to approval request emails, you must use custom email templates. Email alerts can be triggered by Flows and can make use of the same email templates.

Note

Salesforce has deprecated Workflow Rules. While Workflow Rules continue to operate for legacy installations, you can no longer create new workflow rules. It is time to migrate to Flow. If any of your operations relies on Workflow Rules, follow Salesforce's Migrate to Flow instructions to make this transition. 

Typically, the easiest way to create your own custom template is to clone one of the email templates provided in the unmanaged Conga samples package and then edit it. You cannot clone the standard email templates included in the Conga Approvals Management package.

The Conga Approvals Management package provides email template examples for , opportunities, and term exception approvals. Conga Quote/Proposal Approvals Management provides examples for Quotes/Proposals and Quote Line Items.

When that is done, you can override the default email templates for all approval processes using the Approvals custom config custom settings, APTS_ApprovalConfig admin settings, or on an ad hoc basis for specific approval processes.

Note

  The selection of the email template to use is determined as follows:

  • Email templates selected in an Approval process override templates in an Approvals custom config.
  • Templates in an Approvals custom config override templates in APTS_AppprovalConfig.

If you do not configure email templates in any of the three fields, you cannot send approval emails.

To customize email templates

You must have installed the Conga Approvals Management and Conga Quote/Proposal Approvals Management packages.

Go to Administration Setup > Communication Templates > Email Templates.

  1. From the Folder list, select Conga Email Templates and then select the email template on which you will base your customized template.
  2. Click Clone, enter the required template details and click Save. You must use Template Unique Name as the value when you override the default email templates.
  3. Click Edit Template to display the Visualforce editor and make the required changes to the template. You should be familiar with Visualforce pages and apex code to complete this step.


    Attention

    When you edit the text and code in a template, make sure the template retains the Approval Request ID and Approval User ID fields. These are required for the approvals engine to route emails correctly and retain the ability to decide on an email by responding to it. When you customize an email template, be sure to retain the Context.recipientSO.Id email markup instead of using Context.requestSO.Apttus_Approval__Assigned_To_Id__c. Not retaining the original markup causes an email notification issue where some of the recipients do not receive an email notification.

    Set the target object ID in the template. For more information, refer to TargetObjectId.

  4. Click Save to return to the main template view page.
  5. In the Standard Attachments section, select Attach File and select a file to attach to each request.
  6. Click Send Test and Verify Merge Fields to display the Preview Template window.
  7. Select a user and an approval request for an object that matches the object the template will be used for, select any email address, and click OK. The email can be used to verify that all the fields have the expected values and that any attachments are included.
  8. To enable an approval email response, follow the steps at Enable Email Approval Response.

Templates that are available for use can now be used for any subsequent approval requests.

You can make the template a default template or, when you create an approval process, you can use this template to override the default templates on an ad hoc basis.

To override default email templates with custom settings

Prerequisite: You must have customized templates you can reference.

  1. Go to Build > Develop > Custom Settings and click Approvals Custom Config.
  2. Click Manage in the Custom Setting Definition Detail section to display the current objects associated with Intelligent Approvals.
  3. Click Edit beside the object for which you will edit email templates.
  4. Enter the name of the customized email template in the Name field.



  5. Click Save.

The templates referenced in the template fields will be used as the global Intelligent Approval default email templates for that object. When the Process Definition Notification Templates value fields are left blank during approval process creation, these templates will be used.

To override default email templates with admin settings

Prerequisite: You must have customized templates you can reference.
  1. Select the Admin tab or select the + icon and then Admin.
  2. Click Go to display all of the admin settings.
  3. If APTS_ApprovalConfig is listed, select it, click Edit. If APTS_ApprovalConfig is not listed, click New Admin. Enter APTS_ApprovalConfig in the Name field and  XML in the Value field.
  4. In the Code field, enter a reference to the custom email templates for each object you are using with Intelligent Approvals. See Approval Email Notification Templates for help formatting the XML.

Intelligent Approval uses the templates referenced in the Code field as its global default email templates when the notification templates value fields are left blank.

To edit email alerts

Go to Build > Create > Workflow & Approvals > Email Alerts

  1. Click Edit beside Approval Request Comments Entered. Because it is part of the managed package, you cannot change its description or unique name.
  2. Click the find icon () and select the required email template.
  3. Select the recipient type and related recipients and click Save.

Subsequent email alerts that are sent when approval request comments are entered will use the new email template. Other email alerts can be edited in the same manner.

Settings for Email Reply

Create email service:

  1. Go to Setup >  Develop > Email Services.
  2. Enter the domains you plan to use in the "Accept Email From" field. For example, Accept Email From: apttus.com, yahoo.com, gmail.com  
  3. In the Email Addresses section, click New Email Address and Accept Email From: apttus.com, yahoo.com, gmail.com and click Save.
  4. A new email address is created in the format approval_email_service@t8l0k46ikux0mfg3lk083tqdn2qetmjc7cosf2m5v92hp70s1.11-fk7eai.cs18.apex.sandbox.salesforce.com.

Custom Label Setting

  1. Edit the ApttusEMailServiceAddress custom label. Match the custom label value to the email address specified in Email Services.
  2. In the Local Translations / Overrides section, click New Local Translations / Overrides.
  3. Copy the string (email address) from the Email Service – Email Addresses section and paste it in the Translation Text box.
  4. Click Save.

Approvals System Properties

Email Approval Service Address must contain same string from Email Service- Email Addresses page.

Email Templates

Email templates should contain a "Reply to" value such as:

replyTo="{!$Label.Apttus_Approval__ApttusEMailServiceAddress}"


When a reassigned or a delegate approver approves or rejects a request, the next approver does not receive an email notification. If the previous approver has a Yahoo email address, the email is not routed to the next approver. Follow the DMARC guidelines and the steps listed at Google Support and Yahoo Support to ensure email notifications are generated and sent.