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 are triggered by workflow rules and can make use of the same email templates.

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 Agreements, Opportunities, and Term Exception Approvals. Conga Quote/Proposal Approvals Management provides examples for Quotes/Proposals and Quote Line Items.

After that has been done, you can then override the default email templates for all of your approval processes using 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 Approvals Custom Config.
  • Templates in 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 you want to use as the basis for your customized template.
  2. Click Clone, enter the required template details and click Save. Template Unique Name is the value that must be used 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 you should be sure that the Approval Request ID and Approval User ID fields are still included in the template. 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 ensure that you 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.

    Ensure that you 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 you want attached 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 approval email response ensure that you 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 to override the default templates on an ad-hoc basis, you can now use this template when you create an approval process.

To override default email templates with Custom settings

You must have customized templates you can reference.

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



  5. Click Save when complete.

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, while creating an approval process, these templates will be used.

To override default email templates with Admin settings

You must have customized templates you can reference.

  1. Select the Admin tab - or - select  and select Admin.
  2. Click Go to display all of the admin settings.
  3. If APTS_ApprovalConfig is listed, select it, then click Edit and proceed to Step 5.
  4. If it is not listed click New Admin, for Name enter APTS_ApprovalConfig and for Value enter XML.
  5. In the Code field enter the references to the custom email templates for each of the objects you are using with Intelligent Approvals. 
    See, Approval Email Notification Templates, if you need help with formatting of the XML code.

The templates referenced in the Code field will be used as the global Intelligent Approval default email templates. When the Process Definition Notification Templates value fields are left blank, these templates will be used.

To edit email alerts

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

  1. Click Edit beside Approval Request Comments Entered. Since it is a part of the managed package, you cannot change the description or unique name.
  2. Click  and select the required email template.
  3. Select the Recipient Type and the related recipients and click Save.

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

Settings for Email Reply

Create email service: Go to Setup >  Develop > Email Services.

Accept Email From should contain the domains which we plan to use: For Example: Accept Email From: apttus.com, yahoo.com, gmail.com  

In the Email Addresses section, click New Email Address and Accept Email From: apttus.com, yahoo.com, gmail.com and click Save. New email address should be created in the format “approval_email_service@t8l0k46ikux0mfg3lk083tqdn2qetmjc7cosf2m5v92hp70s1.11-fk7eai.cs18.apex.sandbox.salesforce.com”.

Custom Label setting:

Edit the Custom Label ApttusEMailServiceAddress. Ensure that the value of the custom label matches that of the Email Address specified in Email Services.

In the Local Translations / Overrides section, click New Local Translations / Overrides.

Copy the string (Email Address) from Email Service- Email Addresses section and paste it in the Translation Text box.

Click Save.

Approvals System Properties:

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

Email Templates:

Should contain the reply to as below:

replyTo="{!$Label.Apttus_Approval__ApttusEMailServiceAddress}"


Whenever a reassigned or a delegate approver approves or rejects a request, the next approver does not recieve 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.