Email Templates

Customize the email templates that are automatically sent to your customers for booking confirmations, reminders, cancellations, and feedback requests. Personalize your emails with your branding and use dynamic placeholders to include booking details.

Accessing Email Templates

1. Log in to your BeSeat account
2. Navigate to Settings → Email Templates
3. View and customize your email templates
4. Click Save Email Templates to save your changes

Note: Only account owners and administrators can access email templates settings. Staff members do not have permission to view or modify these settings.

Understanding Email Templates

BeSeat provides four types of email templates:

1. Booking Pending Email - Sent when a booking is first created (before confirmation)
2. Booking Confirmation Email - Sent when a booking is confirmed
3. Booking Cancellation Email - Sent when a booking is cancelled
4. Customer Feedback Email - Sent after a booking is completed to request feedback

Each template can be:

• Activated or deactivated - Toggle emails on/off for each type
• Customized - Edit subject lines and email body content
• Tested - Send test emails to verify your templates work correctly

Available Placeholders

Use these placeholders in your email templates to dynamically insert booking information:

Placeholder	Description	Example
{{customer_name}}	Guest/customer name	John Smith
{{party}}	Number of guests	2
{{date}}	Booking date and time	25/12/2024 19:00
{{message}}	Special request or message from customer	Window seat please
{{cancel_link}}	URL for customers to cancel their booking	https://widget.beseat.com/booking/…
{{company_name}}	Your business name	BeSeat Restaurant
{{contact}}	Your business address and phone	123 Main St, London, +44 20 3897 2233
{{company_logo}}	Your business logo image	<img src="...">

Note: Placeholders are case-sensitive and must be typed exactly as shown, including the {{ and }} brackets.

Configuring Email Templates

Step 1: Activate a Template

1. Find the email template you want to configure (e.g., “Booking Confirmation Email”)
2. Toggle the switch to Active (green badge)
3. If the template is empty, default values will be automatically loaded

Step 2: Customize the Subject Line

1. Enter your email subject in the Subject field
2. Use placeholders to personalize the subject (e.g., Booking Confirmation - {{company_name}})
3. Keep subject lines concise and clear

Example subjects:

• Your booking at {{company_name}} is confirmed
• Booking Reminder - {{date}} at {{company_name}}
• We're sorry to see you go - {{company_name}}

Step 3: Customize the Email Body

1. Enter your email body content in the Body field
2. Use placeholders to include booking details
3. You can use HTML formatting for better presentation
4. Include important information like booking details, cancellation instructions, or feedback links

Example body:

Hello {{customer_name}},

Thank you for your booking at {{company_name}}!

Booking Details:
- Date & Time: {{date}}
- Number of Guests: {{party}}
{{#message}}
- Special Request: {{message}}
{{/message}}

If you need to cancel or modify your booking, please use this link:
{{cancel_link}}

We look forward to seeing you!

Best regards,
{{company_name}}
{{contact}}

Step 4: Test Your Template

Before saving, test your email template:

1. Make sure both Subject and Body fields are filled
2. Click the Test Mail button next to the Subject field
3. A test email will be sent to your account email address
4. Review the email to ensure placeholders are replaced correctly and formatting looks good

Note: Test emails use sample data to demonstrate how placeholders will appear in actual emails.

Step 5: Save Your Templates

1. After configuring all your templates, click Save Email Templates at the bottom
2. Your templates will be saved and used for all future emails
3. Changes take effect immediately for new bookings

Template Types Explained

Booking Pending Email

When it’s sent: Immediately when a customer creates a booking (before confirmation)

Purpose: Acknowledge the booking request and provide initial information

Common use cases:

• Thank the customer for booking
• Provide booking reference number
• Set expectations about confirmation process
• Include cancellation link

Example Subject:

Booking Pending Email {{date}}

Example Body:

{{company_logo}}

Waiting to be confirmed

Thanks {{customer_name}}, Your booking request is waiting to be confirmed.

Give us a few moments to make sure we have space for you.
You will receive another email from us soon. If this request
was made outside our normal working hours, we may not be able
to confirm it until we're open again.

Party size: {{party}} people
Date & time: {{date}}
{{#message}}
Special request: {{message}}
{{/message}}

If you need to cancel or change your booking, please use the link below.
Cancellation URL: {{cancel_link}}

{{company_name}}
CONTACT
{{contact}}

Booking Confirmation Email

When it’s sent: When a booking is confirmed by you or automatically

Purpose: Confirm the booking and provide all necessary details

Common use cases:

• Confirm booking details
• Provide arrival instructions
• Include cancellation policy
• Add directions or parking information

Example Subject:

Your booking has been confirmed at {{company_name}}

Example Body:

{{company_logo}}

Your table has been booked

Hi {{customer_name}},

Your booking request has been confirmed.
We look forward to welcoming you!

Party size: {{party}} people
Date & time: {{date}}
{{#message}}
Special request: {{message}}
{{/message}}

If you need to cancel or change your booking, please use the link below.
Cancellation URL: {{cancel_link}}

{{company_name}}
CONTACT
{{contact}}

Booking Cancellation Email

When it’s sent: When a booking is cancelled (by customer or business)

Purpose: Acknowledge cancellation and provide next steps

Common use cases:

• Confirm cancellation
• Provide refund information (if applicable)
• Invite customer to rebook
• Thank customer for their interest

Example Subject:

Your booking has been cancelled at {{company_name}}

Example Body:

{{company_logo}}

Booking Cancelled

Hi {{customer_name}},

Your booking has been cancelled as requested.
We hope to see you again soon!

Party size: {{party}} people
Date & time: {{date}}
{{#message}}
Special request: {{message}}
{{/message}}

If you would like to make a new booking, please visit our website.

{{company_name}}
CONTACT
{{contact}}

Customer Feedback Email

When it’s sent: After a booking is completed (based on your settings)

Purpose: Request feedback and reviews from customers

Common use cases:

• Thank customer for their visit
• Request feedback or reviews
• Provide feedback link
• Encourage return visits

Example Subject:

How was your visit to {{company_name}}?

Example Body:

{{company_logo}}

Hi {{customer_name}},

Thank you for visiting us! We hope you had a wonderful experience.

We would love to hear your feedback. Your opinion helps us improve and serve you better.
Feedback URL: {{feedback_url}}

Thank you,
{{company_name}}

Best Practices

Keep It Personal

• Use the customer’s name ({{customer_name}})
• Include your business name ({{company_name}})
• Add your contact information ({{contact}})

Be Clear and Concise

• Keep subject lines under 50 characters when possible
• Use clear, simple language
• Break up long paragraphs with line breaks

Include Important Information

• Always include booking date and time ({{date}})
• Mention number of guests ({{party}})
• Provide cancellation link ({{cancel_link}}) when relevant

Test Before Going Live

• Always send test emails before saving templates
• Verify all placeholders work correctly
• Check formatting on both desktop and mobile email clients

Use HTML Formatting

You can use basic HTML in email bodies:

• Bold text: <strong>text</strong> or <b>text</b>
• Line breaks: <br> or empty lines
• Links: <a href="url">link text</a>
• Lists: <ul><li>item</li></ul>

Note: Keep formatting simple. Complex formatting may not display correctly in all email clients.

Brand Consistency

• Include your logo ({{company_logo}}) if available
• Use consistent tone and style across all templates
• Match your brand voice and personality

Activating and Deactivating Templates

Activating a Template

1. Toggle the switch to Active (green)
2. If fields are empty, default values will be loaded automatically
3. Customize the subject and body as needed
4. Save your changes

Deactivating a Template

1. Toggle the switch to Inactive (gray)
2. The template will not be sent, even if configured
3. Save your changes

Note: Deactivating a template does not delete it. You can reactivate it later without losing your customizations.

Loading Default Templates

If you activate a template that has empty fields, default values will be automatically loaded. You can also manually load defaults by:

1. Deactivating the template
2. Activating it again
3. Default values will be populated

Default templates include:

• Pre-written subject lines
• Basic email body structure
• All necessary placeholders

You can then customize these defaults to match your brand.

Troubleshooting

Placeholders Not Replacing

If placeholders appear as literal text (e.g., {{customer_name}} instead of the actual name):

• Check that placeholders are typed exactly as shown (case-sensitive)
• Ensure you’re using {{placeholder}} format with double curly braces
• Verify the placeholder name is correct

Test Email Not Received

If test emails aren’t arriving:

• Check your SMTP settings are configured correctly
• Verify your email address in account settings
• Check spam/junk folder
• Ensure SMTP settings are saved and working

Template Not Sending

If emails aren’t being sent:

• Verify the template is Active (green badge)
• Check that both Subject and Body fields are filled
• Ensure SMTP settings are configured
• Check that the booking status matches the template trigger

HTML Not Rendering

If HTML formatting isn’t showing correctly:

• Use simple formatting only
• Keep formatting simple and straightforward
• Test in multiple email clients
• Consider using plain text if formatting causes issues

Changes Not Saving

If your changes aren’t being saved:

• Ensure you click Save Email Templates button
• Check for error messages
• Verify you have admin/owner permissions
• Try refreshing the page and saving again

Integration with SMTP Settings

Email templates work in conjunction with your SMTP settings:

1. Configure SMTP first - Set up your email server settings in Settings → SMTP
2. Then customize templates - Create your email templates in Settings → Email Templates
3. Test everything - Send test emails to verify both SMTP and templates work

Important: Email templates will not send if SMTP settings are not configured. Make sure your SMTP settings are saved and working before expecting emails to be sent.

Next Steps

After configuring your email templates:

• Configure SMTP settings if you haven’t already
• Test all templates to ensure they work correctly
• Monitor customer responses to improve your templates
• Update templates seasonally or for special events

Need Help?

• Contact our support team