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How to Create and Use Templates on TimelinesAI

Updated this week

With TimelinesAI, you can create a Template that your team will use to start new chats or answer the most common inquiries from your clients.

  • in selected existing chats

  • in new chats

  • in multiple existing chats

  • in a mass messaging campaign

Create a Template

To create a Template:

  1. Go to the Templates menu

  2. Click _New Template_

  3. Choose a source for the variables to be used within the template. Currently supported third-party source is _Pipedrive_.

  1. Enter the desired message text. If you’ve chosen Pipedrive as the source, you can load a sample from Pipedrive and use data from person or deal fields as variables. To insert an available Pipedrive variable, click the clipboard icon next to the field to copy it, then paste it into your message.

  1. Upload a file ( optional). You can upload 1 attachment ( any format) to your template.

  2. Select the visibility level:

  1. Select team/s with whom the template will be shared.

This setting is available only to users with administrative rights. For users without administrative rights, sharing defaults to the user's current team.

  1. Enter desired template name into _Save as_ field and click Save

Manage Templates

To manage templates go to the Templates menu. This page displays the templates you’ve created (10 per page) and read-only public templates shared by your team members or with your team in general.

  1. To find a template, use the filter box: you can filter by template name or message text.

  2. To change the sort order, click the desired column name, then click the sort order icon.

  3. To edit or delete a template, hover over the desired template and click _Edit_ or _Delete_ in the _Actions_ column..

Edit and Delete actions are available based on the template's visibility and sharing settings (https://help.timelines.ai/en/article/how-to-create-and-use-templates-on-timelinesai-1jv2bnn/?bust=1721904674044#3-template-sharing-and-visibility).

To send a template from Pipedrive

  1. Open the desired person or deal at Pipedrive.

  2. Locate _TimelinesAI Whatsapp Integration _ widget.

  3. Click _Send WhatsApp Template_ button.

  4. Select the desired _To_ and _From_ numbers.

  5. Select the desired template and click _Send_.

  • Template message will be automatically inserted into _Your message_ box .

  • Variables (if any) will be replaced by actual values, provided the selected person or deal has data in the corresponding fields in Pipedrive. For example, if the deal/person has their name entered in the "First Name" field, the message will include the actual name instead of the _{person.first_name}_ variable.

  • Template attachment ( if any) will be added to the outgoing message when you click "Send.

To insert the template into your reply via TimelinesAI Shared Inbox

To reply with template in existing chat

  1. Open the desired chat

  2. Enter the / symbol into the reply box

  3. A list with your templates will display and you'll be able to select any. Frequently used Templates will be displayed first.

  4. Press Send to send your message with the template

Templates display only if the text box of the message is empty. If there is already some text in the input field, your Templates will not show up, to prevent mistyping or grammar errors.

Variables are not supported in Shared Inbox templates. If you've inserted a template that contains variables, ensure you replace the variables with appropriate values manually before sending the message.

How to Insert a Template in a Chat


To send a template into multiple existing chats at once

  1. Open Chats page

  2. Select the desired chats using checkboxes

  3. Click_ Bulk Reply_ from the top menu

  4. Enter the / symbol into the message box

  5. A list with your templates will display and you'll be able to select any. Frequently used Templates will be displayed first.

  6. Press Send to send your message with the template

Templates display only if the text box of the message is empty. If there is already some text in the input field, your Templates will not show up, to prevent mistyping or grammar errors.

Variables are not supported in Shared Inbox templates. If you've inserted a template that contains variables, ensure you replace the variables with appropriate values manually before sending the message.


To use templates in mass messaging campaigns

  1. Create or edit mass messaging campaign at https://app.timelines.ai/mass_messaging

  2. On a _Select Template_ step you can choose an existing template to be used in a campaign. Alternatively you can add a new message and save it as a new template


To start a new chat with a template

  1. Open Chats page

  2. Click _Start New Chat_ from the horizontal navigation menu at the top of the page

  1. Add the desired recipient's phone number

  2. Enter the / symbol into the message box

  3. A list with your templates will display and you'll be able to select any. Frequently used Templates will be displayed first.

  4. Press Send to send your message with the template

Templates display only if the text box of the message is empty. If there is already some text in the input field, your Templates will not show up, to prevent mistyping or grammar errors.

Variables are not supported in Shared Inbox templates. If you've inserted a template that contains variables, ensure you replace the variables with appropriate values manually before sending the message.

Template Sharing and Visibility

Template visibility determines who can use and edit the template, while template sharing defines its availability to specific teams

Visibility is selected by template owner and can be one of the following:

  • Public - everyone can use and edit the template

  • Read-only - everyone can use the template, you and administrators can edit

  • Private - only you can use and edit the template

Sharing can be selected only by template owners who have administrative rights ( workspace owners and admins) and can be one of the following:

  • Any team ( = all teams)

  • Particular team ( single team is selected)

For other users, sharing defaults to "Particular team," meaning it is only available to the team the template owner belongs to.

Different users in your workspace will have different level of control over a template, depending on user's role and template's sharing/visibility settings:

Your Role

Your Own templates

Public + your team

Public+ all teams

Public + particular other team

Read-only + your team

Read-only + all teams

Read-only + particular other team

Private

Workspace Owners and Admins

use+edit+delete

use+edit+delete

use+edit+delete

use+edit+delete

use+edit+delete

use+edit+delete

use+edit+delete

none

Team Supervisors

use+edit_delete

use+edit+delete

use+edit+delete

use+edit

none

use+edit_delete

use

none

Team mates, Collaborators and Agents

use+edit_delete

use+edit

use+edit

none

none

none

none

none

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