Message Templates

Use this feature to create message templates by writing the message text and adding fields from forms. Message templates are used throughout the system:

  • Devices: Item message templates that apply to all forms can be sent from Web Request Devices, if they use the Webhook format
  • Registration codes: Ticket message templates can be used to supply terms and conditions for an excavator. See Configure Excavator Terms & Conditions
  • Ticket Responses: Ticket message templates can replace either the response or both the response and the excavator positive response settings. See Responses > Modify Responses > 2c: 2c. Optional. HTML Message Template
  • Items: Item message templates can be sent with items in these contexts:
    • Item Details > Actions > Print to PDF (To include attachments, related items or item history, you must use the Standard template)
    • Item Details > Actions > Share (To include related items or item history, you must use the Standard template)
  • Process Automation Rules: Item rules can send message templates as notifications. See Process Automation > Edit Rule >2d: Actions > Notifications
  1. On the top menu bar, click System Management ( ) > Administration > General > Message Template
  2. On the Message Template Summary page, in the upper-right corner, click Create New Message Template

  3. On the New Message Template page, type the name and choose whether the template applies to work items or tickets. To make edits, see Edit Template, below:

    Template Type Edit Template Steps
    Work Item 2a through 2h, as needed
    Ticket 2a (description) and 2f (message template) only. Steps 2b through 2g are not available for ticket templates
  4. Click Save
  5. To make edits, see Edit Template, step 2, below

  1. On the Message Template Summary page, in the Template Name column, click template you want to edit

  2. Edit the template:

    Type a description of the template. Descriptions are only visible in the Message Template. They are not visible to users of templates.

     

    Users can send messages by two types of methods: PDF or Email. Message templates are sent by both types by default (PDF/Email). To limit a template to one type, in the Format Type dropdown list, click the type.

     

    If using PDFs, the paper size of the PDF. These are standard paper sizes:

    Paper Size Width x Height (inches)
    A4 8.3 x 11.7
    A5 5.8 x 8.3
    A6 4.1 x 5.8
    A7 2.9 x 4.1
    A8 2.0 x 2.9
    Legal 8.5 x 14
    Letter 8.5 x 11

     

    If using PDFs, choose the orientation of the page:

    Landscape: horizontal orientation

    Portrait: vertical orientation

     

    Optional for item templates. Choose the number of images to be attached to each page of the message template. The system combines your choice of attached images per page, paper size and orientation and then automatically changes the file sizes of the images.

    Choose the forms the template applies to. Once you have saved the template, you cannot change forms it applies to.

    Message templates apply to all forms by default. To apply a template to one form, in the All Forms dropdown list, click the form.

    Apply Template to? Description
    All forms Default. Use this option to send message templates from Web Request Devices and from a Process Automation rule notification
    One form In the All Forms dropdown list, click the form

     

    Optional for ticket templates. Choose the PDF files to be sent as attachments to the ticket message template.

     

    1. Type and format the message text, using the features at the top of the text box (font size, lists, etc.).

    2. Add form fields to pull in data from the fields in the form. Fields from forms are shown in double brackets, for example: [[Assigned To]], [[Location]], etc.

      If you delete the brackets, data from the form field will not appear in your message template.

      To add a form field, click +Add Form Field ( )

    3. In the Select a Field window, in the dropdown list, click a field:

      • General form fields are not form-specific. They are available for all forms
      • All other form fields are specific to an individual form. If you chose to limit the template to one form, you will see both general form fields and fields unique to the form you chose
      General Form Field Description
      Assigned to The user the item is assigned to
      Category Defined by the administrator to group forms with similar characteristics
      Created by The user who created the item
      Created date The date the item was created
      Current date Today's date
      Description The description of the item
      Due Date The deadline for completing the item (date and time)
      Folder The folder containing the item. Folders are used to organize items
      Form name The name of the form
      Item ID The unique number that identifies each item. It is automatically generated by the system
      Note A note about the item
      QR-Code A matrix barcode. If you edit the tag [[QR code]] to add an h tag, you can make the QR code larger. For example: [[QR-Code: h=200]
      Scheduled for The date on which work on an item is scheduled to start
      Status The status of the item. The statuses Open and Closed are defaults in lists of forms (Summary pages) and in Advanced Search. Administrators can create custom statuses for each form
      Title The name of the form the template is applied to (Form Name when creating form)
      Update Time In the History View, the date and time of the last change to the item (Create, Modify, or Action)

       

      If a non-general form field is a Multiple Choice field, you can choose the color of the data from each of the multiple Choice field's options (you may need to check the form to see which fields are Multiple Choice field types):

      1. Add a new Multiple Choice field or right click a Multiple Choice field. Result: The Select a Field window appears listing options from the Multiple Choice field
      2. On the Select a Field window, click in the RGB box to choose the color of the option from the Multiple Choice field
      3. Click OK

       

      Map Layers: If the message template contains a digsite image, any map layers from it that are included in the message template are listed above the Message Template Editor. Click Select Map Layers to change them.

      General Form Field Description
      Company Info  
      Company Callback Number Callback phone number of member company
      Company Fax Number The fax number of the company (One Call Center member) / Locator (if on staff at company) the Excavator should contact
      Facility Type Message The Related Registration/Facility Message sent to registration codes/facilities that do not respond.
      Message Footer From Excavator Positive Response Setting
      Message Header From Excavator Positive Response Setting
      Message Subject From Excavator Positive Response Setting
      Preferred Company Name The name of the company (One Call Center member) that is contacting the excavator
      Dig Site Info  
      Address The street name and address number of the dig site
      County The county in the address of the item (from ticket)
      Cross Street The nearest intersecting street. Part of the dig site (from ticket)
      Digsite Image

      System-generated screenshot of map of dig site from ticket

      Choose the map layers from the image to include. Result: The map layers are listed above the Message Template Editor. Click Select Map Layers to change them
      Location of Work Free text field used to describe the work (from ticket)
      Near Street The nearest intersecting street (from ticket). Not part of dig site
      Place The official boundaries of the city
      Sketch Puts sketch image in email in place of the bracketed text [[sketch]]
      Sketch Legend Contains names of sketching tools and line formats (dash, dot, etc.) used in sketch
      State A geographic and political unit (United States)
      Excavator Info  
      Alt Contact Name Alternative name of excavator (from ticket)
      Alt Contact Phone Alternative contact phone number of excavator (from ticket)
      Contact Alt Phone Alternative phone number of primary contact (from ticket)
      Contact Email Email of excavator (from ticket)
      Contact Fax Fax of excavator (from ticket)
      Contact Name Name of excavator (from ticket)
      Contact Phone Phone number of excavator (from ticket)
      Contact Time Recommended time to contact the excavator
      Excavator Address Address of excavator
      Excavator Address 2 Address of excavator
      Excavator City City of excavator
      Excavator Name Excavator name from ticket
      Excavator State US state of excavator
      Excavator Zip Zip code of excavator
      Extent of Work  
      Extent of Work Description of work to be done
      Locate Info  
      Additional Classification Each company defines its own ticket classifications
      Additional Message A free-text field that can be added to the response window used for positive response to excavator. See Responses > Modify Response > 2c Positive Response to Excavator 2c: 2a. Optional. Add information to response table, Additional Message row
      Assigned To The user the item is assigned to
      Callback Callback phone number of locator
      Division A unit within a region. Regions are used to organize tickets
      Due Time Renegotiation Count The number of times the due time was renegotiated
      Folder The folder containing the item. Folders are used to organize items
      Last Note Last note on ticket
      Last Response Last response entered on a ticket
      Last Response Date The date and time of the most recent response on a ticket
      Last Response Note Last note on response
      Locate Time Time the locate was performed
      Locator The locator of the ticket. If the Locator is in the system, it will be listed in either Users or Contractors
      Locator Email The email address of the locator of the ticket. If the Locator is in the system, it will be listed in either Users or Contractors
      Not Reached Attempts The number of your failed tries to contact the excavator
      Region Regions are used to organize tickets. Regions are subdivided into divisions
      Reviewed

      No: Ticket has not been reviewed

      Yes: Ticket has been reviewed
      Status The status of the item. The statuses Open and Closed are defaults in lists of forms (Summary pages) and in Advanced Search. Administrators can create custom statuses for each form
      Total Units of Work The number of units of work used to do the locate. Units are defined by your company
      Remarks  
      Ticket Remark Remarks from excavator
      Scores Smart Scores listed here
      Ticket Custom Property Custom ticket fields vary by company
      Ticket Info  
      Center The organization that sends tickets into the system
      Code Registrations are codes assigned to your company from the One Call Center. Registration codes are used to identify companies, areas, and assets. See Registration Code Summary
      Creation Time The date ticket was created in the system
      Done For The person or company the work is done for. For example, excavator, property owner
      Due Time The deadline for completing the item (date and time)
      Explosive If available, provided on the One Call Center ticket. Not a standard field
      Facility Type Facility types are an optional feature used to manage different types of facilities (ex. gas, electric, and water)
      Job Number A number used by excavators to identify jobs. Multiple tickets can have the same job number
      Machinery Equipment used by the excavator
      Meeting Time Meet Date time from ticket
      Original Due Date The due date on the ticket (before any changes from the system or users)
      Received Time The time ticket enters the system
      Sequences List of tickets sent daily by a One Call Center in order (sequence) by registration code
      Start Time Start of time spent working on an item
      Subdivision Area or neighborhood within a city or county (from the ticket). Not a standard field
      Taken Time The time the ticket was taken (created) at the One Call Center
      Ticket Category

      The standard ticket type categories are defined by the system and cannot be changed:

      • Aerial
      • Damaged Utility
      • Design
      • Emergency
      • Meet
      • Recall
      • Regular
      • Revision
      • Short
      Ticket Number Each ticket has a number generated by the One Call Center’s system. Also called One Call Center ticket number or Ticket ID
      Type The Ticket Type. Each One Call Center defines its own ticket types
      Version Tickets with the same identification number (Ticket ID) are versions of the same ticket
      Work End Date The date the work recorded in the ticket ended
      Work Type The kind of work. Work varies by One Call Center (boring, drilling, etc.)

       

       

    4. Optional. You can view the template three ways:

      View Description
      Design To enter text and fields using the format features at the top of the text box, at the bottom left corner of the text box, click Design
      HTML To see the HTML code view of your template, at the bottom left corner of the text box, click HTML
      Preview To see what the message will look like to users, at the bottom left corner of the text box, click Preview

     

  3. In addition to previewing the message template in the editor (2d, step 4, above), you can also preview message templates by sending them to an email address as PDF or HTML files.

    1. In the upper right corner of the screen, click Preview.
    2. In the Email Preview window, type the email address to send the preview to.

    3. Choose the file format of the message template: 

      File Format of Template Description
      HTML To send the template as an HTML file, uncheck Send as PDF
      PDF To send the template as a PDF file, check Send as PDF

       

    4. Click Send.

     

  4. Click Save to save the template (or click Cancel to cancel the template):

     

You can search and filter in any order or combination.

Search

  1. In the upper-left corner, type a search in the search box
  2. Click Search ( )
  3. Search results appear with your search terms highlighted
  4. Optional. To erase the search term and results, click X.

Filter

Use filters to limit the templates displayed or to limit the search. The Item Type "Tickets" filter shows all ticket templates

Filter Description
Format Type

  • Email: Message template sent as an email

  • Email/PDF (default): Message template sent as an email and a PDF

  • PDF: Message template sent as a PDF
Item Type

  • Items are listed by name

  • Tickets lists all tickets
Used By

Message templates are used by ticket responses and process automation rules:

  • Ticket Responses: Ticket message templates can replace either the response or both the response and the excavator positive response settings. See Responses > Modify Responses > 2c: 2c. Optional. HTML Message Template
  • Process Automation Rules: Item rules can send message templates as notifications. See Process Automation > Edit Rule >2d: Actions > Notifications

Devices, registration codes, and forms/apps can also use message templates but are not listed here

To show or hide the filters, click Filter ().