Inbox templates and variables
Updated August 24, 2026
Templates are saved replies you can drop into any conversation. Dynamic variables fill them in with the contact’s name or the location’s address at send time.
Before you start
- Messaging access on at least one team, or account ownership.
- Full Messaging access to create, edit or delete a Shared template. Everyone can manage their own private templates.
- Location-based variables only resolve when the conversation has a location. A conversation takes its location from its channel, linked at Settings → Channels. A channel linked to a brand instead has no location.
Where to find it
Open Messaging → Inbox (https://app.pluspoint.io/messaging/inbox) and open a conversation. The Insert template and Dynamic variables buttons sit on the composer toolbar. Both are also in the message editor when you start a new conversation from a contact.
Insert a saved reply
- Open the conversation and make sure the Reply tab is selected.
- Select Insert template on the composer toolbar.
- Choose a template from the list. Its text is inserted into the composer.
- Edit the draft if you need to, then send.
Save a reply as a template
- Write the message in the composer exactly as you want to reuse it.
- Select Insert template → Save reply as template → Save as new template.
- In Save new template, fill in the fields below.
- Select Save.
| Field | Rules |
|---|---|
| Template name | Required. It is how the template appears in the insert menu, so make it recognisable at a glance. |
| Message | Required. Rich text, up to 1000 characters. Variable tokens do not count towards the limit. |
| Shared template | Makes the template available to everyone in the account. Only users with full Messaging access can switch it on, and for them it is on by default. |
Update or remove a template
To overwrite one: select Insert template → Save reply as template → Overwrite template, pick the template to replace, and confirm Edit template?. The current composer text becomes the new body.
To delete one: select Insert template → Delete template and pick the template.
Both submenus only list templates you are allowed to change.
How sharing works
| Template type | Who sees it | Who can edit or delete it |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Only the person who created it | Its author |
| Shared template | Everyone in the account | Users with full Messaging access |
A shared template has no author — it belongs to the account.
Personalise a message with variables
- Put the cursor where the value should appear.
- Select Dynamic variables on the composer toolbar.
- Choose the variable you want. It resolves to the real value when the message is sent.
Variables work in a template as well as in a one-off reply.
Available variables
| Variable | Inserts | Needs a location on the conversation |
|---|---|---|
| First name | The contact’s first name | No |
| Last name | The contact’s last name | No |
| Location name | The location’s name | No |
| Brand | The brand name | No |
| Geomodifier | The location’s geomodifier | Yes |
| Primary phone | The location’s main phone number | Yes |
| The location’s email address | Yes | |
| Website | The location’s website | Yes |
| Address line 1 | First address line | Yes |
| Address line 2 | Second address line | Yes |
| City | The location’s city | Yes |
| State | The location’s state or region | Yes |
| Postal code | The location’s postal code | Yes |
| Country | The location’s country | Yes |
The Inbox has no contact custom-field, user or date variables.
Send a survey or a coupon
Surveys and coupons have their own toolbar buttons. Each one carries a reference to the specific survey or coupon you pick.
- Surveys appears when surveys are enabled on the account, you have surveys access, and the conversation has a location or its channel has a brand. See Sending surveys.
- The coupons button appears under the same conditions with coupons enabled and coupons access. See Creating and sharing coupons.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Shared template is greyed out | Sharing requires full Messaging access | Ask an admin to save it as a shared template, or keep it private |
| A template you expected is missing from the insert menu | It is another user’s private template | Ask its author to re-save it with Shared template on |
| A template is missing from the Overwrite template or Delete template submenu | It is shared and you do not have full Messaging access, or it belongs to someone else | Ask a user with full Messaging access to make the change |
| Address, phone or website variables are not in the menu | The conversation has no location | Link the channel to a location at Settings → Channels, then use a conversation on that channel |
| Surveys or the coupons button is not in the toolbar | The feature is off for the account, you lack the permission, or the conversation has neither a location nor a brand | Check the account’s features and your permissions, and link the channel to a location or brand |