> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cortado.pro/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Marketing & Customer Email
> Customize the automated emails your customers receive during a booking and the templates your team uses to compose messages
## Overview
Cortado doesn't currently include campaign or bulk-email tooling — there's no newsletter builder or mass send-to-segment feature. What it does have is a set of controls for the automated emails customers receive during a booking (new inquiry alerts, quote deliveries, payment receipts, and similar transactional messages) plus reusable templates your team can drop into one-off emails. You can customize both so the messages match your brand.
The **Marketing** page under CRM is a placeholder for future campaign features. The functionality described in this guide lives under **Settings > Communications**.
## System Emails
System emails are sent automatically during key events — a new inquiry lands, a quote goes out, a payment clears. The branded layout is fixed, but you can rewrite the subject and body content for each one using a rich-text editor with merge fields.
The following system email types can be customized:
* **New Inquiry** — sent when a prospect submits your inquiry form
* **Quote Sent** — sent when you send a quote
* **Invoice Sent** — sent when you send an invoice
* **Payment Receipt** — sent after a successful payment
* **Payment Processing** — sent for ACH payments while bank verification is in progress
* **Payment Failed** — sent when a payment attempt fails
* **Refund Processed** — sent when a refund is issued
### Customizing a System Email
Go to **Settings > Communications > System Emails** and pick a template. Each card shows whether the template is using defaults or has been customized.
Rewrite the subject line in your own voice. The subject field is rich and supports merge variables — inserted variables show up as labeled **badges** so they're easy to spot.
The body slots use a full rich-text editor — apply **bold**, *italic*, links, and lists to style your message. The branded layout around the body stays intact.
Use the inline **variable picker** to drop in merge fields like `{{contact_name}}`, `{{event_date}}`, or `{{organization_name}}`. Variables render as labeled badges in the editor, making them easy to spot and rearrange. Each variable in the picker has a copy button so you can grab one to use elsewhere.
Switch to the **Preview** tab to see an HTML preview with sample data filled in. This is the fastest way to confirm formatting and merge fields look right before you save.
Your overrides take effect on the next send. You can reset to defaults any time.
### New Inquiry Email Customization
The **New Inquiry** system email has one extra option that the other templates don't: a customizable **View Menu** button. This button appears in the email a new prospect receives and links them to your menu or services page.
You can customize:
* **Button text** — for example, "View Our Menu", "See Our Packages", or "Browse Services".
* **Button URL** — the destination when the button is clicked. Must be a full URL.
If you leave the URL field empty, Cortado falls back to your organization's website URL configured under **Settings > Company > General**. That way the button always points somewhere sensible even if you forget to set it.
Point the View Menu button at your highest-converting page — a packages page, a sample menu PDF, or a pricing guide. The button is one of the first things a new prospect clicks after submitting your inquiry form.
## Email Templates
Email Templates are reusable bodies your team can drop into the **Compose Email** sheet on a lead, contact, booking, quote, or invoice page. They're distinct from system emails:
| System Emails | Email Templates |
| ---------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Sent automatically by Cortado | Inserted manually when you compose an email |
| One template per event (e.g. Quote Sent) | Library of templates you organize by category |
| Customize subject and body slots | Full body content, ready to drop in |
Email Templates live at **Settings > Communications > Email Templates** and are available org-wide — every user on your team can use them.
### Categories
Templates are organized by category so the right ones surface when you're composing an email:
* **General** — universal templates (introductions, thank-yous, follow-ups)
* **Inquiry** — initial outreach, qualification questions, scheduling a call
* **Quote** — sending a quote, following up on a quote, addressing questions
* **Booking** — confirmation messages, day-of details, post-event check-ins
* **Invoice** — payment reminders, receipt follow-ups, balance notices
### Variables in Templates
Email Templates use the same `{{variable}}` syntax as system emails and the same inline picker for inserting them. When you insert a template into the Compose Email sheet, variables fill in automatically based on the parent record:
* On a contact, contact variables fill in.
* On a lead or quote, contact + inquiry + quote variables fill in.
* On a booking or invoice, event and invoice variables fill in.
If a variable isn't relevant to the record you're composing from, it's left blank — so you can build flexible templates that work across contexts.
How the Compose Email sheet works and where templates are inserted.
## Variables
Both system emails and templates use the same merge-variable system. The inline variable picker is the source of truth — it groups variables by entity type and shows only the ones available for the template you're editing.
Variable categories include:
* **Contact** — the customer's name, email, and phone
* **Organization** — your business name, website, contact email, and branding fields
* **Inquiry** — fields submitted on the inquiry form (event type, guest count, requested date, etc.)
* **Event** — scheduled date, time, duration, location, and guest count
* **Sender** — the team member sending the email
* **Quote** — quote total, line items, and acceptance status
* **Invoice** — invoice number, total, due date, and amount owed
* **Payment** — payment amount, method, and date
* **Refund** — refund amount and reason
Available variables differ by template type — the picker only shows the variables you can use in the template you're editing, so you can't accidentally insert one that won't resolve.
Inserted variables show up in the editor as labeled badges, not as raw `{{...}}` text. This makes long messages much easier to scan and edit without breaking the merge syntax.
## Best Practices
1. **Customize New Inquiry and Quote Sent first** — these are the highest-stakes first impressions. A warm subject line, a personal opening, and a clear View Menu button beat the defaults every time.
2. **Use the Preview tab before saving** — sample data in the preview makes typos, broken formatting, and awkward merge fields easy to catch before they go live.
3. **Lean on badges, not raw braces** — insert variables through the picker so they appear as badges. They're easier to spot, rearrange, and avoid breaking by accident.
4. **Style sparingly** — bold a key sentence, link a button, but resist turning the body into a design exercise. Plain, well-written copy converts better than over-styled emails.
5. **Build a templates library your whole team uses** — a few well-written templates per category (Inquiry follow-up, Quote nudge, Invoice reminder) save your team hours and keep your brand voice consistent.
6. **Set the View Menu URL on the New Inquiry email** — even if you have a fallback website URL configured, an explicit menu or packages link converts far better than a generic homepage.
Browse all settings including Communications.
Use Email Templates from the Compose Email sheet on any record.
Configure where new inquiry and booking notifications are delivered.