The Email Template

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An ACT-To-Outlook 2003 Email Template is a collection of 3 things:

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The location of the display file. For example, the http location of the newsletter, the local path to the file.

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The collection of attachments to send with the email. This is the list of attachments that should be sent out with the emails.

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The Variables that have values. Any variables that have been given a value, the value is stored as part of the template. Hence, next time you retrieve the template, the variable values are saved.

Template Variables

Template Variables are any variable enclosed in "[" and "]" right parenthesis. When a template display file or http address is read, the data is parsed and analyzed. If an equivalent ACT! field exists, the template manager reserves that field for ACT! field substitution and does not display the variable in the list. If the variable does not exist in ACT!, it is then displayed in the list of available variables and can be assigned a value.

ACT! Field Variables

When creating Merge fields in a template, it is desirable to have the ACT! fields available for a drag-and-drop operation. For example, when creating a template in web page editor, you'd like simply select which ACT! field you'd like to replace in the template, and drop it on the page. ACT-To-Outlook Email 3.0 offer the fields display to do that. Click on the fields display button and all fields are then listed on a list and are now ready to be incorporated into your web page/text email. Selecting the fields highlights the fields and you then drag and drop the field into whatever tool you are using to create the web page to be used by the template.

ACT-To-Outlook Email provides users with over 25 free HTML files available through our web at http://www.personalcrm.com/free_templates_for_ACT.htm . We also provide over 3000 templates at our sister site, Azooq.com.

Creating an Email Display File
ACT-To-Outlook 2003 Email requires only an HTML file in order for it to function. No fancy editors and no proprietary items to make it work. Just HTML files.

Key components on creating an HTML Display File:

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Use an HTML Editor to create the email page.

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Use only graphics that are available on the net. If you use local graphics, publish the page onto a web server so that the graphics are available through the web server.

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To use mail merge fields, click on the fields display button and then simply drag and drop the fields onto the web page.

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Variables. Any item on the template that is enclosed in right parenthesis (a "[" and a "]" ) is considered to be a variable. You can edit the value of the variable using the provided panel. This variable value is saved with the template.

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Publish the file to the web and make sure that it is available and that it displays correctly from another system.

Once you've done creating the HTML/Text file, save the file.

Creating an ACT-To-Outlook 2003 Email Template

Creating a template is very easy. It only requires 2 steps:

1.

Enter the http address of the file you want to use in the address box

2.

Save the template using the Template->Save Template As...