Skip to main content

Message templates

Templates let you send the same well-crafted message to many candidates without retyping it. They work across email, WhatsApp and SMS, with merge fields that personalise each send.

Where to manage templates​

All templates live in one place and are company-wide, so everyone in your agency works from the same set:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to Templates.

You will see a list of every template, with channel, owner and last-edited date.

Creating a template​

  1. From Settings > Templates, click Add template.
  2. Choose the channel: Email, WhatsApp or SMS.
  3. Give the template a clear name (for example, 'First contact - Senior Nurse').
  4. For email, fill in the Subject line.
  5. Write the Body, inserting merge fields where you want personalised content.
  6. Click Save template.

Merge fields​

Merge fields pull data from the candidate, client or vacancy record at the moment the message is sent. Insert them into the body where you want personalised content. The most common ones are:

  • {{candidate.firstName}}
  • {{candidate.lastName}}
  • {{vacancy.title}} (the vacancy job title)
  • {{vacancy.ref}}
  • {{client.name}}
  • {{clientContact.firstName}}
  • {{clientContact.lastName}}
  • {{recruiter.firstName}}

For example, a template body that starts Hi {{candidate.firstName}}, I wanted to share a new {{vacancy.title}} role at {{client.name}}. becomes Hi Sarah, I wanted to share a new Senior Nurse role at NHS South West. when sent to Sarah Williams.

You can also open a message to a client contact by name. A body that starts Hi {{clientContact.firstName}} becomes Hi John when sent to John Smith.

Previewing with a sample candidate​

Before saving, preview how the template will look for a real candidate.

  1. In the template editor, click the preview area.
  2. Search for and select a candidate (for example, Sarah Williams).
  3. RecSphere fills in every merge field with that candidate's data.
  4. Check the result reads naturally.
Test before broadcast

Always send a template to yourself before using it in a bulk send.

Picking a template when you send​

Templates are company-wide, so every template is available to everyone in your agency. When you send a message, such as a CV submission to a client, you choose a template to use as the default for that send. The chosen template fills the subject and body, with merge fields resolved for the candidate, client or vacancy in context. You can then edit the message before it goes out.

Spellcheck and Grammarly​

RecSphere has no built-in spellcheck or autocorrect. The compose field is a standard text box, so a browser extension such as Grammarly works inside it just as it would in any other web page.

Approving WhatsApp templates with Meta​

WhatsApp templates used outside the 24-hour customer service window must be approved by Meta before they can be sent.

  1. Create the WhatsApp template as usual.
  2. Click Submit for approval.
  3. Wait for Meta to approve (usually under 24 hours).
  4. Once approved, the template appears in the WhatsApp template picker.

If Meta rejects a template, the reason is shown next to it. You can edit and resubmit. See WhatsApp for more on the 24-hour window.

Archiving outdated templates​

When a template is no longer needed, archive it rather than deleting it. Archived templates are hidden from the picker but preserved for the audit trail.

  1. Open the template in Settings > Templates.
  2. Click Archive.

You can restore an archived template at any time from the archived view.