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📄 Getting Started with ALOHA® Message Templates

Templates, Settings, Automation, Email, SMS, Notifications

Written by Giselle Mauldin

Managing your patient and customer communications is now easier than ever. With ALOHA®, you can find, create, and edit all of your automated campaigns, internal notifications, and quick text replies in one centralized location.


Prerequisites/You'll Need

  • An active ALOHA account.

  • The preferred verbiage for the template you want to create or edit.


Finding and Navigating Templates

Navigate to the Dashboard

  1. Go to your settings by clicking the Settings gear icon in your sidebar.

  2. Click Templates on the left-hand side menu to open your central dashboard.

Filter Your Library

  1. Use the top category filters to quickly sort through your library:

    • Automation: Look here for answering service, appointment reminder, birthday, feedback, and reactivations templates here.

    • Notifications: This contains notifications your office sends to itself or patients regarding the answering service, forms, the mobile app, scheduling, or Aloha Voice.

    • Saved Messages: These are your quick-reply snippets used when chatting directly with a patient or sending a bulk message.

  2. Narrow your search by using the Types dropdown filter (to find specific categories like "Reactivations") or the Delivery Methods filter (to sort by Email or Text).


Creating and Editing Templates

  1. Start Your Template

    • Click the New Template button next to the search templates field to start from scratch, or click on the pencil icon next to an existing template to edit it.

    • Choose your template purpose from the options on the screen (Automation, Appointment Reminders, Reactivation Reminders, or Saved Replies) and click Continue.

    • Select your preferred delivery method (Email or Text Message) on the next screen and click Continue.

  2. Fill out the required template details:

    • For Text Messages: Type a name for your template so your team can easily identify it.

    • For Emails: Type a template name and an engaging subject line. You can also use replacement badges icon directly in your email subject line to personalize it for each recipient.

  3. Draft and Format Your Message

    • Draft your message in the main body box.

    • For Emails: You can change font styles, sizes, bolding, colors, add links, and embed images just like you would in Gmail.

    • For Text Messages: The formatting tools are automatically hidden since text messages only support plain text.

  4. Preview and Save

    • Review the live preview on the right side of the screen. This preview shows how your message will look on a phone screen or in an email inbox.

    • Click Save in the top header bar to lock in your changes.

⚠️ Note: If you edit a default template provided by the system, ALOHA will automatically save a brand new copy for your account so you don't lose the original.


✅ Using Replacement Strings

Replacement strings automatically pull specific details (like a patient's first name or your business phone number) into the message as it sends.

  1. Place your mouse cursor in the text box exactly where you want the custom piece of data to appear.

  2. Click the Replacement String icon on the editor toolbar.

  3. Select the field category you need (such as Contact, Account, or Appointment) and choose the specific item.

  4. Manage your replacement string directly inside the text box. You can click on the badge to change it.


💡 Common Questions

I can't find the old squiggly lines (like ~Contact.FirstName~) in the text box.

  • ALOHA has upgraded text-based codes into clean, clickable visual badges. Simply use the replacement string menu icon to insert the new badge format. It works exactly the same way at send-time!

My text message template is costing more credits than the character counter says.

  • The character counter tracks standard text. Emojis and special Unicode characters require more digital data. Keep an eye on your character and credit usage at the bottom of the SMS screen. Try limiting emojis if you want to save text credits.

I am looking for a specific notification, but I can't find it.

  • Large template libraries filter data in stages to keep the app running fast. Try typing "notification" directly into the search bar, or use the main Notifications category filter to find it.


🎉 You'll Know It's Working When

  • Your template library is neatly sorted by Automation, Notifications, and Saved Messages.

  • The live preview on the right side of your screen perfectly mirrors your edits in real-time.

  • Your sent messages accurately pull in personalized patient information instead of showing empty spaces or raw code.


💬 Need Help? We're Here!

If you have any questions or need a hand setting up your messaging workflows, our support team is happy to assist you!

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