Creating Messaging Templates

When you create a Messaging Template, you can specify the list of users, the message subject, text, and priority, an optional conversation expiration time, and one or more optional or mandatory fields. You can also supply a list of multiple choice responses for recipients to choose from.

  1. Open the VMP Administrator and select Messaging > Messaging Templates.
  2. Click New.
  3. Click to highlight each user or Distribution List that will receive a message when the template is used. Click > to add users and Distribution Lists to the list of recipients, or click < to remove them.

    When you have finished adding users and Distribution Lists, click Next.

    Note: The list of recipients can include only one Escalation Distribution List.
  4. In the Message panel, supply the following.
    1. In the Subject field, type the subject of the messages to be generated from this template. This field can be up to 512 characters in length, and must be provided.
    2. In the Message field, type the default text for messages sent from the template.
  5. In the Message Fields section of the Message panel, you can define one or more fields that are to be included with each message generated from this template. For each field that you define, you can specify whether the field is required.

    Click Add to add a field.

    In Label, type the name of the field.

    Select the Required checkbox if users must supply this field.

    Click OK to add the field.

    Click Edit to edit a field that you have created.

    Click Delete to delete a field that you have created.

    To rearrange the fields, click a field to highlight it. Click Move Up to move the field up in the list.

    Click Move Down to move the field down. Repeat Move Up and Move Down until the fields are in the order that you want.

    Click Next when you have finished creating fields.

  6. In the Options screen, enter the following template details, and click Next:

    Table 1. Messaging Template options
    Option Description
    Priority

    The message priority can be:

    • Urgent
    • High
    • Normal
    Conversation expiration

    The time in minutes before the message conversation expires. This can be one of the following:

    • Never (the default)
    • 2 min
    • 5 min
    • 10 min
    • Custom

    If you select Custom, a field appears in which you can specify the number of minutes.

    Deliver to on campus users only Select this checkbox if messages are to be sent only to recipients who are present.
    Multiple Choice Responses

    Select this checkbox if you want to define multiple choice responses for this template.

  7. If you have selected Multiple Choice Responses, additional fields appear:

    Table 2. Additional Messaging Template options
    Option Description
    Notify if no one has responded

    Select this checkbox if a notification is to be sent if no one has responded within the number of minutes that you specify.

    Response expiration

    The amount of time in which a response is expected. Select one of the following:

    • Never
    • 2 min
    • 5 min
    • 10 min
    • Custom - Enter the amount of time, in minutes, before the message expires.
  8. If you selected Multiple Choice Responses, click Next to provide the response options.

    Click Add to add a response. Type the text of the response in the dialog box provided, and click OK.

    Click Edit to edit a response that you have created.

    Click Delete to delete a response that you have created.

    To rearrange the responses, click a response to highlight it. Click Move Up to move the response up in the list.

    Click Move Down to move the response down. Repeat Move Up and Move Down until the responses are in the order that you want.

    Click Next when you have finished creating message options.

  9. Click to highlight each user or group that can use the template, and click >.

    When you have finished adding groups, click Finish.