TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Accessing the Online ‘Admin Menu’ Page
- Editing the Generic Email Template
- Creating / Editing New Email Templates
- Updating Merac E-Commerce Pages
Introduction
This guide covers how to set up online ‘Email Templates’ that are used in conjunction with our online bookings, memberships and shop (Merac e-commerce) modules.
Accessing the Online ‘Admin Menu’ Page
To access the online ‘Admin Menu’, first login to the ‘Merac’ back office software.
Now click on ‘Setup’, then ‘Bookings’ and then ‘Booking Templates’.
Next click on the 
button.
This will now open your default internet browser to access your specific admin menu page URL.
You will need to ensure your computer has a working internet connection and your preferred web browser software is installed. Your ‘Windows User Account’ must not have any restrictions that would prevent internet access or browsing. Your own IT department or external IT support team will need to assist if you have any issues accessing the internet, as Merac are not responsible for supporting or enabling access to the internet.
You will now see the your online ‘Admin Menu’ login page.
Enter the password you have been supplied in the relevant box and click the 
button.
You will now see the following screen.
To view or amend email templates click on the 
button.
Editing the Generic Email Template
As standard only one email template is provided, this is called the “Generic Email” template. This will be used for all email confirmations sent from our online bookings, membership and shop pages.
To edit this template, click on the 
button.
You can now edit the text for this template as required here.
You can make any changes to this template using the text editor.
The email template itself is written in HTML but the ‘Email Template Editor’ screen allows you to make changes to the email template as text, i.e. without needing to know HTML.
As you can see the ‘Email Template Editor’ is a basic text editor. Text can be entered into the template where required and the text styling (font type, size etc) can be amended by using the relevant buttons.
The actions of the buttons on the top row of this button toolbar are explained below.
The actions of the buttons on the second row of this button toolbar are explained below.
The text editor converts the text you create into HTML for you, however if you want to view the HTML created you can use the buttons on the ‘toolbar’ at the bottom of the text editor screen.
The button actions on the toolbar at the bottom of the text editor screen are explained below:
Button: Action:
Switch to HTML editor.
Switch to text editor.
Preview the email template.
For our customers who are experienced at writing and editing in HTML, click on the 
button to access the HTML editor. Please note Merac do not provide training on or support any HTML you have written; this will need to be written and checked by a colleague or a third party that knows HTML.
You will now see a screen like the one shown below.
The required changes to the email template can now be typed in HTML in the window (shown above).
To switch back to the text editor, click on the 
button on the bottom toolbar.
Click on the 
button once all the required changes have been made.
You will see the message ‘Template Saved’.
You can preview how the template will look by clicking either the 
or 
buttons.
To exit preview mode, click on the button located here.
There is also functionality to send a test email, to do this click on the 
button.
In the ‘Email Address’ box type in required email address and then click the 
button.
An email showing a sample of how the email confirmation will look will be sent to the specified email address. Please check this and make any amendments as required and send further test emails, until the outcome is as required.
If you make any additional changes remember to click the 'Save' button located at the bottom left of the scree.
You will notice that there is also a selector screen here which shows a list of all your active, online ‘Booking Templates’ only
Please refer to the notes* below.
Notes: *
Setting up ‘Booking Templates’ is not covered in this manual but these templates need to be set up in advance in Setup > Booking > Booking Templates. Each template must have (i) the ‘Template Active’ box ticked and (ii) the ‘Allow Booking From Internet’ option must also be ticked.
If you do not want to use a single (“Generic”) email template for all your email confirmations that are sent out from our online booking pages, then you can create a different email template for each ‘Booking Template’ that is used online.
Click on the name of the ‘Booking Template’ that you want to create a new ‘Email Template’ for.
Please note that if you click on an email template and the ‘Email Template Description’, ‘Email Subject’ and ‘Email Template HTML’ boxes are all empty, then this booking template is currently using the ‘Generic Email’ template.
Creating / Editing New Email Templates
If you want this booking template to use a different email template, you must create a new one.
To do this click on the ‘New Email Template’ button.
Enter the required ‘Email Template Description’ in the relevant box.
Enter the required ‘Email Subject’ in the relevant box. This will be the email subject that appears in the confirmation email that is sent when making a booking using this online booking template.
Enter the required confirmation email HTML, using the either text editor or the HTML editor.
Please note you can copy and paste text into the HTML editor.
Once the required HTML has been entered, click the 'Save' button to accept the changes (bottom left corner of the screen)
As explained previously, you can preview and send a test email.
Repeat the processes described previously until all the required email templates have been created.
Once all the required changes have been made, click here to close the email templates screen.
This will take you back to the main ‘Admin Menu’ page.
Updating Merac E-Commerce Pages
To ensure the changes made to you email are implemented you need to update your Merac e-commerce web pages.
To do this online click on 'Update Templates' and wait for this process to complete.
Finally, click the 
button once you have finished using the ‘Admin Menu’.
