A reminder template specifies how to send (email or SMS) and what to say (free text, with placeholders that fill in per customer).
Channels
Each template has one sendType — either sms or email. To reach a customer on both channels, create two templates (one for email, one for SMS) with the same intent.
| Channel | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Rich content for MOT / Service / Belt / Appointment types — branding, plate display, CTAs | |
| SMS | 1 credit per send | Short, urgent reminders ("MOT due tomorrow") |
For MOT / Service / Timing Belt / Appointment types, the email layout is rich: garage branding, UK plate display, "due in X days" countdown, and Call / WhatsApp / Email CTA buttons. The Custom type uses a simpler layout — no plate, no countdown, no CTAs. SMS reminders are plain text on every type.
Placeholders
Drop these into your message body and the cron resolves them per send:
| Placeholder | Resolves to |
|---|---|
{customer_name} | Customer's name (or business contact's name for fleet) |
{business_name} | Business account name (when the jobcard is for a business) |
{vehicle_reg} | Vehicle registration (e.g. "AB12 CDE") |
{vehicle_make} | Vehicle make (e.g. "Ford") |
{vehicle_model} | Vehicle model (e.g. "Focus") |
{garage_name} | Your garage name |
{garage_phone} | Your garage phone number |
{due_date} | The scheduled send date in YYYY-MM-DD format (this is the send date, i.e. due date − countdownDays, not the underlying due date itself) |
Appointment reminder/confirmation templates also have access to:
| Placeholder | Resolves to |
|---|---|
{appointment_date} | The appointment date |
{appointment_time} | The appointment time |
Anything else in {...} braces that doesn't match a known placeholder is stripped before send — so a typo like {firstname} just disappears rather than rendering literally to the customer.
Example
Hi {customer_name}, your {vehicle_make} {vehicle_model} ({vehicle_reg}) is due soon. Give us a call to book in. — {garage_name}
Renders for one customer as:
Hi Sam, your Ford Focus (AB12 CDE) is due soon. Give us a call to book in. — Smith's Garage
Avoid relying on `{due_date}` in the body
The placeholder resolves to the send date in machine format (2026-06-14) rather than the underlying due date in human format. Rich emails already render a styled "Due in X days" line above the body for MOT/Service/Belt/Appointment types, so most templates don't need to repeat the date in the body.