How to create your first template in Typedesk

A Typedesk template is a reusable message that you can find and insert whenever you need it. Create it once, give it a shortcut, and let it rescue you from typing the same paragraph for the hundredth time.

Create a new template

1. Open Typedesk.
2. Create a new template.
3. Give it a clear name.
4. Write the message you want to reuse.
5. Add a shortcut.
6. Save the template.

Choose a name that describes what the template does. Names such as "Refund approved" or "Meeting follow-up" are easier to find than names such as "Message 4."

Add a shortcut

A shortcut lets you insert the template without searching for it first.

For example:

• ;hello for a welcome message
• ;refund for an approved refund
• ;followup for a meeting follow-up
• ;hours for your business hours

Keep shortcuts short, memorable, and different from words you type normally.

You can also find the template through Quick Access, so there is no need to memorize every shortcut in your library.

Learn more in How to insert templates with Typedesk.

Test your template

Before using the template with a customer:

1. Open a basic text editor or another supported text field.
2. Insert the template using its shortcut or Quick Access.
3. Check the wording, spacing, links, and formatting.
4. Return to Typedesk if anything needs fixing.
5. Test it one more time.

That final test is worth it. A typo reused fifty times is still fifty typos.

Add changing information

Once the basic template works, you can add variables for information that changes, such as:

• Customer name
• Order number
• Appointment date
• Product name
• Selected issue
• Support agent's name

Typedesk collects the answers when you use the template and inserts them into the finished message.

See Get to know variables.

A simple example

Template name: Order received

Shortcut: ;received

Template:

The information inside brackets should be added as variables rather than left as ordinary text.

What should I create first?

Start with a message you already write several times a week. Good first templates include:

• Welcome messages
• Meeting confirmations
• Support acknowledgements
• Frequently shared instructions
• Follow-up messages
• Signatures and contact details

Start small. One useful template beats twenty unfinished ones.