This article is part of the Module 3: Email and Document Templates series in Administrator Training. Before you begin building templates in Tribe, it is important to understand what each type does, where to find it in Configuration, and when to use one over the other. Choosing the right type from the start will save time and prevent confusion later.
Tribe has two types of templates: email templates and document templates. They work differently, live in different places in Configuration, and serve different purposes.
Email Templates
Email templates are for sending messages. When a user selects an email template in Tribe, it opens a pre-filled email that they can review and send directly to a contact.
Where they live:
Configuration → Emails and Campaigns → Email Templates.
Key characteristics:
Sent directly from Tribe as an email to a contact.
General in scope — available from anywhere in Tribe, including relations, opportunities, projects, and tickets.
Support merge fields that pull data from the context they are used in.
Can have a standard sender and a default subject line.
Should be organised into categories and sub-categories for easy access.
Typical use cases:
Follow-up email after a meeting or call.
Quotation cover email sent alongside the document.
Appointment confirmation.
Support ticket response.
Campaign emails sent to a selection of relations.
Tip for ticketing: If your organisation uses the Ticketing module, leave the email subject of your support templates empty. Tribe automatically inserts the ticket number in the subject line, which ensures customer replies are linked to the correct ticket.
Document Templates
Document templates produce a formatted output. Users generate the document from a specific activity, then download, preview, or send it as an attachment.
Where they live:
Configuration → the relevant activity type (for example, Sales → Quotation Templates, or Invoices → Invoice Templates).
Key characteristics:
Always linked to a specific activity type such as a quotation, invoice, or work order.
Produce a downloadable or printable document, not a direct email.
Support all template blocks, including product line blocks for itemised lists.
Can be previewed with real data from an actual record.
Available to users from within the relevant activity.
Typical use cases:
Quotation or offer document.
Invoice.
Work order.
Delivery confirmation.
Contract or agreement
Choosing Between the Two
Use the table below to decide which type fits your situation.
Situation | Use |
Sending a message directly to a contact | Email template |
Producing a PDF to attach, download, or print | Document template |
A quotation cover letter sent by email | Email template |
The quotation document itself | Document template |
A standard reply to a support ticket | Email template |
An invoice | Document template |
In practice, quotations and invoices often use both: a document template for the formatted PDF, and an email template for the covering message that accompanies it. These are two separate templates that work together.
Quick Summary
Email templates send messages. Document templates produce formatted output. Both live in Configuration, but in different sections, and are used at different points in the workflow. Knowing which type you need before you start building will keep your setup clean and your users in control.