A template that users cannot find — or do not know exists — is a template that does not get used. This article explains how to make templates available from the right place in Tribe CRM, how to keep your template library organised with categories, and how to maintain it over time so it remains accurate and useful.
Part 1: Linking a Template to an Entity
Where a template appears in Tribe depends entirely on where it is configured. Getting this right means users find the correct template at the right moment, without seeing irrelevant options that slow them down.
General Email Templates
General email templates are available from anywhere in Tribe: any relation, activity, or module. They appear in the template picker whenever a user composes an email, regardless of context.
To create a general email template:
Navigate to Configuration in the main navigation.
Go to Emails & Campaigns.
Click + Add under General Email Templates.
Build the template and assign it to a category.
Activity-Specific Email Templates
If an email template should only be available in a specific context, for example, only when sending an invoice or closing a sales opportunity — link it to the relevant activity type. This prevents the template from appearing in unrelated parts of Tribe and keeps the template picker clean for users.
Note: Activity-specific email templates are only available for certain activity types, such as Sales Opportunities, Invoices, and Work Orders.
To link an email template to a specific activity type:
Navigate to Configuration and open the relevant activity type. For example, Sales Opportunities.
Click the Templates tab.
Create or assign the email template here.
Users will only see this template when working within that activity type. It will not appear in the template picker elsewhere in Tribe.
Document Templates
Document templates are always linked to a specific activity type. Unlike email templates, they cannot be configured as general templates. They must be set up directly within the activity type they belong to.
To configure a document template:
Navigate to Configuration and open the relevant activity type. For example, Quotations or Invoices.
Open the Templates or Document Templates tab.
Create your template here.
The template then becomes available to users from within that activity. For example, via the Generate Quotation button inside a sales opportunity.
Tip: If users report that a template is not available where they expect it, check whether it is configured under the correct activity type in Configuration. A template created in the wrong location will simply not appear where needed.
Part 2: Organising Templates with Categories
Categories keep your template library navigable. Without them, users face a flat, unsorted list. And they will either select the wrong template or stop using templates altogether. Well-structured categories reduce friction and help users work faster.
Creating a Category
Open Emails and Campaigns in Configuration.
Locate the Category field.
Select an existing category from the list, or select + to create one on the spot.
Apply the category to any relevant email or campaign template.
Save the template. The new category is now available for all templates in your library.
Category Structure Tips
Organise by use case | Categories like Quotations, Invoices, Support, and Onboarding are more useful to users than generic labels like Email Templates or Document Templates. |
Use sub-categories for large libraries | If you manage many quotation templates across different products or markets, a sub-category per product line keeps the list manageable. |
Keep names short and clear | Category names appear in a dropdown. Long names may be truncated — keep them concise so users can read them at a glance. |
Part 3: Maintaining Your Template Library
Templates go stale. Pricing changes, legal text gets updated, brand guidelines evolve, and modules are added or removed. A library that is not maintained becomes a liability — users may send documents with outdated information without realising it.
Archive Rather Than Delete
When a template is no longer needed, archive it rather than deleting it. Archived templates disappear from the user-facing template picker but remain accessible in Configuration. They also continue to display correctly in historical records, which is important for audit and compliance purposes.
To archive a template:
Open the template in Configuration.
Enable the Inactive slider.
Changes are saved automatically. The template is now archived. Users can no longer select it, but it remains in the system.
Set a Review Cycle
Reviewing your template library twice a year helps ensure it stays accurate and lean. During each review:
Archive templates that have not been used recently.
Update any templates with outdated pricing, legal text, or brand elements.
Check that all merge fields still populate correctly — particularly after configuration changes that may have affected field names or data structure.
Use Partial Templates to Save Maintenance Time
If the same content appears in multiple templates — a standard footer, a legal disclaimer, or your organisation's signature — build it once as a partial template. Insert the partial into any other template using the Part Template block. When you update the partial, the change applies automatically everywhere it is used, saving you from editing the same content across multiple templates.
Tip: Partial templates are especially valuable for content that changes regularly — such as seasonal promotions, updated payment terms, or revised legal notices. Update once, apply everywhere.
Quick Summary
Templates in Tribe CRM are only useful if they are configured in the right place and easy to find. General email templates are available system-wide and are created under Configuration → Emails & Campaigns. Activity-specific email templates and document templates are configured directly within the relevant activity type in Configuration, which controls exactly where they appear for users. Categories keep the template picker organised — structure them by use case rather than template type, and keep names short. To maintain the library over time, archive rather than delete unused templates, run a twice-yearly review to check for outdated content and broken merge fields, and use partial templates for any content that is shared across multiple templates.