Automated emails - Setup/Usage

The Automated Email Template System allows you to automatically send personalized emails to clients based on events and actions within Kennel Connection. From appointment confirmations and reminders to birthday greetings, check-in notifications, and subscription updates, automated emails help keep clients informed while reducing the amount of manual communication your staff needs to manage. The new template system also gives you full control over email content, allowing you to customize messaging, branding, images, links, and more.

Enabling the Automated Email Template System

1. Navigate to Setup > System Options.
2. Click the Global tab.
3. Check the box labeled Use New Email Template System.
4. Click Save.

 

🚨 IMPORTANT NOTE: Once enabled, the legacy email settings under Business Info will be hidden. Existing email settings, including their active status and any custom text you've added, will automatically be migrated to Setup > Automated Emails.

 

Managing Email Templates

Navigate to Setup > Automated Emails.

From here, you can:

• Edit existing email templates.
• Create new templates by clicking Add New.

Automated Daily Email Templates

Automated Daily Emails can be configured to send days, weeks, or even months before an event. These emails are processed and sent automatically at 10:00 AM each day.

Available automated email types include:

• Birthday Emails – Sent a specified number of days before the pet's birthday.
• Reminder Emails – Sent a specified number of days before the appointment check-in date.
• Expired Vaccination Emails – Sent a specified number of days before the appointment check-in date.

🚧 COMING SOON: Expired Vaccination Emails are currently under development.

In the previous system, you were only able to add additional information to the emails but could not change the rest of the email.  In this new system, you can create your own template to use for any of the emails.

 

Creating a New Email Template

1. Click Add New.
2. Enter a Name for the template.
   • This name is for employee reference only and is not visible to clients.
3. Select the Type.

Available template types include:

• Boarding, Grooming, Daycare, Special Services – Used for appointment confirmations, cancellations, check-ins, checkouts, and other appointment-related emails.
• Automated Daily Email – Used for birthday emails, appointment reminders, and expired vaccination notices.
• Subscriptions – Used for subscription confirmations, renewals, payment failures, and cancellations.
• Client Event – Used for Welcome Emails when a new client is created.

4. Select the Trigger.
5. Choose whether the template is Active.

The trigger determines what action causes the email to be sent.

For example:

• A Boarding Confirmation email is triggered when a new boarding appointment is saved.

 

• An Expired Vaccination email is triggered when a pet has vaccinations that will expire before an upcoming appointment.

 

 

💡 QUICK TIP: You can create and save as many templates as you'd like without enabling them immediately. Simply leave the template inactive until you're ready to use it.

6. If you're creating an Automated Daily Email, specify how many days before the event the email should be sent.

Customizing Your Templates

Kennel Connection includes default email templates that you can use as-is or customize to fit your business.

You can:

• Edit the existing template.
• Create an entirely new template.
• Add your own branding, images, links, formatting, and messaging.

✨ GOOD TO KNOW: Use Data Tags to automatically insert information into your emails. For example, adding the Client Name data tag will automatically display each recipient's name when the email is sent.

 

You can change the subject line of the email.

If you would like to receive a copy of the email, enter your address in the CC box.

 

 

 

 

Automated emails (expired vaccinations, birthdays, reminders) will be sent each day at 10am your time.  Kennel Connection will check each day to see if there are any of these emails to be sent and will send without any more steps required from you.

 

One-time emails (confirmations, thank you, check-in, cancellations, completed, welcome) are sent as you're using the system and adding new appointments, checking pets in and out, adding new clients to your database, and marking appointments cancelled or completed.

Common Use Cases

• Automatically sending appointment confirmations and reminders.
• Welcoming new clients to your business.
• Sending birthday greetings to pets.
• Notifying clients when pets are checked in or checked out.
• Creating custom branded email templates for different appointment types.
• Sending subscription confirmations, renewal notices, and payment failure notifications.