Communications

Communications Guide

Complete guide to tracking and managing communications for your notary orders.

Table of Contents

  1. Communications Overview
  2. Communication Types
  3. Order Communications
  4. Communication Templates
  5. Automatic Notifications
  6. Integrations
  7. Best Practices

Communications Overview

What Are Order Communications?

The Communications module provides a centralized log of all interactions related to an order. Every email sent, SMS message, phone call, and internal note is recorded in one place for complete order history.

Benefits

  • Complete History: See every interaction for an order in one place
  • Team Visibility: Internal notes keep your team informed
  • Client Response Tracking: Get notified when clients respond
  • Template Automation: Send consistent communications faster
  • Audit Trail: Full record for compliance and reference

Accessing Communications

  1. Go to Orders → View Order
  2. Click the Communications tab
  3. View all communications for that order

Communication Types

The platform supports several types of communications:

Email

  • Outbound: Emails you send to clients or contacts
  • Inbound: Emails received from clients
  • Tracking: Each email has a tracking ID for delivery status
  • Attachments: Support for file attachments

Messaging (SMS/WhatsApp)

  • SMS: Text messages via your configured provider
  • WhatsApp Business: Optional WhatsApp integration
  • Outbound: Messages you send to clients
  • Inbound: Messages received from clients
  • Channel Support: sms, whatsapp, slack

Phone

  • Call Logging: Record inbound and outbound calls
  • Notes: Add call notes and summaries
  • Direction: Track whether you called or were called

Notes (Internal)

  • Internal Only: Visible only to your team
  • No Sending: These are logged but not sent externally
  • Use Cases: Internal reminders, team coordination, notes for self

Document

  • Document Tracking: Log when documents are sent or received
  • Reference: Link to uploaded order documents

Order Communications

Viewing Communications

  1. Navigate to an order's Communications tab
  2. Communications are displayed in chronological order (newest first)
  3. Each entry shows:
    • Communication type icon
    • Direction indicator (inbound/outbound)
    • Sender/recipient information
    • Subject (for emails)
    • Content preview
    • Timestamp
    • Status (sent, pending, failed)

Communication Status

  • Draft: Created but not yet sent
  • Sent: Successfully delivered
  • Pending: Awaiting delivery
  • Failed: Delivery failed (check error message)

Creating a New Communication

Send an Email

  1. Click New Communication or the email icon
  2. Select Email as type
  3. Fill in:
    • Recipient Email: Client's email address
    • Recipient Name: Client's name
    • Subject: Email subject line
    • Content: Your message (supports HTML)
  4. Add attachments if needed
  5. Click Send

Send an SMS Message

  1. Click New Communication or the messaging icon
  2. Select Messaging as type
  3. Fill in:
    • Recipient Phone: Client's phone number
    • Channel: SMS (or WhatsApp if configured)
    • Content: Your message
  4. Click Send

Log a Phone Call

  1. Click New Communication or the phone icon
  2. Select Phone as type
  3. Fill in:
    • Direction: Inbound or Outbound
    • Phone Number: The number you called or received from
    • Notes: Summary of the conversation
  4. Click Save

Add an Internal Note

  1. Click New Communication or the note icon
  2. Select Note as type
  3. Fill in:
    • Subject: Brief description
    • Content: Your note
  4. Click Save

Client Response Notifications

When a client responds to an email or message:

  • The assigned notary receives a push notification
  • The notification includes:
    • Client name
    • Order number
    • Communication type
  • This helps you respond quickly to client inquiries

Recent Communications

View communications across all orders:

  1. Go to Orders → Recent Communications
  2. See the latest 50 communications
  3. Filter by order or communication type

Communication Templates

What Are Templates?

Templates allow you to pre-define messages for common situations. Templates support variable substitution so you can personalize messages without typing everything from scratch.

Template Keys

The system includes these automatic notification templates:

Template KeyWhen Used
order_createdWhen a new order is created
order_assignedWhen an order is assigned to a notary
order_in_progressWhen order status changes to "In Progress"
order_completedWhen an order is marked complete
order_cancelledWhen an order is cancelled
order_status_messagingSMS version of status updates

Template Variables

Templates can include these variables:

VariableDescription
{orderNumber}Order number
{clientName}Client/signer name
{clientEmail}Client email address
{clientPhone}Client phone number
{notaryName}Assigned notary name
{serviceType}Service type/title
{scheduledDate}Scheduled appointment date
{status}Current order status
{completionNotes}Completion notes (if applicable)
{cancellationReason}Cancellation reason (if applicable)
{agencyName}Your agency name
{agencyEmail}Your agency email
{agencyPhone}Your agency phone
{dashboardUrl}Link to dashboard
{orderDetailsUrl}Direct link to order

Creating Custom Templates

  1. Go to Settings → Communication Templates
  2. Click Create Template
  3. Fill in:
    • Template Key: Select a predefined key or create custom
    • Name: Descriptive name
    • Communication Type: Email or Messaging
    • Subject (email only): Subject line with variables
    • Content: Message body with variables
    • Variables: List variables used in template
  4. Click Save

Conditional Content

Templates support conditional blocks:

{if scheduledDate}
Your appointment is scheduled for {scheduledDate}.
{endif}

{if completionNotes}
Notes: {completionNotes}
{endif}

Content inside conditional blocks only appears if the variable has a value.

Automatic Notifications

How Automatic Notifications Work

When certain events occur in an order:

  1. The system processes the corresponding template
  2. Variables are replaced with actual order data
  3. The communication is created and sent
  4. A record is logged in the order's communications

Notification Recipients

Automatic notifications are typically sent to:

  • Notary: For order status updates
  • Agency: For administrative notifications

Configuring Notifications

  1. Go to Settings → Communication Templates
  2. Edit templates for each notification type
  3. Set your preferred email/phone in User Profile
  4. Toggle automatic notifications on/off per template

Integrations

Email Providers

The platform integrates with popular email providers:

  • Resend: Recommended for transactional emails
  • SendGrid: Enterprise email delivery
  • Amazon SES: Cost-effective for high volume
  • Postmark: Fast delivery with great logging

Messaging Providers

  • Twilio: SMS and messaging
  • WhatsApp Business: Business messaging (optional)
  • Slack: Internal team notifications (optional)

Calendar Integration

  • Google Calendar: Sync appointments to your calendar
  • Automatic event creation when orders are scheduled

Configuring Integrations

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations
  2. Select the provider (Email, Messaging, Calendar)
  3. Enter your API credentials
  4. Configure default sender information
  5. Test the connection

Best Practices

Email Communication

  1. Use Clear Subject Lines: Include order number
  2. Be Professional: Maintain a professional tone
  3. Proofread: Check for errors before sending
  4. Include Contact Info: Make it easy to reach you

SMS Messaging

  1. Be Concise: Keep messages brief
  2. Identify Yourself: Client may not have your number saved
  3. Include Order Number: For easy reference
  4. Respect Hours: Avoid late night messages

Phone Call Logging

  1. Log Immediately: Don't rely on memory
  2. Be Specific: Note what was discussed
  3. Next Steps: Record any action items
  4. Time Stamps: Include call duration if relevant

Internal Notes

  1. Be Clear: Use descriptive subjects
  2. Team Context: Include info helpful to others
  3. Timeline: Add dates for time-sensitive notes
  4. Personal vs. Shared: Use notes for internal items, email for external

Template Management

  1. Keep Templates Updated: Review periodically
  2. Test Variables: Preview before using
  3. Personalize Sparingly: Templates should be versatile
  4. Version Control: Note major changes in descriptions

Troubleshooting

Emails Not Sending

  1. Check email provider configuration in Settings
  2. Verify API credentials are valid
  3. Check recipient email address for typos
  4. Review error messages in failed communications

SMS Messages Failing

  1. Verify messaging provider credentials
  2. Check recipient phone number format
  3. Ensure sufficient provider credits/balance
  4. Review error messages in communications log

Missing Client Response Notifications

  1. Verify assigned notary has valid email/phone in profile
  2. Check notification settings are enabled
  3. Confirm communication direction is marked "inbound"

Template Variables Not Working

  1. Verify variable names match exactly (case-sensitive)
  2. Check that context data exists for the order
  3. Use preview to test before sending
  4. Ensure variables are listed in template configuration

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