Personalizing emails in FITsociety

8 min read

This guide is for coaches, studio owners and team members who want to customize emails in FITsociety. No technical knowledge is needed.

Email personalization lets you:

customize system email text
use your logo and sender details
add buttons and app download links
include attachments
preview the email in light and dark mode

What exactly you can customize
How email formatting works (in plain language)
Placeholders (#{{...}}) explained
Using app buttons and app download logos
Setting branding (logo, sender, button color)
Adding attachments
Preview and test email: what is the difference?
Resetting a template to default
Common mistakes and solutions
Practical examples (ready to copy)
Publication checklist
Frequently asked questions

1) What exactly you can customize

For each email template, you can usually personalize:

Subject line
Email content
Dutch and English versions
Attachments for each language
Sender name
Reply-to address
Light mode logo
Dark mode logo
Button color (branding)

Good to know:

Available fields may vary by template.
Some templates are deliberately restricted to keep important system information correct.
Cannot see a field? It cannot be customized for that template.

2) How email formatting works (in plain language)

Most formatting uses simple text rules. You do not need to know how to write HTML.

Paragraphs and blank lines

1 blank line between two sentences creates a new paragraph.
Multiple consecutive blank lines are cleaned up automatically.

Example:

Hoi #{{clientFirstName}},  Bedankt voor je aankoop.  Tot snel!

Lists (bullet points)

Put - before a line:

- Lidmaatschap: #{{membershipName}} - Startdatum: #{{membershipStartDate}} - Factuurnummer: #{{invoiceNumber}}

Section headings with an underline

Use ### for a clear section title. In the email, this is rendered as a heading with a subtle line underneath.

### Je inloggegevens

Bold, italic and underlined

Bold: **tekst**
Italic: *tekst*
Underlined: __tekst__

Example:

**Belangrijk:** je volgende incasso is op #{{nextBillingDate}}.

Clickable links

Use:

[Open je factuur](https://voorbeeld.nl/factuur)

Link as a button

Use:

[Open de app](#{{iosAppLink}}){button}

Button color follows your configured branding (with a safe fallback if none is set).

Pasting HTML: what happens?

If you paste HTML into the editor, FITsociety converts it to a stable text format on saving. This keeps formatting more consistent across email apps.

These elements are preserved:

<strong> or <b> → **vet**
<em> or <i> → *cursief*
<u> → __onderstreept__
<h1> through <h6> → heading with ### style
<ul><li> → bullet list with -
<a href="...">Label</a> → [Label](...)

Important:

Inline CSS from HTML (such as style="font-size:...") is not preserved 1-to-1.
The final preview/test email is authoritative.
For app downloads, preferably use #{{appStoreAppButton}} and #{{googlePlayAppButton}}.

Quick formatting reference (ready to copy)

Vet: **tekst** Cursief: *tekst* Onderstreept: __tekst__ Kop met lijn: ### Titel Bullet: - Punt Link: [Bekijk planning](https://...) Knop: [Open app](#{{iosAppLink}}){button}

3) Placeholders (`#{{...}}`) explained

A placeholder is a piece of text automatically replaced with real data.

Examples:

#{{clientFirstName}} becomes, for example Lisa
#{{invoiceNumber}} becomes, for example 2026-0041
#{{nextBillingDate}} becomes, for example 14 maart 2026

Important points about placeholders

Always use double braces: #{{...}}
Spelling must match exactly
Extra spaces in placeholder names may cause problems

Where can I find available placeholders?

The template editor shows which placeholders are available for each template. Preferably use only the placeholders listed there.

4) Using app buttons and app download logos

You can display app downloads in two ways.

Option A (recommended): direct app buttons

Add this to your email:

#{{appStoreAppButton}} #{{googlePlayAppButton}}

This is the easiest and safest option. FITsociety automatically uses:

the correct iOS/Android link
the correct language version (NL or EN)
the correct light and dark mode version

Option B: separate links and logos

You can also use individual placeholders:

#{{iosAppLink}}
#{{androidAppLink}}
#{{appStoreBadgeUrl}}
#{{googlePlayBadgeUrl}}

This is particularly useful if you want a completely custom layout.

Light/dark behavior of app download logos

The app logos automatically adapt to the display mode:

Light mode displays the dark badge version (best readability)
Dark mode displays the light badge version (best readability)

You therefore do not need to manage this manually.

5) Setting branding (logo, sender, button color)

Sender and reply-to address

You can configure:

Sender name: the name recipients see
Reply-to address: where replies go

Logos for light and dark mode

You can upload both:

Logo light mode
Logo dark mode

If no logo is available, your company name is displayed automatically.

Button color

You can set a custom color for email buttons. If none is set, the system uses a default color that works well in most inboxes.

6) Adding attachments

You can add attachments per language to a template.

Limits and supported files

Maximum 5 attachments per language
Maximum 10 MB per file
Supported types:
- PDF
- PNG
- JPG / JPEG
- DOCX

Practical tips

Use clear file names (e.g. algemene-voorwaarden.pdf)
Keep files small for faster delivery
After uploading, always check in the preview/test email that the correct attachment is linked

7) Preview and test email: what is the difference?

Preview (without sending)

Use preview to check quickly:

subject
formatting
placeholders
logos
app buttons
light/dark display

No actual email is sent.

Test email (sends an email)

Use a test email for the final check:

how the email arrives in real email clients
whether links are clickable
whether attachments arrive correctly

Recommended workflow:

preview first
then send a test email
only then use live

8) Resetting a template to default

Not happy with your changes? Reset the template to its default version.

What happens:

your customized text is discarded
the default FITsociety text is used again
this applies to the selected template (and language version, depending on your action)

Please note: save important text in a note before resetting.

9) Common mistakes and solutions

Placeholder is not replaced

Cause: the name does not match exactly.
Solution: always copy placeholders from the available list in the editor.

Link is not clickable

Cause: incorrect link formatting.
Solution: use [Tekst](https://...).

List does not appear as a list

Cause: the line does not begin with - .
Solution: put a hyphen + space before every bullet.

Email looks different than expected

Cause: different email apps display formatting slightly differently.
Solution: send test emails to multiple clients (e.g. Gmail and Outlook).

App buttons have the wrong style

Cause: manual formatting instead of the standard placeholder.
Solution: use #{{appStoreAppButton}} and #{{googlePlayAppButton}}.

10) Practical examples (ready to copy)

Example A: purchase confirmation (NL)

Hoi #{{clientFirstName}},  Bedankt voor je aankoop van **#{{membershipName}}**.  - Startdatum: #{{membershipStartDate}} - Volgende incasso: #{{nextBillingDate}} - Factuurnummer: #{{invoiceNumber}}  Download de app: #{{appStoreAppButton}} #{{googlePlayAppButton}}  Heb je vragen? Neem gerust contact met ons op.  Groet, #{{companyNameForFooter}}

Example B: onboarding (EN)

Hi #{{clientFirstName}},  Welcome to #{{companyNameForFooter}}.  Your account is ready and you can start right away.  - Username: #{{username}} - Temporary password: #{{password}}  Download the app: #{{appStoreAppButton}} #{{googlePlayAppButton}}  If you need help, feel free to reply to this email.

Example C: short promotional email with a button

Hoi #{{clientFirstName}},  Je nieuwe schema staat klaar.  [Bekijk mijn schema](#{{clientPortalLink}}){button}

Example D: onboarding with section headings

Beste #{{clientFirstName}},  Je bent uitgenodigd door **#{{coachFirstName}}** om deel te nemen aan **#{{companyName}}**.  ### Je inloggegevens - **Gebruikersnaam:** #{{username}} - **Wachtwoord:** #{{password}}  ### Download de app #{{appStoreAppButton}} #{{googlePlayAppButton}}  Heb je vragen of hulp nodig? Neem gerust contact met ons op.  Met vriendelijke groet, **#{{companyName}}** *#{{coachFirstName}}*

11) Publication checklist

Use this checklist before putting a template into live use:

Subject line is short and clear
Placeholder spelling checked
Both NL and EN versions reviewed
App buttons present where needed
Logos checked in light and dark mode
Button color and contrast checked
Attachments checked (correct version and format)
Preview checked (light + dark)
Test email sent to yourself and/or a colleague
Only then publish

12) Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know HTML to use this?

No. Plain text, blank lines, bullets and simple formatting work well.

Why do I sometimes see different text after saving?

The system normalizes formatting in the background to keep emails stable and consistent. The preview/test email display is authoritative.

I paste styled HTML. Why does it look different after saving?

This is expected behavior. FITsociety converts HTML to a stable storage format. Structure (headings, lists, links, bold/italic) is preserved, but inline styles such as custom font size or margins are not always kept.

Can I use multiple languages?

Yes, you can manage a Dutch and English version for each template.

Can I choose who receives the test email?

Usually you can specify your own test address. Otherwise, the test goes to your logged-in account.

What happens if I have not set a logo?

The email automatically displays your company name.

Which app links are used?

App links come from your company settings, keeping them centrally managed.

Can I return to the default if I break something?

Yes, you can reset templates to their default.

Which app links are used?

App links come from your company settings.

Do you have a branded app (your own app in the stores)?
We then automatically use the default links to your own iOS/Android app.
Do you not have a branded app?
We then automatically link to the FITsociety app.

You therefore do not need to maintain this manually for each email template.

Why can I not add an image to the email?

This is deliberate to maintain high email deliverability.

Standalone email images (e.g. banners/images in the body) increase the chance of emails ending up in spam/promotions .
Email providers (such as Gmail/Outlook) are stricter about marketing-style formatting with many images.

What is possible:

Adding attachments (per language), provided they stay within the limits.
Please note: oversized attachments can cause email clients to reject the email.

Recommended alternative for larger files:

Add a link to the file (e.g. through your website, Google Drive, Dropbox or a download page).
Especially for large files this is more reliable than an attachment.

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