Automatic emails
Beta: Automatic emails is new and in early access, so you may spot the odd bug while we finish it off. We expect it to be fully ready within one to two weeks. If something doesn’t look right, email [email protected].
Plans: Automatic emails is free for everyone right now. In the new year we’re introducing Bronze, Silver and Gold plans, and email features will then be part of the Gold plan. If you’re an existing customer, you don’t have to change your plan. It’s your choice: if you want to keep using email features, you can upgrade to Gold.
What it is
ClassFit sends your clients emails automatically when things happen: when they book, when a booking is cancelled, when a space opens on the waitlist, when they buy a package and so on. Until now you couldn’t change these emails.
With Automatic emails you can now:
- Edit the emails you already send. Change the subject line, preview text and content of any of ClassFit’s 20 standard emails, so they sound like you.
- Switch off any standard email you don’t want to send.
- Create new automatic emails. Choose what triggers the email, how long to wait before it’s sent, and what it says. For example, send a “We miss you” email to clients who haven’t been to a class for a while. If you want, you can include an offer by adding your own discount code.
You design your emails in a drag-and-drop email builder, so you don’t need any design or coding skills.
Your emails still use your logo, brand colours and website, as set in your branding (see How to Customize your Email Branding).
Where to find it
Go to Tools > Automatic emails in the left-hand menu.
The page lists every automatic email in a row, showing its name, what triggers it, its subject line and whether it’s on or off.
Who can use it: Admins and Managers, plus Custom roles that have this permission turned on, just like any other task permission.
The email builder works on computers only. Please open this page on a laptop or desktop computer to create or edit your emails.
Your standard emails
These are the emails ClassFit sends for you:
Bookings
- Booking cancelled
- Join / booking confirmation
- Client add to booking
- Booking details changed
- Withdraw from booking
- Remove from booking
- Join waitlist
- Waitlist spot available
- Withdrawal refund
- Booking reminder
- Manual booking message
Attendance policy
- Missed booking charge
- Attendance policy warning
Purchases and invitations
- Purchase gift card
- Invite from profile
- Purchase package
Memberships
- First renewal payment failed
- Second renewal payment failed (cancelled)
- Client cancelled renewal
- Organization cancelled package
Editing one of your standard emails
- Go to Tools > Automatic emails.
- Find the email you want to change and click Edit design.
- Change the subject line, preview text and email content in the drag-and-drop builder (see Using the email builder below).
- Click Test send to send a test version to yourself.
- Click Save design.
When standard emails are sent
Most standard emails confirm something that has just happened, so they are sent straight away and their timing can’t be changed. For example, a booking confirmation is always sent as soon as the client books.
You can change the timing of booking reminders: choose how many hours before the booking starts the reminder is sent.
The two attendance policy emails have fixed timing. Their When to send setting is greyed out:
- Missed booking charge: sent when a client is charged a fine for a late cancellation or no-show.
- Attendance policy warning: only sent if your no-show policy uses warnings or fines, when a client cancels late or doesn’t turn up and isn’t charged. It isn’t sent if your policy is No charge no email. If your policy is No charge with email, there’s no warning count, as that policy doesn’t use warnings.
See Charging fines for late cancellations and no-shows.
Restoring an email to the default
If you’ve changed an email and want to go back to ClassFit’s original version, click Restore to default.
Switching an email off
Every standard email has an on/off switch, including booking confirmations and failed-payment emails. Turn one off and ClassFit stops sending it. You can turn it back on at any time.
Take care: if you switch off an email such as a booking confirmation, reminder or failed-payment email, your clients won’t get it. They may then miss important information about their bookings or payments.
Standard emails can’t be deleted, but you can edit them or switch them off.
Creating a new automatic email
- Go to Tools > Automatic emails and click Create new automation.
- Enter an automation name so you can recognise it in your list.
- Set When to send (see below).
- Add a subject line and, if you like, preview text.
- Design your email in the drag-and-drop builder.
- Click Test send to send a test to yourself.
- Check who the email will go to, then click Save & send now to turn it on (this emails everyone who currently matches the trigger straight away), or Save as draft to save it without turning it on. Drafts appear in your list as Inactive. Back takes you back without saving.
When to send
The When to send row reads: Send [number] [unit] After [trigger].
Emails are always sent after the trigger. You can’t send an email before something happens, for example before a membership expires.
Booking triggers
| Trigger | Delay |
|---|---|
| First booking is made | Minutes (0–60, in steps of 5), Hours or Days |
| First booking is attended | Minutes (0–60, in steps of 5), Hours or Days |
| Last attended booking | Minutes (0–60, in steps of 5), Hours or Days |
The default is 0 Minutes, which means straight away.
Package triggers
| Trigger | Delay |
|---|---|
| Membership expires | Hours (1–24) or Days (1–90) |
| Membership renewed successfully | Hours (1–24) or Days (1–90) |
| Class pack expires | Hours (1–24) or Days (1–90) |
| Class pack credit = 0 (the client has used all their credits) | Hours (1–24) or Days (1–90) |
The default is 1.
These triggers are only available for new automations. They aren’t standard emails, so nothing is sent for them unless you create an automation.
You can only have one automatic email per trigger. Once a trigger is used it disappears from the list, and when every trigger is in use the Create new automation button is hidden.
Idea: win-back email. Choose the Last attended booking trigger, set the delay to 30 Days, and write a friendly email inviting clients back. ClassFit gives you the option to include an offer: if you’d like to, create your own discount code first (see Creating Discount Codes) and add it to your email. ClassFit doesn’t create offers for you.
Deleting an automatic email you created
You can delete automatic emails that you created yourself. Click the delete option on the email’s row and confirm.
Using the email builder
Emails are designed in a drag-and-drop builder. Drag blocks such as text, buttons, images, dividers, spacers and tables into your email, then click a block to change it.
- Subject line: required, up to 150 characters and up to 4 tags.
- Preview text: the line shown after the subject in most inboxes. Optional, up to 200 characters and up to 4 tags. If you leave it empty, the start of your email is shown instead.
- Tags: insert tags such as [booking_name] and ClassFit fills in each client’s details when the email is sent. The tags available depend on the email.
- Header and footer: the header shows your logo and the footer is added automatically. You can’t edit these.
- Styling: change fonts, sizes, colours, alignment and spacing.
- Desktop and mobile preview: switch between views to check how your email looks on each.
What your clients see
Emails look as though they come from you, with your business name, logo and brand colours. ClassFit sends them on your behalf. If a client replies, the reply comes to you.
Standard emails about bookings, payments and memberships are transactional. Clients need them to manage their bookings.
If you create an automatic email that promotes something, such as a win-back email with an offer, it counts as marketing. Marketing emails are in beta and don’t include an unsubscribe link yet. We’re adding one before the full release. Until then, only send marketing emails to clients who have agreed to hear from you, and respect any opt-outs yourself, for example clients who have unsubscribed in Mailchimp.
FAQs
Who can use Automatic emails? Admins and Managers, plus Custom roles that have this permission.
Do I have to set anything up? No. Your standard emails keep working as before. You only need to do something if you want to change them, switch them off or add new ones.
Can I stop an email being sent? Yes, any standard email can be switched off on the Automatic emails page. Remember that clients won’t get it, so think carefully before switching off confirmations or payment emails.
Can I delete a standard email? No, but you can edit it or switch it off.
Can I change when a booking confirmation is sent? No. Emails that confirm something has happened are always sent straight away.
Can I change when the attendance policy emails are sent? No. Missed booking charge and Attendance policy warning have fixed timing.
Can I send an email before a membership or class pack expires? Not at the moment. New automations are always sent after the trigger.
Can I have two emails with the same trigger? No. Each trigger can be used once.
Will Save & send now email everyone who already matches the trigger? Yes. When you click Save & send now, the email is sent to everyone who currently matches the trigger and audience, as well as to clients who match it in future. Check who it will go to before you save.
I saved a new email but it isn’t sending. Check that it isn’t a draft. Drafts show as Inactive. Open the email and click Save & send now.
Can I undo my changes to a standard email? Yes. Click Restore to default.
Can I edit emails on my phone? Not yet. The email builder works on computers only.
Where do replies go? To you.
Does this cost anything? Not right now. It’s free for everyone. In the new year we’re introducing Bronze, Silver and Gold plans, and email features will then be part of the Gold plan. Existing customers don’t have to change plan. You can choose whether to upgrade to Gold to keep using email features.