Previewing Emails for a Question Profile

Email preview allows you to see exactly what emails will be sent to candidates and referees at different stages of the reference process. This helps you verify that your email templates are correctly configured and display the right information before sending them.

Accessing Email Preview

1. Navigate to Question Profiles from the main menu
2. Open the question profile you want to preview emails for by clicking on its name
3. In the profile header (top of the page), click the "Preview" button
4. From the dropdown menu, select "Preview Emails"
5. The Email Templates Preview dialog will open

Understanding the Email Preview Interface

The email preview dialog is divided into two main sections:

Left Sidebar

The left sidebar contains:

• Simulation Options: Checkboxes to simulate different reference scenarios
• Email Template Groups: Organised lists of email templates grouped by recipient type

Right Preview Area

The right side displays the actual email preview in an iframe, showing exactly how the email will appear to recipients.

Simulation Options

Simulation options allow you to preview how emails will look under different conditions. You can enable or disable these options using the checkboxes:

Personal Reference

When enabled, this simulates emails for personal references. Use this to see how personal reference emails differ from professional ones.

Educational Reference

When enabled, this simulates emails for educational/academic references. This helps you preview emails sent for academic reference requests.

Digital ID Required

When enabled, this simulates emails that require digital ID verification. Use this to preview emails sent when identity verification is mandatory.

Tip: You can select multiple simulation options at once to see how emails appear in combined scenarios.

Email Template Groups

Email templates are organized into three main groups:

Candidate Emails

These are emails sent to candidates during the reference process:

• New Candidate: Initial email sent when a candidate is added to a reference request
• New Candidate Reminder: Reminder email sent to candidates who haven't completed their part
• Candidate Referee Reminder: Reminder sent to candidates about adding referees
• Candidate Part Complete Reminder: Reminder when candidate has partially completed their information
• Candidate Reference Completed: Confirmation email when references are completed
• Candidate Verification Reminder: Reminder about completing identity verification
• New Referee Bounced: Notification when a referee email bounces

Reference Emails

These are emails sent to referees:

• New Referee: Initial email sent to a referee requesting a reference
• New Referee Reminder: Reminder email sent to referees who haven't completed their reference
• Reference Completed to Referee: Confirmation email sent to referees when they complete their reference

Requestor Notifications

These are notification emails sent to the person who created the reference request:

• New Candidate Bounced: Notification when a candidate email bounces
• New Candidate Declined: Notification when a candidate declines the reference request
• New Candidate on Last Reminder: Notification when a candidate is on their final reminder
• Referee Action Log: Summary of referee actions
• Referee Added Notification: Notification when a new referee is added
• Reference Completed: Notification when a reference is completed
• New Referee Declined to Author: Notification when a referee declines
• Referee Removed Notification: Notification when a referee is removed
• Referee Updated Notification: Notification when referee information is updated
• Candidate Verification Success to Author: Notification when candidate verification succeeds
• Vacancy Pool Notification: Notification related to vacancy pool opt-ins

How to Preview an Email

1. Open the email preview dialog (see "Accessing Email Preview" above)
2. Expand or collapse template groups by clicking on the group headers
3. Click on any email template name in the left sidebar to select it
4. The preview will load automatically in the right panel
5. Wait for the preview to finish loading (you'll see a loading indicator)
6. The email will display exactly as recipients will see it

Using Simulation Options

1. In the left sidebar, find the "Simulation Options" section
2. Click the section header to expand or collapse it
3. Check or uncheck the simulation options you want to test
4. The preview will automatically update to reflect your selections
5. You can combine multiple options to see how emails appear in different scenarios

Note: Changing simulation options will reload the preview, so you may see a brief loading indicator.

Opening Email Preview in a New Tab

To view the email preview in a separate browser tab:

1. Select the email template you want to preview
2. Click the "Open in new tab" icon (square with arrow) in the top right corner of the dialog
3. The email preview will open in a new browser tab
4. This is useful for printing, sharing, or viewing the email at full size

Best Practices

• Test different scenarios: Use simulation options to preview emails for different reference types (personal, educational, professional)
• Check all templates: Review all email templates to ensure they're configured correctly
• Verify content: Check that dynamic content (names, dates, links) appears correctly
• Test on different devices: Open previews in new tabs to test how emails look on different screen sizes
• Review before sending: Always preview emails before sending reference requests to ensure everything looks correct

What You'll See in the Preview

The email preview shows:

• The complete email content as recipients will see it
• Your organization's branding and logo (if configured)
• Custom colors for links and buttons (if configured)
• All dynamic content and placeholders
• The email layout and formatting
• Any attachments or links included in the email

Customizing Email Templates

Important: Email templates are customised by the RefNow team. If you need to customise your email templates, please contact our team at sales-support@refnow.co.uk.

The preview feature allows you to see how your customised templates will appear, but you cannot edit them directly from the preview interface.

Troubleshooting

Preview won't load

If the email preview doesn't load:

• Check your internet connection
• Try refreshing the page
• Try selecting a different email template
• Clear your browser cache and try again
• Contact support if the issue persists

Preview looks incorrect

If the preview doesn't match what you expect:

• Check your simulation options - they may be affecting the preview
• Verify that your organisation branding and colours are correctly configured
• Try opening the preview in a new tab to see if it displays differently
• Contact support if you notice any issues with template content

Can't find a specific email template

If you're looking for a specific email:

• Make sure all template groups are expanded
• Scroll through the template lists in each group
• Check if the template might be in a different group
• Contact support if you cannot find a template that should be available