> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://pigeonholeapp.co.uk/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Lifecycle Email Templates
> How to customise the automated lifecycle emails sent to parents at key points such as invoices, reminders, and payment confirmations.
# Lifecycle Email Templates
Lifecycle email templates are the automated emails that Pigeonhole sends to parents at key points in their journey, such as when an invoice is issued, a payment reminder is sent, or a payment is confirmed. You can customise the content of these emails to match your nursery's tone and include the information most relevant to your families.
This page covers **lifecycle templates** - the automated emails triggered by events like invoicing and payments. If you are looking to send a custom email to parents, see [Emailing Parents](/docs/managers/emails/emailing-parents).
## Accessing Lifecycle Templates
1. Go to **Settings** > **Email Templates** > **Lifecycle** tab.
2. You will see a card for each available template.
3. Templates marked **Default** are using the built-in content. Templates marked **Custom** have been edited by your setting.
## Available Templates
| Template | When it is sent |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Invoice Sent** | Sent to bill payers when a standard invoice is emailed to them |
| **Invoice Reminder** | Sent to bill payers when a payment reminder is issued for a standard invoice |
| **Invoice Paid Confirmation** | Sent manually from a paid invoice to confirm payment has been received. Includes the original invoice and a payment receipt as attachments. |
| **Registration Invoice Sent** | Sent to bill payers when a [registration invoice](/docs/managers/invoicing/registration-fees) is emailed to them |
| **Registration Invoice Reminder** | Sent to bill payers when a payment reminder is issued for a registration invoice |
## Editing a Template
1. Click on the template card you want to edit.
2. The editor will open below the template cards with two fields: **Subject** and **Body**.
3. Edit the **Subject** line to customise the email subject your parents will see in their inbox. You can use template variables in the subject (e.g. `{{child_first_name}}`). If left empty, a sensible default subject is used.
4. Edit the **Body** using the email editor. The editor supports:
* **Bold**, *italic*, ~~strikethrough~~, and underline text
* Headings (H1, H2, H3)
* Bulleted and numbered lists
* Links — select text, then click the link icon to add a URL
* Block quotes
* Horizontal dividers
5. Use the **Available Variables** buttons to insert dynamic values — click a variable name to insert it into whichever field (subject or body) is currently active.
6. Click **Save Template** to save your changes. The template card will change to **Custom**.
## Template Variables
Variables are placeholders that are automatically replaced with real data when the email is sent. Insert them by clicking the variable buttons, or type them directly into the editor.
| Variable | Replaced with | Available in |
| -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| `{{parent_name}}` | The bill payer's first and last name | All templates |
| `{{child_first_name}}` | The child's first name | All templates |
| `{{child_last_name}}` | The child's last name | All templates |
| `{{reference}}` | The invoice reference number (e.g. INV-2025-001) | All templates |
| `{{start_date}}` | The invoice period start month (e.g. January) | Invoice Sent, Invoice Reminder |
| `{{end_date}}` | The invoice period end month (e.g. January) | Invoice Sent, Invoice Reminder |
| `{{due_date}}` | The payment due date (e.g. 28 January) | Invoice Sent, Invoice Reminder |
| `{{invoice_total}}` | The total invoice amount (e.g. £250.00) | All templates |
| `{{total_now_due}}` | Total amount due including any outstanding balance | Invoice Sent, Invoice Reminder |
| `{{outstanding_balance_notice}}` | A notice paragraph shown only if the parent has a previous outstanding balance. Hidden automatically if there is no outstanding amount. | Invoice Sent, Invoice Reminder |
| `{{payment_date}}` | Date of the most recent payment (e.g. 14 April 2026) | Invoice Paid Confirmation |
| `{{total_paid}}` | Total amount paid across all payments (e.g. £275.00) | Invoice Paid Confirmation |
| `{{overpayment_notice}}` | A notice paragraph shown only if the parent has overpaid. Hidden automatically if there is no overpayment. | Invoice Paid Confirmation |
| `{{site_name}}` | Your nursery's name | All templates |
Variable names are case-sensitive. Use exactly the format shown above, including the double curly braces.
## Sending a Test Email
You can send a test email at any time to verify how the template looks in an inbox — you don't need to save your changes first:
1. Enter a recipient email address in the **Send Test Email** field.
2. Click **Send Test**. A test email is sent using sample data so you can see how the variables are filled in. The **Send Test** button is only unavailable while a test is already sending or when you haven't entered a recipient address.
Test emails use placeholder data (e.g. "Test Parent", "INV-TEST-001", £250.00) rather than real invoice information.
## Resetting to the Default Template
If you want to revert to the built-in template at any time:
1. Select the template.
2. Click **Reset to Default** (only shown for Custom templates).
3. The template will return to the Pigeonhole default and the card will change back to **Default**.
## Frequently Asked Questions
No. Template changes only affect emails sent after the change is saved. Previously sent invoices and reminders are not affected.
Yes. Go to **Settings** > **Invoicing** and enter an email address in the **Invoice Reply Email** field. When parents reply to an invoice email, their reply will go to that address instead of the default sender address.
The variable will simply not appear in the email. For example, removing `{{reference}}` means the invoice reference won't be shown in the email body.
The editor supports rich text formatting including headings, lists, and links, but does not support images or tables. Your nursery logo is automatically included in the email header.