Configure reusable broadcast templates

Updated Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · Marc Staine

Broadcast templates provide consistent starting content for recurring types of customer announcements. They help authors retain a familiar structure while reviewing the actual dates, audience and message for each broadcast.

Applies to: Supportbench Core. Location: Settings → Broadcasts → Broadcast templates. Editing requires Create and update broadcasts.

Before you begin

Prepare reusable wording separately from campaign-specific dates, incidents and recipient choices. A template does not select an audience or schedule a Broadcast.
Decide which supported variables are needed and who will review the final customer message before publication.

Configure and verify

Open Settings → Broadcasts → Broadcast templates and choose New Template.
In Settings, enter Name and Description, choose Order and review Active. Name the purpose, such as Planned maintenance notice, so other agents can select the correct starting point.
In Content, write the reusable body. Use Variables to insert supported values instead of guessing token syntax.
Available values include Contact first name, Contact last name, Contact email, Company name, Community logo, Community URL, Agent URL, Broadcast web view URL and Broadcast unsubscribe URL. Choose only the values needed by this template.
Preview the result where offered; preview values are restored to their variable tokens on save. Choose Save Changes and reopen to verify the saved template.
When using the template in a Broadcast, replace campaign-specific wording and preview the final message. Review audience, timing and publication in the Broadcast itself.
Before deleting a saved template, confirm it is no longer needed. The template deletion action is irreversible.

Settings reference

Template settings

Setting	What it controls	How to choose
Name / Description	Template identity and guidance, up to 50/250 characters.	Describe the announcement type and appropriate use.
Order	Selector ordering.	Place common templates first.
Active	Makes the template available for normal selection.	Deactivate obsolete versions while retaining them for review.
Content	Reusable formatted message body.	Use clear prompts for information the author must replace; do not assume unsupported merge tokens.
Audit	Creation and modification details.	Review recent changes when an expected template differs.

Behavior to know

A template supplies content; it does not select recipients or schedule a broadcast by itself.

Recommended use

Choose the intended audience before configuring content or recipients.
Preview the complete experience and inspect a representative result before broad use.
Keep customer-facing wording short, specific and consistent with the rest of your portal.

Worked example

Create Planned maintenance notice with sections for affected service, time window, expected impact and contact route.
Use the Variables picker for the customer name and appropriate web-view/unsubscribe links. Leave obvious wording for the actual maintenance details to be completed.
Save the template, then use it in an approved draft Broadcast and replace those details.
Review the complete message and audience before any actual publication; a correct template is only the starting point.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
A variable is printed literally	Insert it through Variables and verify the selected template and final Broadcast context.
A preview value replaced the token	The editor restores preview values to tokens on save. Reopen and inspect the saved content before changing it.
The template cannot be selected	Check Active and the user’s broadcast editing access.
No message was sent	Saving a template does not publish or schedule a Broadcast.
The wrong incident details appear	Replace campaign-specific wording in the Broadcast; do not reuse old dates or impacts without review.

Broadcasts → Create and schedule customer broadcasts
Knowledge Base → Configure shared article styles and callouts

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