Who this article is for: Authority Users
Overview
Communication Types and Templates drive every auto-generated notice SwiftComply produces. A Communication Type defines the rule — for example, "send a first-notice reminder 60 days before an assembly's Next Test Due." A Communication Template defines the content — the subject line (for emails), the body text, and the merge fields that fill in contact name, due date, assembly address, and so on. This article walks through creating and editing both, and gives the full reference for merge fields.
The Difference Between Type and Template
Type | Template |
The rule that triggers generation | The content of the notice |
Specifies trigger timing, target audience, methods | Specifies subject, body text, formatting, merge fields |
Created via Create Type | Created via Create Template |
Most rules pair with their own template, but templates can be reused across multiple types.
Creating or Editing a Communication Type
Click Communications in the left navigation.
Click the Create Type button in the top right (or open an existing type from the Communication Types report and click the edit option).
Fill in the form:
Type — select an existing type or click Create New Type to define a new one
Communication Name — a human-friendly name (for example, "60-Day First Notice")
Period — when the rule runs relative to the trigger date (for example, "60 days before Next Test Due")
Date Format — how dates should be formatted in the generated notice
Targeting — the subset of assemblies or locations the type applies to. Targets are added from the targeting dropdown; "No Targets Selected" means the rule will apply to everything.
Contact Types and Contact Methods — which contacts should receive the notice, and how (email, letter, phone). The + button adds additional rows.
Use Primary Contact — if checked, only send to the primary contact at each location
Use Only First Available Method — if checked, SwiftComply picks the first method that has valid data for the contact (for example, send email if they have one, otherwise letter)
Disable Assembly Grouping — if checked, generates a separate notice per assembly instead of grouping all assemblies at a location into one notice
Click Edit Communication Text to compose the body — see below.
Click Save.
Editing Communication Text (Body)
Clicking Edit Communication Text opens a rich text editor with standard formatting controls: bold, italic, underline, lists, alignment, color, headings, images, tables, links.
Use the editor to compose the body of your notice. For emails, the body is the email message. For letters, the body is the main content of the printed letter. If your communication has both an email and a letter method, you can also click Edit Email Body to compose email-specific content.
Merge Fields
Merge fields let you insert dynamic data — contact name, location address, assembly details, due dates — that SwiftComply fills in when the notice is generated. Each merge field is a placeholder in the template that gets replaced at generation time with the real value.
Type each merge field exactly as written below — including the double curly braces and the capitalization — for SwiftComply to recognize and replace it.
Contact Fields
Merge Field | What It Fills In |
{{ADDRESS}} | Full address of the contact selected to receive the communication, including address line 1, address line 2, city, state, and postal code |
{{FIRST_NAME}} | The recipient contact's first name |
{{LAST_NAME}} | The recipient contact's last name |
{{CONTACT_NAME}} | The recipient contact's full name |
Location Fields
Merge Field | What It Fills In |
{{LOCATION_NAME}} | Name of the location where the assembly is installed |
{{LOCATION_ADDRESS1}} | Location's address line 1 |
{{LOCATION_ADDRESS2}} | Location's address line 2 |
{{LOCATION_CITY}} | Location's city |
{{LOCATION_STATE_PROV}} | Location's state or province |
{{LOCATION_POSTAL_CODE}} | Location's postal code |
{{LOCATION_COUNTRY_CODE}} | Location's country code |
{{ACCOUNT_NUMBER}} | Location's user-set ID / Account Number |
{{LOCATION_DUE_ON}} | Location's survey due date |
Assembly Fields (Single Assembly)
These return data for the individual assembly the communication is about. Each has both an ASSEMBLY_ and an EQUIPMENT_ name — they produce the same value, so use whichever you prefer.
Merge Field | What It Fills In |
{{ASSEMBLY_TYPE}} or {{EQUIPMENT_TYPE}} | Assembly type (for example, RP, DC, PVB) |
{{ASSEMBLY_MAKE}} or {{EQUIPMENT_MAKE}} | Assembly manufacturer |
{{ASSEMBLY_MODEL}} or {{EQUIPMENT_MODEL}} | Assembly model |
{{ASSEMBLY_SIZE}} or {{EQUIPMENT_SIZE}} | Assembly size |
{{ASSEMBLY_SERIAL_NUMBER}} or {{EQUIPMENT_SERIAL_NUMBER}} | Assembly serial number |
{{ASSEMBLY_DUE_ON}} or {{EQUIPMENT_DUE_ON}} | Assembly's Next Test Due date |
{{ASSEMBLY_SERIAL_NUMBER_LIST}} or {{EQUIPMENT_SERIAL_NUMBER_LIST}} | A list of serial numbers for all assemblies covered by the communication |
Assembly Table Fields (Multiple Assemblies)
When a single notice covers multiple assemblies at a location, use these to produce a formatted table of all of them:
Merge Field | What It Fills In |
{{ASSEMBLY_DATA}} | A table with one row per assembly covered by the notice. Columns include serial number, assembly type, manufacturer, model, size, and test due date. |
{{ASSEMBLY_DATA_WITH_NOTES}} | Same as ASSEMBLY_DATA above, plus a column for each assembly's notes field |
Dates
Merge Field | What It Fills In |
{{DUE_BY}} | Earliest test due date among all the assemblies the communication covers |
{{GENERATED_ON}} | The date SwiftComply generated the communication |
Organization Fields
Merge Field | What It Fills In |
{{ORGANIZATION_NAME}} | Your organization (city/utility) name |
{{ORGANIZATION_ADDRESS}} | Your organization's full address, formatted like the contact and location addresses above |
Formatting and Special
Merge Field | What It Fills In |
{{BREAK}} | Inserts a page break at the position of the field. Useful when a preview shows tables split awkwardly between pages. |
{{ADDITIONAL_CONTENTS}} | For one-time communications: inserts whatever text was typed into the Additional Contents section when the log was created. Put this placeholder in a template and use the same template for multiple one-off notices with different message text. |
Using Merge Fields in the Editor
When you type merge fields in the editor, use plain text (not styled) so nothing interferes with the recognition of the {{...}} pattern. If you want to reuse a merge field elsewhere in the template, the easiest way is to highlight the field, copy (Ctrl+C / Cmd+C), and paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V) where you need it again — that ensures the exact syntax is preserved.
💡 After saving your template, use Preview Communication Text on the template's details page to render a sample of the letter or email with filled-in values. This is the fastest way to catch typos in merge fields or missed punctuation.
Previewing and Testing
Before activating a template, preview it on a sample assembly or location to confirm the merge fields populate correctly:
Preview Communication Text — renders a PDF preview of the letter with sample data in place of merge fields.
Send Preview Email — sends a sample email (with the same sample data) to your email address so you can see how the email will look in an inbox.
Review the preview carefully — especially check that date formats match what your recipients expect.
Editing an Existing Template
From the Communications page, open the report selector and choose Communication Templates.
Find the template you want to edit and open it.
If the template is published, click Unpublish first so you can make changes. (Published templates are read-only.)
Update the body, merge fields, subject line, or any other fields.
Click Save. Republish when you're ready for the template to be used.
⚠️ Changes to a template only affect future generated notices. Notices that have already been generated (sent or in the Unsent queue) will keep the version of the template that was in effect when they were created.
FAQ
Q: Can I test a template without it going out to a real contact?
A: Yes. On the template's details page, click Preview Communication Text to see a PDF with sample data, or click Send Preview Email to deliver a sample email to yourself.
Q: Why did my notice come out blank or with {{FIELD}} placeholders not replaced?
A: SwiftComply didn't recognize the merge field — typically because the syntax is slightly off. Common causes: the braces aren't doubled (should be {{ and }}), the field name isn't in all caps, or the text picked up styling (bold, color, a link) that broke the pattern. Open the template, re-type the field in plain text exactly as shown in the tables above, and re-preview.
Q: Can a template support both email and letter delivery?
A: Yes. In the Communication Type, add multiple Contact Methods (use the + button). The letter body is composed in Edit Communication Text; the email body uses Edit Email Body. You can use Use Only First Available Method to prefer one method when the contact has data for both.
Q: A merge field I need isn't in the list. What do I do?
A: Contact your CSM. New merge fields can be added to SwiftComply, but not through the UI — they need to be configured on the back end.