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.

Accessing Lifecycle Templates

1. Go to Settings > Email Templates > Lifecycle Templates 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 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.
3. Use the toolbar to format text (bold, italic, links).
4. Use the Available Variables buttons to insert dynamic values — click a variable name to insert it at the cursor position.
5. Click Save Template to save your changes. The template card will change to Custom.

Formatting is limited to bold, italic, and links to keep emails clean and compatible with all email clients.

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

Before saving, or after saving your changes, you can send a test email to verify how the template looks in an inbox:

1. Save the template first if you have unsaved changes (the Send Test button is disabled until changes are saved).
2. Enter a recipient email address in the Send Test Email field.
3. Click Send Test. A test email will be sent using sample data so you can see how the variables are filled in.

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

Will existing invoices be affected if I change a template?

No. Template changes only affect emails sent after the change is saved. Previously sent invoices and reminders are not affected.

Can I set a different reply-to address for invoice emails?

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.

What happens if I delete a variable from the template?

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.

Can I add images or tables to the email template?

The editor intentionally limits formatting to bold, italic, and links. This ensures emails are compatible with all email clients. Your nursery logo is automatically included in the email header.