Email Automations – Sending Automated Emails

Automatically send professional emails based on form submissions with complete customization #

Email automations transform your forms into powerful communication tools. Instead of manually sending emails after each submission, FORMEPIC automatically delivers customized emails to the right people at the right time. Whether you’re sending instant notifications to your team, confirmation emails to customers, or targeted follow-ups based on responses, email automations handle it all without any manual work.

Key Benefits:

• Instant Communication: Emails sent within seconds of form submission
• Professional Image: Branded, well-formatted emails every time
• Time Savings: Eliminate manual email composition and sending
• Consistency: Every respondent gets the same quality communication
• Personalization: Dynamic content customized for each submission
• Reliability: 24/7 automated delivery without manual intervention

Setting Up Email Automations #

Creating an email automation involves several key steps. Here’s the complete process:

Step 1: Access Automations Panel #

1. Open your form in the Form Builder
2. Click the Settings tab in the right panel
3. Scroll to the Automations section
4. Click Add Automation button
5. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Sales Lead Notification”)

Step 2: Configure Trigger #

Choose when the email should be sent:

• On Form Submit: Send email immediately for every submission
• On Specific Answer: Send only when specific answer is given
• On Form Completion: Send after complete form processing

For detailed trigger configuration, see the “Setting Up Automation Triggers” article.

Step 3: Select “Send Email” Action #

1. In the Action dropdown, select Send Email
2. Additional email configuration options will appear
3. This is where you’ll configure all email details

Step 4: Configure Recipients #

You have two recipient options (can use both simultaneously):

Option A: Static Email Addresses

• Enter email addresses directly
• Use comma-separated list for multiple recipients (e.g., admin@company.com, sales@company.com)
• Perfect for team notifications
• Addresses never change regardless of form content

Option B: Send to Respondent

• Toggle “Send to respondent” switch ON
• Select which form field contains the respondent’s email
• Email address comes from the form submission
• Perfect for confirmation emails to customers
• Requires an email field in your form

Best Practice: For notifications, use static addresses. For confirmations, use respondent email field.

Step 5: Select Email Provider #

Email automation requires a connected email provider:

1. In the Email Provider dropdown, select your configured provider
2. If no providers appear, you need to add one first
3. Click “Configure Email Provider” to add one
4. Supported providers appear in dropdown

Popular Email Providers Available:

• SMTP (any custom email server)
• Resend
• Amazon SES
• SendGrid
• Mailgun
• Mailjet
• Postmark
• Mandrill
• Elastic Email
• And more…

See the “Email Provider Configuration” article for setup instructions.

Step 6: Compose Email Subject #

The subject line appears in the recipient’s inbox:

1. Click in the Subject field
2. Type your subject line text
3. Click the Insert Field button to add dynamic data
4. Select form fields to personalize subjects
5. Preview how field insertions will appear

Example Subjects:

• Static: “New Contact Form Submission”
• Dynamic: “New Lead: Company Name – Contact Name”
• Mixed: “Urgent: Priority Level submission from Email”

Subject Line Best Practices:

• Keep under 50 characters for mobile compatibility
• Include key identifying information
• Use dynamic fields to make subjects scannable
• Avoid spam trigger words (FREE, !!!, ALL CAPS)
• Test how subjects appear in various email clients

Step 7: Compose Email Content #

Create the body of your email with rich text formatting:

1. Click in the Message editor area
2. Use the formatting toolbar for text styling:

• Bold, italic, underline
• Headings and lists
• Links and colors
• Alignment options

1. Click Insert Field button to add form data dynamically
2. Select fields from dropdown to include submission data
3. Format dynamic fields with surrounding text

Dynamic Field Insertion:

• Fields appear as colored placeholders: {{Field Name}}
• At send time, placeholders are replaced with actual submission data
• Works with any form field type
• Include as many fields as needed
• Fields can appear anywhere in the email

Example Email Body:

Hello First Name,

Thank you for contacting us! We received your Inquiry Type request.

Here is what you submitted:

• Company: Company Name
• Email: Email Address
• Phone: Phone Number
• Message: Your Message

Our team will respond within 24 hours.

Best regards,
The Company Name Team

Step 8: Add Attachments (Optional) #

Include files with your automated emails:

1. Click the Upload Attachment button or paperclip icon
2. Select files from your computer
3. Wait for upload to complete
4. Attachment appears in list with name and size
5. Click X to remove unwanted attachments
6. Add multiple attachments if needed (up to 10MB total)

Supported File Types:

• Documents: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT
• Spreadsheets: XLS, XLSX, CSV
• Images: JPG, PNG, GIF
• Archives: ZIP
• And more standard file types

Attachment Best Practices:

• Keep total size under 10MB for reliable delivery
• Use PDF for documents to ensure formatting consistency
• Name files clearly and professionally
• Don’t include sensitive data in attachments unless necessary
• Test email delivery with attachments before going live

Step 9: Save and Enable #

1. Review all configuration settings
2. Click Save or Create Automation button
3. Toggle automation to Enabled status
4. Email automation is now active and will process new submissions

Connecting Email Providers #

Before sending automated emails, you must configure an email provider. FORMEPIC integrates with over 30 email services:

SMTP Providers #

Generic SMTP configuration works with any email service:

• Gmail (with app passwords)
• Outlook/Office 365
• Custom domain email servers
• Enterprise email systems

Dedicated Email Services #

Professional transactional email providers offer better deliverability:

• Resend: Modern API, great for developers
• SendGrid: Industry standard, high volume support
• Amazon SES: Cost-effective for high volume
• Mailgun: Developer-friendly with great docs
• Postmark: Excellent for transactional emails
• Mailjet: Easy setup with strong deliverability

How to Add Email Provider #

1. Navigate to Integrations page from dashboard
2. Find your email service in the list
3. Click Connect or Add Connection
4. Enter required credentials (API key, SMTP details, etc.)
5. Verify connection with test email
6. Provider now appears in automation email provider dropdown

For detailed provider setup, see the “Email Provider Configuration” article.

Configuring Recipients #

Recipient configuration determines who receives your automated emails. FORMEPIC offers flexible recipient options:

Static Email Addresses #

How It Works:

• Enter email addresses directly in configuration
• These addresses never change
• Perfect for internal team notifications
• Multiple addresses supported (comma-separated)

When to Use:

• Notifying your team of new submissions
• Alerting specific departments
• CC’ing management on important forms
• Internal logging/documentation

Example: admin@company.com, sales@company.com, manager@company.com

Respondent’s Email from Form Field #

How It Works:

• Toggle “Send to respondent” ON
• Select which form field contains email address
• Email is sent to whatever address user provided
• Perfect for customer confirmations

Requirements:

• Form must have an email field
• Field must be marked as email type for validation
• Respondent must provide valid email address

When to Use:

• Sending confirmation/thank-you emails
• Providing submission receipts
• Delivering requested information
• Account registration confirmations

Best Practice: Always include both static (for your team) and respondent email (for customers) on confirmation automations. This ensures everyone stays informed.

Combined Recipients #

You can enable BOTH recipient types simultaneously:

• Static addresses receive copy
• Respondent receives copy
• Useful for transparent communication
• Ensures all parties are informed

Example: Contact form sends to sales team AND confirms to customer.

Email Subject and Content #

Crafting effective email content is crucial for professional automated communications:

Subject Line Guidelines #

What Makes a Good Subject:

• Clear and concise (under 50 characters ideal)
• Includes key identifying information
• Uses dynamic fields for personalization
• Avoids spam trigger words
• Descriptive of email purpose

Dynamic Field Usage:

• Insert form data for personalization: “New lead from {{Company Name}}”
• Include identifiers: “Order #{{Order ID}} Confirmation”
• Add urgency indicators: “{{Priority Level}}: New support ticket”

Subject Line Examples:

• Team Notification: “New {{Form Type}} submission from {{Name}}”
• Customer Confirmation: “Thank you for contacting {{Company Name}}”
• Order Confirmation: “Order #{{Order Number}} – {{Order Total}}”
• Support Ticket: “Ticket #{{Ticket ID}}: {{Issue Category}}”

Email Body Composition #

Structure Your Email:

1. Greeting: Personalize with name if available
2. Opening: State purpose of email clearly
3. Body: Include relevant submission details
4. Call to Action: What should recipient do next (if anything)
5. Closing: Professional sign-off with contact info

HTML Formatting Options:

• Bold: Emphasize important information
• Italic: For subtle emphasis or notes
• Headings: Organize content into sections
• Lists: Present multiple items clearly
• Links: Include clickable URLs
• Colors: Highlight critical information (use sparingly)

Dynamic Field Best Practices:

• Always label what each field represents
• Format as lists or tables for readability
• Include only relevant fields (don’t dump everything)
• Consider conditional inclusion based on trigger
• Test to ensure fields render correctly

Inserting Dynamic Field Data #

Dynamic fields personalize automated emails with actual form submission data:

How to Insert Fields #

1. Position cursor in subject or message where field should appear
2. Click Insert Field button (appears as dropdown or button)
3. Dropdown shows all available form fields
4. Click desired field to insert
5. Field appears as colored placeholder: {{Field Name}}
6. Continue composing around inserted fields

Field Placeholder Format #

Inserted fields use double curly braces syntax with field names inside

• Placeholders are replaced with actual data at send time
• If field is empty, placeholder may show as blank or “(not provided)”

Available Field Types #

You can insert nearly any form field type:

• Text fields (short and long text)
• Email and phone fields
• Number fields
• Dropdown selections
• Radio button choices
• Checkbox selections
• Date and time values
• Address fields
• File upload names (not the files themselves)
• And more…

Special Field Handling #

Checkbox/Multiple Choice Fields:

• If multiple options selected, may show as comma-separated list
• Format: “Option 1, Option 2, Option 3”

File Upload Fields:

• Shows filename of uploaded file
• Does not include the actual file (use attachments for that)

Empty/Unanswered Fields:

• May render as blank/empty space
• Consider including default text: “{{Phone Number}} (if not provided, we’ll contact via email)”

Field Insertion Tips #

• Label Clearly: Precede fields with descriptive text
• Format for Readability: Use lists or tables for multiple fields
• Test Thoroughly: Submit test forms to verify field rendering
• Consider Empty States: Plan for when fields aren’t filled
• Don’t Overload: Include only relevant fields, not every form field
• Personalize: Use names and personal details when available

Attaching Files #

Email automations support file attachments for sending documents, images, or other files:

Adding Attachments #

1. Click Upload Attachment button in email configuration
2. File picker dialog opens
3. Select one or more files from your computer
4. Files upload and appear in attachment list
5. See filename and size for each attachment

Removing Attachments #

• Click the X or remove icon next to attachment
• Attachment is deleted from automation
• Can add different file in its place

Attachment Specifications #

Size Limits:

• Individual file: Up to 10MB recommended
• Total all attachments: 10MB maximum for reliable delivery
• Exceeding limits may cause delivery failures

Supported File Types:

• Documents: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF
• Spreadsheets: XLS, XLSX, CSV
• Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG
• Archives: ZIP, RAR
• Presentations: PPT, PPTX
• Most common file formats supported

What’s Not Supported:

• Executable files (.exe, .bat, .sh)
• Some archive formats for security
• Extremely large files (>10MB)

Best Practices for Attachments #

• Use PDF for Documents: Ensures formatting stays consistent
• Optimize Images: Compress images to reduce size
• Name Files Clearly: Use descriptive, professional filenames
• Test Delivery: Verify attachments arrive correctly
• Consider Alternatives: For large files, consider including download links instead
• Security: Don’t attach sensitive data unless properly secured

Common Uses for Attachments #

• Product brochures or catalogs
• Price lists or service menus
• Terms and conditions documents
• Instruction manuals or guides
• Branded letterhead templates
• Company information packets
• Event schedules or agendas
• Maps or directions

Email Templates #

While FORMEPIC doesn’t have a separate template system, you can create reusable email content:

Creating Reusable Content #

1. Design Once: Carefully craft your email with formatting and dynamic fields
2. Document Format: Keep a copy of the email HTML/text in a document
3. Reuse: Copy and paste into new automations as needed
4. Maintain Consistency: Use same formatting style across all emails

Template Best Practices #

• Branding: Include your logo, colors, and fonts consistently
• Professional Footer: Add contact info, address, unsubscribe link
• Mobile-Friendly: Keep formatting simple for mobile email clients
• Plain Text Alternative: Some recipients prefer plain text emails
• Test Across Clients: Verify rendering in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.

Suggested Template Structure #

Include header with logo, greeting, main content with submission details, call to action, and footer with contact information

Testing Email Automations #

Always test email automations before relying on them in production:

Testing Process #

1. Create Test Automation: Set up automation with test recipients
2. Submit Test Form: Fill out form with known test data
3. Check Recipient Inbox: Verify email arrived
4. Review Content: Check subject, body, formatting, dynamic fields
5. Test Attachments: Verify files attached correctly and open properly
6. Verify Dynamic Fields: Ensure placeholders replaced with actual data
7. Test Edge Cases: Try empty fields, long text, special characters
8. Check Timing: Note how quickly email arrives (should be seconds)

What to Verify #

• ✅ Email arrives at all configured recipients
• ✅ Subject line correct and dynamic fields populated
• ✅ Message body formatting preserved
• ✅ All dynamic fields replaced with actual data
• ✅ Attachments included and openable
• ✅ Links clickable and direct to correct destinations
• ✅ Email not marked as spam
• ✅ Mobile rendering acceptable
• ✅ Reply-to address correct (if configured)

Common Testing Issues #

Email Doesn’t Arrive:

• Check spam/junk folders first
• Verify email provider configured correctly
• Ensure automation is enabled
• Check recipient email addresses for typos
• Verify email provider has sending limits remaining

Dynamic Fields Empty:

• Verify field names match exactly (case-sensitive)
• Check that test submission included data for those fields
• Ensure field mapping correct

Formatting Looks Wrong:

• HTML may render differently in different clients
• Test in multiple email clients (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
• Simplify formatting if issues persist
• Avoid complex layouts

Tips & Tricks #

• Segment by Trigger: Use “On Specific Answer” to send different emails for different submission types
• Multiple Automations: Create separate automations for team notification vs. customer confirmation
• Professional From Name: Configure email provider with your company name, not just email
• Include Logo: Upload company logo as attachment or use email HTML to reference hosted logo
• Track Opens: Some email providers offer open tracking – enable for insights
• A/B Testing: Test different subject lines or content to see what performs better
• Backup Recipients: Include BCC to yourself for record-keeping
• Time Zones: Remember email timestamps reflect server time

Important Notes #

• Email delivery typically completes within seconds but can take up to a few minutes
• Email provider daily sending limits apply (check your provider’s limits)
• Emails sent via automation count toward your provider’s quota
• Attachments increase email size and may affect delivery speed
• Some email clients strip or block certain HTML formatting
• Dynamic fields render as plain text, not as interactive elements
• Failed email sends may retry automatically depending on error type
• Email automation logs available for troubleshooting delivery issues

Common Issues & Troubleshooting #

Emails Not Being Sent #

Problem: Automation triggers but no email arrives

Solutions:

• Verify email provider configured correctly with valid credentials
• Check email provider status (is service experiencing issues?)
• Confirm recipient addresses are correct
• Look in spam/junk folders
• Check email provider sending limits (daily quota)
• Review automation logs for error messages
• Test email provider with manual send to verify it works
• Ensure automation is enabled (toggle switched on)

Dynamic Fields Not Populating #

Problem: Placeholders like {{Name}} appear instead of actual data

Solutions:

• Verify field names match exactly (case and spacing matter)
• Check that form fields have proper labels set
• Ensure test submission actually included data for those fields
• Try re-inserting the field using the Insert Field button
• Check for typos in manually typed field placeholders
• Verify form was saved after adding fields

Email Marked as Spam #

Problem: Automated emails end up in spam folders

Solutions:

• Configure proper SPF/DKIM records for your email provider
• Use reputable email provider (Resend, SendGrid, etc.)
• Avoid spam trigger words in subject lines
• Include unsubscribe link in footer
• Don’t use ALL CAPS or excessive exclamation marks
• Ensure from address matches your domain
• Build sender reputation gradually (start with low volume)
• Encourage recipients to whitelist your address

Attachments Not Included #

Problem: Email arrives but attachments missing

Solutions:

• Verify attachments uploaded successfully (check for error messages)
• Ensure total attachment size under 10MB
• Check if recipient’s email system blocks certain file types
• Try different file formats (e.g., PDF instead of DOC)
• Verify attachment appears in automation configuration
• Test with smaller files first
• Consider using download links for large files instead

Wrong Recipients Receiving Emails #

Problem: Emails going to incorrect people

Solutions:

• Double-check static email addresses for typos
• If using “send to respondent”, verify correct form field selected
• Ensure form field contains valid email format
• Check for duplicate automations sending to same addresses
• Review all enabled automations to find source
• Test with known email addresses first

Email Formatting Broken #

Problem: Email looks wrong in recipient’s inbox

Solutions:

• Simplify HTML formatting (complex layouts often break)
• Test in multiple email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail)
• Avoid absolute positioning or complex CSS
• Use basic formatting (bold, lists, links)
• Check if email provider strips certain HTML tags
• Consider using plain text for critical automations
• Preview in different email clients before deploying

Email Delivery Delayed #

Problem: Emails taking long time to arrive

Solutions:

• Normal delay is seconds to a minute – longer may indicate issues
• Check email provider status for service degradation
• Verify recipient’s email server isn’t blocking/delaying
• Consider if attachments are causing delays (large files)
• Review email provider logs for queuing information
• Contact email provider support if consistent delays occur

Can’t Select Email Provider #

Problem: Email provider dropdown is empty

Solutions:

• You must configure email provider first before creating automations
• Navigate to Integrations page and add email provider
• Follow provider setup instructions to get credentials
• Verify provider connection with test send
• Refresh automation configuration page after adding provider
• Ensure provider is properly verified and activated