WHMCS sends dozens of automatic emails: order confirmations, hosting welcome emails with login details, invoices, reminders, ticket replies. The default wording is generic. Customising the templates makes your business look professional and reduces support questions, especially for welcome emails.
Before you start
- Administrator access to WHMCS.
- Mail sending configured with SMTP; see WHMCS mail configuration.
- Your logo URL and brand colours.
Open the email templates
Go to Configuration → System Settings → Email Templates. Templates are grouped by type: General, Product/Service, Domain, Invoice, Support, Affiliate, Admin and Notification.
Edit a template
- Click a template name, for example Hosting Account Welcome Email.
- Change the Subject if needed.
- Edit the message in the editor. Use the toolbar for formatting or switch to source view for HTML.
- Insert merge fields (see below) from the list under the editor.
- Use Copy To or Preview if available, then click Save Changes.
Useful merge fields
| Field | Inserts |
|---|---|
{$client_first_name} | Client's first name |
{$service_domain} | Domain of the hosting service |
{$service_username} | cPanel or service user name |
{$service_server_hostname} | Server hostname |
{$service_ns1}, {$service_ns2} | Nameservers |
{$invoice_num}, {$invoice_total} | Invoice number and amount |
{$invoice_link} | Link to view and pay the invoice |
{$whmcs_url} | Your client area address |
{$signature} | Your email signature from General Settings |
Templates use Smarty, so you can also add simple conditions, for example {if $service_dedicated_ip}Your IP: {$service_dedicated_ip}{/if}.
Write a better welcome email
- Lead with what the customer needs now: how to log in (link to the client area, where they can open cPanel in one click) and what nameservers to set.
- Avoid sending passwords in email where possible; link to the client area's password reset instead.
- Link to your getting-started guides and support channel.
Brand the global header and footer
- Go to Configuration → System Settings → General Settings → Mail.
- Edit Email CSS Styling for colours and fonts.
- Edit Client Email Header Content to include your logo and Client Email Footer Content for address and links.
- Set the Email Signature.
- Save, then send yourself a test (for example by resending a welcome email from a test service).
Translations
When you have several client languages, each template has a language selector. Create a version per language; WHMCS sends the one matching the client's language setting, falling back to the default.
Custom templates
Click Create New Email Template, choose the type (for example Product/Service) and name it. You can then select it as the welcome email for a specific product, or send it manually from a client's profile with Send Message.
Troubleshooting
- Merge field prints literally: it does not exist for that template type, or there is a typo. Copy it from the list under the editor.
- Smarty error, email not sent: an unclosed
{if}or stray brace. Check Utilities → Logs → Email Message Log. - Emails in spam: switch from PHP Mail to SMTP and set SPF and DKIM for the sending domain.