If your team is sending “just checking in” emails that all sound different, you’re wasting time and probably missing the mark. Whether you’re in sales, customer success, or just sick of rewriting the same email for the tenth time, team templates in Yesware can help everyone stay on-message—and save your sanity.
But Yesware’s template features aren’t always as obvious or as flexible as you’d hope. Here’s a no-nonsense guide to creating and sharing team templates, plus where things can get clunky and what to skip.
Why bother with team templates?
Let’s be real: nobody wants to sound like a robot, but consistency beats chaos. Team templates give you:
- Less time spent rewriting emails from scratch
- Fewer embarrassing mistakes or outdated pitches
- A fighting chance at sounding like one team (not five freelancers)
- Easier training for new hires
But templates aren’t magic. They won’t fix a bad sales pitch, and they’re not a replacement for real personalization. Use them as a solid starting point—not a crutch.
Before you start: What you’ll need
- Yesware account: You’ll need a paid Team or Enterprise Yesware plan. Solo users can make templates, but sharing is team-only.
- Team permissions: Only Admins or Managers can create and share team templates. Regular users get access, but can’t push new templates to everyone.
- The Yesware add-in: Works with Outlook or Gmail. Make sure it’s installed and enabled in your inbox. The web dashboard works too, but most people live in their email.
Step 1: Map out what should (and shouldn’t) be a template
Not every email deserves a template. Before you start building, make a list:
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Good candidates:
- First-touch outbound emails
- Follow-ups (“Just checking in…”)
- Meeting reminders or confirmations
- Post-demo recaps
- Standard responses to common objections
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Skip these:
- Highly personalized proposals
- One-off customer support tickets
- Anything that’s so specific it won’t be reused
Pro tip: Start small. You don’t need 30 templates on day one. Focus on what’s sent most often.
Step 2: Write the template in Yesware
You can create templates in the Yesware dashboard or straight from your inbox add-in. Here’s the basic process:
- Open the Yesware Templates tool
- In Gmail: Click the Yesware icon, then “Templates.”
- In Outlook: Find the Yesware sidebar, then “Templates.”
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From the web dashboard: Go to the Templates section.
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Create a new template
- Click “New Template.”
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Give it a clear, specific name. “Follow-up #2 – Product Demo” beats “Follow-up.”
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Write your message
- Use merge fields (like {{FirstName}}) for any info that changes.
- Keep it short—nobody wants to read a novel.
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Add your subject line in the “Subject” field so it’s ready to go.
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Add tags or folders
- Organize by campaign, funnel stage, or topic. This gets important fast as your library grows.
What works:
Merge fields are handy and save time. Just make sure your CRM is syncing right, or you’ll end up with “Hi ,” in front of a customer’s face.
What’s clunky:
The template editor is decent but not fancy. Formatting can get weird if you copy-paste from Word or Google Docs—stick to plain text or clean up after pasting.
Step 3: Save as a team template
Here’s the part that trips people up: writing a template doesn’t mean everyone sees it. Here’s how to actually share it with your team:
- Choose “Save as Team Template”
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When saving, look for the “Save as Team Template” option. If you don’t see it, you’re not an Admin or Manager (ask your Yesware admin).
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Pick the right team or group
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Yesware lets you share templates with specific teams. If you have multiple groups (e.g., SDRs vs. AEs), pick where it makes sense.
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Confirm and save
- Once saved, everyone in the selected team(s) will see the template in their Yesware library, usually under a “Team Templates” header.
Heads up:
Team templates can only be edited by Admins or Managers. If someone wants changes, they’ll need to ask whoever owns the template.
Step 4: Test before rolling out
Don’t blast untested templates to your whole team. Take five minutes to:
- Send test emails to yourself
- Check formatting, links, and merge fields.
- Use real contact data
- Make sure personalization works (no “Hi ,” or wrong company names).
- Ask a teammate for a sanity check
- A second pair of eyes catches weird phrasing or typos.
What to ignore:
Yesware’s preview isn’t perfect. The real test is sending an actual email to yourself.
Step 5: Train your team (without boring them to death)
Dumping 10 new templates on a team and hoping for the best isn’t a rollout—it’s an ambush. Keep it simple:
- Send a quick announcement:
- Explain where templates live and why they matter.
- Link a short Loom or screenshot if your team’s visual.
- Highlight a few key templates:
- Don’t expect everyone to use every template. Focus on the top 2–3 for each workflow.
- Encourage feedback:
- If something sounds off, let the team know you want suggestions. Templates should evolve.
Pro tip:
If your team ignores templates, check if they’re actually useful. If they’re clunky or out-of-date, nobody will bother.
Step 6: Keep templates updated (or they’ll collect dust)
Templates aren’t “set it and forget it.” Appointments, pricing, and messaging all change. Here’s how to keep things fresh:
- Review quarterly (or more often if things move fast)
- Archive old templates
- Don’t just rename them “OLD.” Move them out of sight.
- Track template performance
- Yesware’s reporting shows which templates get opened, replied to, or ignored. Use this to cut dead weight.
- Update merge fields if your CRM changes
- If you switch CRMs or update data fields, double-check your templates—broken merge fields are embarrassing.
What Yesware templates do well (and where they fall short)
The Good
- Easy to use:
- Even non-techies can make and use templates after 10 minutes of clicking around.
- Solid reporting:
- You can see which templates are actually getting replies, not just sent.
- Fast access in your inbox:
- No jumping between tabs—just click, insert, personalize, and hit send.
The Bad
- Permissions can be confusing:
- Only certain people can make or edit team templates. If you’re not the admin, you’ll be frustrated.
- No fancy approval workflows:
- If you need legal or compliance to sign off on templates, you’ll need to handle that outside Yesware.
- Formatting issues:
- Copy-pasting from other tools can break formatting. Always double-check before sharing.
What to skip (unless you love headaches)
- Don’t try to template every single email:
- It’s tempting, but it leads to clutter and confusion. Stick to high-volume, repeatable messages.
- Don’t force “voice” on everyone:
- Teams need to sound consistent, not identical. Leave room for a personal touch—just avoid major deviations.
- Don’t ignore feedback:
- If people are bypassing templates, find out why. Usually, it’s because they’re outdated or too generic.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, keep it useful
Templates should make life easier, not harder. Start with a few core messages, roll them out to your team, and tweak as you go. Don’t worry about making everything perfect up front—nobody gets it right the first time. Get feedback, make updates, and focus on what actually helps your team work faster and sound sharper. That’s really all there is to it.