Customizing email notifications for GRC Workflow

You can customize the content of the email notifications that are generated by GRC Workflow by defining application text that is specific to your organization.

Before you begin

Learn about the Email setting on workflow actions. For information, see Defining a workflow action.

Learn about the End Stage Notifications setting on workflow end stages. For information, see Defining an end stage.

Learn about starting workflow instances in bulk. For information, see Starting workflow instances in bulk. At the end of a bulk update process, a summary email notification is sent to the administrator who started the process and email notifications are sent to assignees and subscribers.

Ensure that registry settings that apply to email notifications have been defined. For information, see Setting up GRC Workflow.

About this task

You can use the default email template as-is or customize the text to meet your requirements. There is one email template for all workflows and all object types. It is used for email notifications that are sent to users and summary email notifications that are sent to administrators who start a bulk update. The text and fields must be appropriate for broad use. You cannot create a new template.

If you operate in multiple locales, you can define email content in different languages. The template is designed for multiple formats, including tablets and phones.

If you customize the text, you define the content of the email notifications using application text strings. The email subject content is plain text. The email body content is formatted in HTML. You can apply styles using embedded style sheets.

You can also insert variables and fields in the email body content. For more information, see Using variables, functions, and fields. All the variables and fields that are listed there can be inserted in the email body content. Since there is only one email template for all workflows, insert system workflow fields rather than object fields. For more information, see System workflow fields.

Example: 

<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
    <head></head>
    <body style="font-family: ibm-plex-sans,HelveticaNeue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
        <h1 style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: 300; padding: 22px 24px;">IBM <span style="font-weight: 600">OpenPages with Watson</span></h1>
        <hr style="margin: 0; border-bottom: 2px solid #009e9a"/>
        <div style="padding: 8px 24px 32px; background-color: #f3f3f3;">
            <h2 style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0 8px;">[$System Fields:Object Type Label$]:</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0"><a href="[$System Fields:Task View URL$]">[$System Fields:Name$]</a></p>
            <h2 style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0 8px;">[$ApplicationText/app.workflow.workflowInfo.duedate.label$]:</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0; display: none[$DaysFromNow/System Workflow Fields:Stage Due Date$];">Due in [$DaysFromNow/System Workflow Fields:Stage Due Date$] days ([$System Workflow Fields:Stage Due Date$])</p>
            <h2 style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0 8px;">[$ApplicationText/app.workflow.workflowInfo.criticality.label$]:</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0">[$System Workflow Fields:Workflow Criticality$]</p>
        </div>
        <div style="padding: 8px 24px 160px;">
            <h2 style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0 8px;">[$ObjectText/System Fields:Description$]:</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0">[$System Fields:Description$]</p>
            <h2 style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0 8px;">[$ApplicationText/app.workflow.workflowInfo.stage.label$]:</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0">[$System Workflow Fields:Stage Name$]</p>
            <h2 style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; margin: 24px 0 8px;">[$ApplicationText/app.workflow.transition.status$]:</h2>
            <p style="margin: 0">[$System Workflow Fields:Workflow Status$]</p>
        </div>
        <hr style="margin: 0; border-bottom: 1px solid #767676"/>
        <div style="padding: 32px 24px;">This email was automatically generated by [$ApplicationText/product.name$].</div>
    </body>
</html>

Procedure

  1. Click Administration menu > System Configuration > Application Text.
  2. Click filter icon to access the search filter.
  3. Click Email Templates.
  4. Use Search to further refine the list.
  5. Select the application text you want to modify:
    • com.wf.email.template.default.assignee.subject contains the text in the subject line of emails sent to assignees.
    • com.wf.email.template.default.assignee.body contains the text in the body of emails sent to assignees.
    • com.wf.email.template.default.subscriber.subject contains the text in the subject line of emails sent to subscribers.
    • com.wf.email.template.default.subscriber.body contains the text in the body of emails sent to subscribers.
    • com.wf.email.template.default.action.complete.subject contains the text in the subject of emails for long running processes. This email informs the user that the process has finished. It is sent to the person who started the action.
    • com.wf.email.template.default.action.complete.body contains the text in the body of emails for long running processes. This email informs the user that the process has finished. It is sent to the person who started the action.
    • com.wf.email.template.bulk.start.subject contains the subject line of emails for Start Workflows bulk update (long running processes). This email informs the user that the process has finished. It is sent to the person who started the action.
    • com.wf.email.template.bulk.start.body contains the text in the body of emails for Start Workflows bulk update (long running processes). This email informs the user that the process has finished. It is sent to the person who started the action.
    • com.wf.email.template.bulk.start.failure.part contains the failure text in the body of emails Start Workflows bulk update (long running processes). This email informs the user about failures. It is sent to the person who started the action.
  6. For each locale, enter the content that you want to appear in the email notification.

    If it is displayed, click Auto Translate icon to populate translated values to languages. For more information, see IBM Watson Language Translator.

  7. Click Done.