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How to Create a Document Template in ACT!

  • Updated
You would like to create a Letter, Memo or E-Mail Template using ACT!.

ACT! includes several pre-made templates with the ACT! program. To create a new template, you can begin with a blank template or modify one of the custom templates supplied with ACT!. These are located in the Templates directory. The following directions will assist you in creating a document template using either Microsoft Word or the ACT! Word Processor.

Note: The ACT! Word Processor is provided with the ACT! software for drafting mail merges and correspondence, and may not have all of the desktop publishing functionality of other word processors.

Creating a New Template from an Existing Template:
  1. Click the Write menu, and then click Edit Template. An Open dialog box appears.
  2. Click one of the existing templates, and then click Open. The template opens in the word processor which you have selected for use with ACT!


    Note: An Add Mail Merge Fields dialog box may also appear. Use this to insert fields such as Company and Contact into the template to personalize the e-mail for each recipient. Be sure that the Select Field Type field displays the appropriate Field Type. This window can be moved out of the way or closed and opened as needed. If you close the Add Mail Merge Fields dialog box and want to re-open it:
    • If using Microsoft Word; click the ACT! menu, and then click Show Field List.
    • If using the ACT! Word Processor; click the View menu, and then click Mail Merge Fields
    Important: Only Contact fields can be added to a merge document. At this time, you cannot add Company, Group, or Opportunity fields. To get merge data from these types of record, you will need to add a Contact field with the desired information.

  3. Edit the template as necessary to customize the text of your letter.
  4. Using the Add Mail Merge Fields dialog box, insert any additional fields from the database which need to be merged into the document.
  5. Click the File menu, and then click Save As… A Save As dialog box appears.
  6. Type in a unique name for your mail merge template, and then click Save.

Creating a New Template from scratch:
  1. Click the Write menu, point to New Letter/Email Template. A blank document will open in your default word processor. Please note that using the Write > New Document command creates a new Word document, not an ACT! template. You must use the New Letter/Email Template command to create a new ACT! template.

    Note: An Add Mail Merge Fields dialog box will appear. Use this to insert fields such as Company and Contact into the template to personalize the e-mail for each recipient. This window can be moved out of the way or closed and opened as needed. If the Add Mail Merge Fields dialog box is not visible:
    • If using Microsoft Word; click the ACT! menu, and then click Show Field List.
    • If using the ACT! Word Processor; click the View menu, and then click Mail Merge Fields



      Important: Only Contact fields can be added to a merge document. At this time, you cannot add Company, Group, or Opportunity fields. To get merge data from these types of record, you will need to add a Contact field with the desired information.

  1. Create your document. You may add graphics or colored text here.
  2. Insert mail merge fields from your database using the Add Mail Merge Fields dialog box.
  3. Insert the date, time or date/time:
    • ACT! Word Processor
      1. Place your cursor in the position you wish the date/time information to appear.
      2. Click the Insert menu, and then click Date or Time. The Insert Date or Insert Time dialog box appears:



      3. Enable the appropriate update Options and/or Date Format. and then click OK.

    • Microsoft Word
      1. Place your cursor in the position you wish the date/time information to appear.
      2. Click the Insert menu, and then click Date and Time. The Date and Time dialog box appears:



      3. Click the desired date and time format from the list of Available formats, ensure the Update automatically option is set correctly, and then click OK. The date/time information appears
  4. Click the File menu, and then click Save. A Save as dialog box appears.
  5. Give your template a unique name, and then click Save.

Adding Graphics to Templates with Microsoft Word:
  1. Ensure that your image is in a .BMP, .JPG, .WMF, .PNG, or .TIF file format.

    Note: Please consult your Windows documentation for information on identifying or reformatting graphics files.

    Note: .GIF files are not supported for E-mail templates in ACT!.
  2. Place your cursor where you would like the graphic to appear.
  3. Click the Insert menu, point to Picture, and then click From File. An Insert Picture dialog box appears.
  4. Browse to (if necessary), and then double-click the file that you wish to insert.

Adding Graphics to Templates with the ACT! Word Processor:
  1. Ensure that your image is in a BMP, JPG, WMF, PNG, or TIF file format.

    Note: Please consult your Windows documentation for information on identifying or reformatting graphics files.
  2. Place your cursor where you would like the graphic to appear.
  3. Click the Insert menu, point to Image, and then click Character Image. An Open dialog box appears.
  4. Browse to (if necessary), and then double-click the file that you wish to insert.
Note: Fixed Position images for e-mail templates may not merge the graphic into the e-mail.


Once you have created your document template, you can use the template to perform mail merges from your ACT! database. For detailed information on performing a mail merge in ACT!, please see the following Knowledgebase article:
How to Perform a Mail Merge in ACT!
Answer ID: How to perform a mail merge in Act!

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