Using Inbox Templates

Overview

Inbox templates are also used by Event Pipelines. When used for event pipelines, the templates can use event pipeline tokens in addition to the standard inbox template tokens in the message subject and body. Event pipeline messages are sent directly to the user's inbox based on the email addresses generated by the send email event pipeline task, not subscribers from any inbox rule.

First, let us open a system inbox template to look at:

  1. Go to Admin > All.

  2. If necessary, click the view link to switch to Alphabetized View.

  3. Click the Notification Rules and Templates link. The Notification Settings page appears:

    image-20210625135517694

  4. Click the Templates tab:

    image-20210625142113962

  5. Note that most, if not all, of the inbox templates are system templates. These are read-only templates that you can clone to create custom templates. That is, system templates are templates for your templates. Most of the templates are email templates, and one is a Slack template.

  6. Click the Template Name for the Event Subscription template. The template's page appears:

    image-20210709162114744

  7. Note that each template has:

    • A details section that contains the name, a system template flag, and a template type (email or Slack).
    • A body section that defines the subject, language used, and the canned text for the message. The message contains variables that are drawn from the alert or event. The body is read only in system templates and is editable in custom templates cloned (copied) from system templates.
    • Zero or more associated inbox rules. These are the inbox rule types that use this inbox template (message type). Rules define filters for the alerts or events (what characteristics trigger the rule) and who gets externally notified via email or Slack (the subscribed users or groups). The following table lists the system templates and their associated inbox rules that use them.
    • Zero or more resources. These are items, such as images, that go along with any email based on the template.

Table: System Inbox Rules by Inbox Template

System Inbox Template Type Associated Inbox Rules
Event Subscription Email App Settings Exported
Event Subscription
Password Reset Email Password Reset
Secret Access Approved Email Secret Access Approved
Secret Access Request Email Secret Access Request
Standard Email Email Dependency Failure
Inbox Test Message
Secret Access Cancel Request
Secret Access Deny Request
Secret Changed
Secret Heartbeat Failed
Standard Email Digest Email
Standard Slack Slack
Workflow Access Approval Request Email Workflow Access Approval Request
  1. Note the Body section is HTML for emails and Slack template text. For the Event Subscription template it looks like this:
Copy 

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <title>Message Type</title>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=1" />
    <style>
        body, td {
            font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial;
            font-size: 16px;
        }
        table {border-collapse:separate;}
        a, a:link, a:visited {text-decoration: none; color: #1071D4;}
        a:hover {text-decoration: underline;}
        h2,h2 a,h2 a:visited,h3,h3 a,h3 a:visited,h4,h5,h6,.t_cht {color:#000 !important;}
        .ExternalClass p, .ExternalClass span, .ExternalClass font, .ExternalClass td {line-height: 100%;}
        .ExternalClass {width: 100%;}
        h1 { color: #121212; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial;font-style: normal;font-weight: bold;font-size: 32px; }
    </style>
</head>
<body style="background-color: #F7F7F7;">

  <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td align="center">

  <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="100%" style="max-width: 640px; ">
    <tr>
        <td style="background-color: #121212;width: 80%; height: 48px; color: #ffffff; padding-left: 32px;">
            $SystemLogo
        </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
        <td style="background-color:#ffffff">
        
            <table cellspacing="16" width="100%">
                <tr>
                    <td width="24">&nbsp;</td>
                    <td align="center" style="padding-top: 42px; color: #121212; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial;font-style: normal;font-weight: bold;font-size: 32px;text-align: center;">
                        $InboxMessageTypeName - $SubscriptionName
                    </td>
                    <td width="24">&nbsp;</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                    <td>&nbsp;</td>
                    <td style="font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; color: #323232;">
                        
                        &nbsp;
                        
                    </td>
                    <td>&nbsp;</td>
                </tr>
                
                <tr>
                    <td>&nbsp;</td>
                    <td style="background-color: #F7F7F7; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; color: #323232; padding: 0px">
                    
                        $MessageDataTable
                        
                    </td>
                    <td>&nbsp;</td>
                </tr>
                
                <tr>
                    <td>&nbsp;</td>
                    <td style="font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial; font-weight: normal; font-size: 16px; color: #323232; padding: 16px" align="center">
                    
                        <p>
                            <a href="$ApplicationUrl/app/#/inbox/view/notifications?messageId=$MessageId" style="text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; background-color: #008270; width: 400px; height: 40px; line-height: 40px; color: #ffffff; text-align: center">
                                View this item
                            </a>
                        </p>
                        <p>
                            <a href="$ApplicationUrl/app/#/inbox/view/notifications?messageId=$MessageId&unsubscribe=true">
                                Unsubscribe
                            </a>
                        </p>
                        
                    </td>
                    <td>&nbsp;</td>
                </tr>
                
                <tr>
                    <td>&nbsp;</td>
                    <td style="font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial; font-weight: normal; font-size: 11px; color: #646464" align="center">
                    
                        This message was sent by the inbox rule $InboxRuleName
                        
                    </td>
                    <td>&nbsp;</td>
                </tr>
                
            </table>
            
        
        </td>
  </table>
  </td></tr></table>
</body>
</html>

  1. Rendered, the body looks like this:

    image-20210630171927781

    Note the variables starting with $ that are in the message. These are replaced by Verify Privilege Vault when it sends the message. For example:

    image-20210625160145057

  2. The variables here include:

    • $InboxMessageTypeName was replaced by the inbox template type.

    • $InboxRuleName was replaced by the inbox rule that sent the message. In this case, it is the same name as the inbox template type—Event Subscription.

    • $MessageDataTable was replaced by an entire table that summarized the message.

    • $SubscriptionName was replaced by the event subscription name.

    • $SystemLogo was replaced by the image resource containing the IBM Security logo.

      For a complete list of variables for the template, go to the template editor (see below).

  3. Nearly the entire template HTML is customizable once you make a customized clone of the system template. To clone the template click the Copy Template button at the top. The Copy Template popup appears:

    image-20210709162959642

  4. Type the name of the new template in the New Template Name text box.

  5. Click the Copy Template button. The template page reappears, but this time it is editable and named differently.

  6. Click the Edit link next to Template Body. The section becomes editable:

    image-20210709163305775

  7. You can directly edit the HTML, but if you intend to add variables for Verify Privilege Vault to fill in, click the Template Editor link. The Inbox Template Editor popup appears:

    image-20210709163720511

  8. In addition to directly editing the HTML, you can insert variables by clicking the Search or pick one dropdown list:

    image-20210709164101063

  9. You have three categories of variables: message, global, and digest.

  10. Click the desired variable. The dropdown changes to show your choice:

    image-20210709164514433

  11. The variable appears immediately below the dropdown list, as well as a description of the variable.

  12. Copy or type the variable in the desired location in the HTML.

  13. Edit and insert more variables as desired.

  14. Click the Apply button. The popup disappears.

  15. Click the Save button.