How can I customize the display of repeatable answer content on my answer update notification messages?

Environment:

Message Templates, Oracle B2C Service, all versions

Resolution:

Beginning with the May 2015 release, you can use answer sections to customize the display of repeatable answer content on your answer update notification messages when more than one answer is sent in the same email. Both the Answer Update Notification and Answer Update Notification Expired message templates include an answer section where you can control any repeatable answer details you need.

However, if you enabled message templates prior to the May 2015 release, the new answer sections have not been added to the Answer Update Notification and Answer Update Notification Expired message templates. Previously, those message templates included special merge fields (Answer Watch Updated and Answer Watch Expired, respectively). While these fields are still supported, you could opt to replace the merge fields with an answer section, which will give you more options for customization. If you choose to use the new answer section, you will need to remove the special merge fields that were included in your template prior to the upgrade.

To take advantage of the new answer section feature without causing issues with your existing customizations, follow this procedure.

To add answer sections to the answer notification message templates

1. Click the Configuration button on the navigation pane.
2. Double-click Message Templates under Site Configuration. The Message Templates editor opens.
3. Select the interface you want to customize. By default, the categories for administrator notifications display on the right.
4. Click the Contact Emails button on the ribbon. The Interface Contact Emails page opens.
5. Click the arrow to the left of the Contact category to see the individual notifications or emails associated with the category.
6. Click Edit to the right of the HTML check box for Answer Update Notification. The message template opens on a sub-tab.
7. Delete the Answer Watch Updated merge field.
8. Insert the cursor where you want to add the answer section and click the Answer Section button. An answer section is inserted into your template. (If you do not delete the Answer Watch Updated merge field but have added an answer section, your notification will contain duplicate answer lists.)
9. Insert the cursor inside the answer section and click Merge Field to add the field you want to repeat when more than one answer is sent in the email. (Keep in mind that any content outside of the answer section will not be repeated when more than one answer is sent in the same notification email. Therefore, if you have content you do not want repeated, add those merge fields outside of the answer section.)
10. Repeat step 9 until you have added all the merge fields you need for any repeatable content you want to display.
11. Click OK to close the message template and save your edits.
12. Click Edit to the right of the HTML check box for Answer Update Notification Expired. The message template opens on a sub-tab. (If you have more than one message open on a sub-tab, you will need to click the Home tab to return to the Message Templates main editor where you can open a different template.)
13. Delete the Answer Watch Expired merge field.
14. Insert the cursor where you want to add the answer section and click the Answer Section button. An answer section is inserted into your template. (If you do not delete the Answer Watch Expired merge field but have added an answer section, your notification will contain duplicate answer lists.)
15. Repeat steps 9-11. (At this point, your edits have not been deployed or committed to the database. You must deploy and then save any changes before they will be live on your site.)