If your team sends the same messages over and over — appointment confirmations, follow-up replies, pricing breakdowns, directions to your office — you're wasting hours every week. Snippets in Vantage CRM let you save those messages once and insert them instantly, across SMS, email, and live chat.
Quick Overview
Snippets are reusable text templates you can insert into any conversation with one click. Find them under Marketing → Templates → Snippets, or access them directly inside any conversation by typing / in the message box. They support custom values (merge fields) so each message feels personal.
What Are Snippets?
Snippets are pre-written blocks of text that you can save and reuse across your CRM. Think of them as message templates on steroids. Unlike email templates that are tied to a specific channel, snippets work everywhere — SMS conversations, email replies, live chat, and even internal notes.
A snippet can be as simple as a one-line reply ("Thanks for reaching out! Let me check on that for you.") or as detailed as a multi-paragraph pricing breakdown with dynamic fields that auto-fill with the contact's name, company, and more.
Example Snippet
Hi {{contact.first_name}}, thanks for your interest in our services! I'd love to schedule a quick call to learn more about your goals. Here's my calendar link: [LINK]. Looking forward to chatting!
Why Snippets Matter
Speed is everything in sales and customer service. The faster your team responds, the more deals you close and the happier your customers are. Snippets eliminate the bottleneck of typing the same messages from scratch every time.
- Save 5-10 Hours per Week: Your team stops retyping the same messages. A message that takes 2 minutes to write takes 2 seconds with a snippet
- Consistent Messaging: Every team member sends the same professional, on-brand message. No more typos, forgotten details, or off-script replies
- Faster Response Times: Respond to leads in seconds instead of minutes. Speed-to-lead is the #1 factor in conversion rates
- Easy Onboarding: New team members can start responding to leads immediately using your pre-built snippet library instead of guessing what to say
- Personalization at Scale: With custom values, each snippet feels like a personal message even though it's a template
Accessing the Snippets Section
There are two ways to access snippets in Vantage CRM — through the main settings area (to create and manage them) and directly inside conversations (to use them).
Method 1: From Marketing (Create & Manage)
Open the Marketing Tab
From the left sidebar, click on "Marketing".
Go to Templates
Click on "Templates" to open the templates section.
Select "Snippets"
Click on the "Snippets" tab at the top. You'll see your snippet library with all existing snippets and folders.
Marketing → Templates → Snippets
Method 2: From Conversations (Quick Access)
When you're already in a conversation and need to insert a snippet, simply type / (forward slash) in the message box. A dropdown will appear showing all your available snippets, and you can search by name to find the one you need.
Pro Tip
Use short, descriptive names for your snippets so they're easy to search. For example, "appt-confirm" is faster to find than "Appointment Confirmation Message for New Clients."
Creating Your First Snippet
Follow these steps to create a new snippet from the Snippets management page:
Click "Add Snippet"
On the Snippets page, click the "Add Snippet" button in the top-right corner. A new snippet editor will open.
Name Your Snippet
Give your snippet a clear, searchable name. This is what you'll see when browsing or searching for snippets. Examples: "New Lead Welcome", "Pricing Info", "Directions to Office".
Write Your Message Content
Type or paste the message you want to reuse. You can include plain text, links, line breaks, and custom values (merge fields). Write the message exactly as you want it to appear when sent.
Add Custom Values (Optional)
Click the "Custom Values" button to insert dynamic fields. These auto-fill with the contact's real data when the snippet is used. More on this in the next section.
Choose a Folder (Optional)
If you've set up folders, select which folder this snippet belongs to. This helps keep things organized as your library grows.
Save Your Snippet
Click "Save". Your snippet is now available to use across all conversations immediately.
Using Custom Values in Snippets
Custom values (also called merge fields) are the secret to making snippets feel personal. Instead of writing "Hi there," your snippet can say "Hi Sarah," — automatically pulling the contact's name from the CRM.
Common Custom Values
| Custom Value | What It Inserts | Example Output |
|---|---|---|
{{contact.first_name}} | Contact's first name | Sarah |
{{contact.last_name}} | Contact's last name | Johnson |
{{contact.email}} | Contact's email address | sarah@company.com |
{{contact.phone}} | Contact's phone number | (555) 123-4567 |
{{contact.company_name}} | Contact's company | Acme Corp |
{{user.name}} | Your name (the sender) | Mike from Vantage |
{{user.phone}} | Your phone number | (555) 987-6543 |
Important
Make sure the contact's data is filled in before using a snippet with custom values. If a field is empty, the custom value will appear blank in the message. Always preview your snippet before sending to avoid awkward gaps like "Hi , thanks for reaching out!"
Example: Personalized Follow-Up Snippet
Snippet: "follow-up-after-call"
Hi {{contact.first_name}}, Great speaking with you today! As discussed, here's a quick summary: • We'll get your account set up by end of week • You'll receive login credentials via email at {{contact.email}} • Our team will schedule your onboarding call If you have any questions before then, feel free to text or call me directly at {{user.phone}}. Talk soon, {{user.name}}
Organizing Snippets with Folders
As your snippet library grows, folders keep everything organized and easy to find. We recommend creating folders based on use case so your team can quickly locate the right snippet.
How to Create a Folder
Go to the Snippets Page
Navigate to Marketing → Templates → Snippets.
Click "New Folder"
Click the "New Folder" button. Give it a descriptive name.
Move Snippets into the Folder
Drag and drop existing snippets into the folder, or select the folder when creating new snippets.
Recommended Folder Structure
- Sales — Lead responses, pricing info, follow-ups, proposals
- Appointments — Confirmations, reminders, rescheduling, no-show follow-ups
- Support — FAQ answers, troubleshooting steps, escalation messages
- Onboarding — Welcome messages, setup instructions, next-step guides
- Internal — Team notes, handoff messages, internal updates
Using Snippets in Conversations
Once your snippets are created, using them is fast and simple. Here's how to insert a snippet while messaging a contact:
Open a Conversation
Go to Conversations and open the chat with your contact.
Type "/" in the Message Box
Click into the message input field and type a forward slash (/). A dropdown menu of your snippets will appear instantly.
Search or Browse
Start typing the snippet name to filter results, or scroll through the list. You can also browse by folder.
Click to Insert
Click the snippet you want. The full message will populate in the text box with all custom values auto-filled. Review it, make any edits, and hit send.
Pro Tip
You can also access snippets by clicking the snippet icon in the conversation toolbar. This opens the full snippet browser without needing to type "/".
Best Practices for Snippets
Follow these best practices to get the most out of your snippet library:
- Use Short, Descriptive Names: Name snippets by their purpose, not their content. "appt-confirm" is better than "Hey! Just confirming your appointment..." Keep names under 3-4 words so they're fast to search
- Always Include Custom Values: At minimum, use the contact's first name. A personalized "Hi Sarah" converts better than a generic "Hi there" every time
- Review Before Sending: Always preview the populated snippet before hitting send. Check that custom values filled in correctly and the message makes sense for this specific contact
- Update Regularly: Review your snippets monthly. Remove outdated ones, update pricing or links, and add new ones based on common questions you're seeing
- Create Team-Wide Snippets: Build a core set of snippets that every team member uses. This ensures consistent messaging across your entire organization
- Keep SMS Snippets Short: For SMS snippets, keep the message under 160 characters when possible to avoid splitting into multiple texts. Save longer messages for email snippets
Common Mistake
Don't create one massive snippet that tries to cover every scenario. Instead, create multiple focused snippets that you can combine or customize. A "pricing-basic" and "pricing-premium" snippet is more useful than a single "pricing" snippet with paragraphs of information.
Starter Snippet Ideas
Not sure where to start? Here are 10 snippets every business should have in their library:
1. New Lead Welcome
First response to a new inquiry
2. Appointment Confirmation
Confirm date, time, and location
3. Appointment Reminder
24-hour reminder with details
4. No-Show Follow-Up
Reschedule missed appointments
5. Pricing Information
Quick pricing overview
6. Post-Call Summary
Recap after a phone call
7. Review Request
Ask happy clients for a review
8. Referral Ask
Request referrals from satisfied clients
9. Directions / Location
Office address and parking info
10. After-Hours Reply
Automated response for off-hours messages
Need Help Setting Up Your Snippets?
Our team builds complete snippet libraries as part of every CRM setup. We'll create personalized templates tailored to your industry, services, and sales process — so your team can start responding faster from day one.
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