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Last updated: 2025-11-21


Correspondence Wizard


Overview


The Correspondence Wizard guides the user step by step through the process of creating letters, e-mails, text messages, labels and envelopes based on templates.


The wizard opens when the user starts the correspondence workflow (see Correspondence - Introduction). To navigate sequentially through the steps in the wizard, click the Back and Next buttons. To jump to any portion of the wizard at any time, click the appropriate step number at the top of the wizard dialog box.


Step 1: Recipients


In Step 1, select the method the wizard should use to determine the recipients. The options are:


  • Tagged Records: If the user starts the correspondence process while viewing a list, the letter will be sent to the contacts associated with the tagged records in the list.
  • All Contacts: This option sends letters to all contacts in the database.
  • Using a Set: If the recipients are defined in a set, select this option. The wizard displays a list of available sets.

Click the name of a set to select it; the set's name will appear under the list (next to Set Selected). If the list of sets is long, narrow it down by using the fields above to specify the set name, description and/or creator. The Search These Sets drop-down list can also be used to narrow down the list. The list of sets changes dynamically as new search criteria are entered.


  • Using a Filter: If the recipients are defined in a filter, select this option. This option is similar to the Using a Set option; the user is presented with a list of filters and search fields that can be used to narrow down the list of filters. Click the name of a filter to select it; the filter's name will appear under the list (next to Filter Selected).

In addition to searching for an existing filter, the user can create a filter by clicking the Create New Filter button in the Filter Name field (for more information, see Creating a Filter).


After specifying a filter, the user can click the Show Filter Criteria button to view and/or edit the filter criteria. Clicking the Preview Filter Result button displays a list of the recipients that the specified filter will add to the correspondence.


Step 2: Method


In the Method step, select the method (E-mail, Print Letter, etc.) for sending the correspondence.


Note: The Text Message option is available only in offices that have the SMS Integration license. For more information about office licenses, see Office Settings - Tier Licenses.


Alternatively, select Recipient's Preferred Communication to use the preferred communication method specified in the recipient's record.


Tip: The Preferred Communication setting for contacts is located on the Add'l Personal content link by default. For other types of recipients, the default location for this setting is as follows:


The Method step includes a list of recently sent correspondence that the user can select to speed up the correspondence process (selecting a recent correspondence entry bypasses the Template Selection step).


In addition, the user can select the Open icon next to any entry in the Recent Correspondence list to view the associated correspondence template. If the template is not read-only, the user can also edit the template and save it back to SmartOffice (for more information, see Viewing and Modifying Templates).


The options under From Scratch can be used to bypass the remaining steps in the wizard and quickly send correspondence to a single contact. The options are:


  • Launch Word: Select this option, and then select Next to open Microsoft Word or the SmartOffice Editor, depending on the user's preferred method (see [User Preferences
  • Correspondence Options](/help/pro/user/preferences/correspondence/options)). For more information about creating SmartOffice correspondence using Word, see Microsoft Plug-in for SmartOffice Help. For help with creating correspondence using the SmartOffice Editor, see SmartOffice Editor.
  • Launch E-mail: Select this option, and then select Next to open a new, blank e-mail message in Microsoft Outlook. Depending on the user's Launch E-mail preferences in User Preferences - Correspondence Options, SmartOffice opens the blank message using the Outlook desktop app or the Outlook web app.

Step 3: Template Selection


The Template Selection step enables the user to specify the template to be used. This step is bypassed if the user selected an option from the Recent Correspondence section in the previous step.


Select the appropriate template from the list (for information about templates, see Templates - Introduction).


If the template list is large, narrow it down by using the fields above to specify the template name, keyword and/or purpose. The Search These Templates drop-down list can also be used to narrow down the list based on templates created by the user, favorites and other criteria. The list of templates changes dynamically as the user enters new search criteria.


Users can also create, preview and edit templates directly from this screen:


  • To create a template, click the Template Administration button in the Template Name field. Learn more about creating templates.
  • To preview a template, click its Open icon. If the template is not read-only, the user can edit and save the template back to SmartOffice if necessary (for more information, see Viewing and Modifying Templates).

Note: Templates that have been submitted for compliance review are not available for use and will not appear in these search results. For more information, see Templates - Letter Compliance.


Step 4: Options


In the Options step, the user is presented with options related to attachments, headers, footers and more. Some options are available for all correspondence formats, while others are specific to particular correspondence formats. Click Preferences to display additional options.


All Formats


  • Exclude Recipients: To exclude certain recipients from the mailing, click this hyperlink to open the Exclude Recipients dialog box.

To exclude contacts specified in a filter and/or set, click the appropriate hyperlink to select the filter or set.


The Letter Template field enables the user to exclude contacts who have previously received a letter based on a specific template. To exclude contacts who have already received the current letter, select the Use Selected Letter Template option. Otherwise, click the Letter Template hyperlink to select a different template. The From and Through fields can be used to specify the dates that the previous letter was sent.


  • Header and Footer: Click these hyperlinks to select a header and/or footer for the letter.
  • Apply Contact's Mail Privacy: When this option is selected, the Correspondence Wizard honors contacts' Communication Privacy preferences (as specified in each contact's Add'l Personal content link). This means that print and e-mail letters are not sent to selected contacts who have indicated they do not want to receive them.
  • Create Follow-up Activity: Select this option to create follow-up calendar activities after the correspondence is sent. When this option is selected, an Options hyperlink displays. Click the hyperlink to open the Mass Task Creation dialog box and enter the activity details.

E-mail


  • E-mail Address: If the e-mail message is being sent to a contact with multiple e-mail addresses, the user can select the e-mail address from the drop-down list. If multiple recipients are selected, this field displays the text Recipient's Preferred E-mail to indicate that each recipient will receive the message at the preferred e-mail address as designated on the contact Personal content link.
  • Add CC/BCC: Clicking this hyperlink opens a dialog box in which the user can enter additional recipients' e-mail addresses manually, select contacts or select SmartOffice users.
  • Sender Address: If multiple sender e-mail addresses are available, the user can click the drop-down list to change the From address of the message. Multiple e-mail addresses will appear here when the current user proxies for another user_-_user_proxies.htm) and enables the See Data For feature to view that user's data before initiating the correspondence.
  • Send Unsecure/Send Secure: These options appear only when secure delivery text is configured for the office (see [Office Settings
  • Detail](/help/pro/office/settings/-/details)). Select Send Secure to automatically insert the secure delivery text into the e-mail subject line.

Important: Selecting Send Secure alone will not send the message securely; your organization must employ technology that detects and encrypts outgoing messages containing the secure delivery text in the subject line.


  • E-mail Format: Specify whether the text of the letter should be in the body of the e-mail message or whether the letter should be sent as an e-mail attachment. If the latter, select the document format (PDF or Microsoft Word) for the attachment from the adjacent drop-down list.
  • E-mail Subject: This is the text that will display in the Subject line of e-mail message. Enter text manually or use the drop-down arrow to select a custom choice. For more information about creating and using custom choices, see Customizing Drop-Down Lists.
  • E-mail Attachments: Add attachments to the e-mail by dragging them into this box or by selecting Select Files and browsing for them. Up to eight attachments can be added. To delete any attachment once it has been added, select its X button.
  • Use Default E-mail Signature from Outlook/Lotus Notes: This option appears only if you use the Microsoft Plug-in for SmartOffice for correspondence (see User Preferences - Correspondence Options). It inserts your default e-mail signature from Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes into the e-mail message you are sending from SmartOffice.
  • Append a signature to the e-mails you send: This option appears only if you use the browser-based correspondence method (see User Preferences - Correspondence Options). When selected, the contents of the e-mail signature template specified in the Signature field are added to the e-mail message before it is sent.
  • One Letter per Household: This option is available when multiple recipients have been selected. If any of the recipients are members of the same household, SmartOffice sends only one letter to that household instead of sending letters to each household member. Learn more about households.

Print Letter/Print Label/Print Envelope


  • Sorting Options: When sending a print letter to multiple recipients, click this hyperlink to specify the order in which the letters are printed. The dialog box that opens enables the user to sort letters by last name, ZIP Code or by a specific SmartOffice field.
  • Recipient Address: These address classifications are set on each contact's Personal content link.
  • Print Settings: To print the letters, labels or envelopes on a printer connected to the computer (either directly or over a network), select the Print on Local Printer option and then select the printer from the adjacent drop-down list. If printing is handled by a single user in the office, select the Send to Printer Queue option.
  • One Letter per Household: This option is the same as that available for e-mail correspondence.

Step 5: Validate & Send


The final step, Validate & Send, confirms the recipients and settings and alerts the user to any problems.


Any recipients to be excluded from the mailing are listed in the problems list on the left. Recipients are excluded for a variety of reasons, ranging from missing e-mail or postal addresses to communication privacy settings. The Reason column lists the reason. Use the drop-down list at the top of the list to narrow down the list according to reason.


Correcting Recipient Problems


Problems can be corrected directly from the list:


  1. Click the excluded recipient's name to open the recipient's contact record.
  2. Make the necessary changes.
  3. Click the Save button and close the contact record.
  4. Click the Revalidate button to update the problems list.

If the problem has been resolved, the recipient is removed from the problem list and is added to the Confirmed Recipients list.


Overriding Recipient Problems


Note: Enterprise customers can configure SmartOffice to prevent users from overriding recipient problems. This is accomplished by setting the `` element under the `` element in the server config.xml file to `false`.


If a recipient is being excluded because of an incomplete address or because of communication privacy settings, the user can force the Correspondence Wizard to send the letter to that recipient anyway:


  1. Select one or more problem contacts.
  2. Click the Override button.
  3. When the confirmation message displays, click the OK button.

The recipient is removed from the problem list and is added to the Confirmed Recipients list.


Finalizing Correspondence


After any recipient issues are resolved, the remaining steps depend on whether you are using the plug-in method or browser method for correspondence (determined by the correspondence method selected in User Preferences - Correspondence Options).


Plug-In Method (Microsoft Word/Outlook)


  1. Click the Continue button.
  2. If you are prompted to enter any run-time user inputs, enter those and click the OK button (for more information about run-time user inputs, see the Adding Merge Codes to Letters topic in Microsoft Plug-in for SmartOffice Help).
  3. If your browser asks for permission to open the SOProLauncher app, select Open SOProLauncher.
  4. If SmartOffice displays a message stating that it will download a file, click the OK button. The file has an .sopro extension and contains the template and the configuration settings selected in the Correspondence Wizard. Once the file is downloaded, open it if it does not open automatically.
  5. If prompted, sign in to the Microsoft Plug-in for SmartOffice (this normally happens automatically). The Correspondence dialog box opens.
  6. Do any of the following:
  • To preview an individual letter/e-mail message, select the recipient in the Confirmed Recipients list, and then click the Preview/Edit button. The preview opens in MS Word. If necessary, make any changes and close the preview window.
  • To preview all letters/e-mail messages, click the Preview All button. Note that this feature displays the letters/e-mail messages in read-only mode; they cannot be edited.
  • To abort the process, click the Cancel button. To resume the process later, open the downloaded .sopro file again.
  1. Print the letter/send the e-mail message:
  • For print letters, choose a printer from the Select Printer drop-down list (if the printer you want does not appear in the list, try clicking the Refresh Printer Cache button to update the list). Next, use the First Page Tray and Other Pages Tray drop-down lists to specify which printer trays the first and other pages should be printed from. In addition, if the printer has duplex printing capabilities, you can select the Print on Both Sides option for double-sided printing. Once all options are selected, click the Print button. SmartOffice sends each letter to the printer and automatically saves a digital copy to the Letters/Documents content link of each recipient.
  • For e-mail messages, click the Send button. SmartOffice sends the message in the background (using the method specified in the Send Options - Form Letters section in Office Settings - Detail) and displays a confirmation message. If the office sends e-mail through SmartOffice, the user can check the status of the sent message in the E-mail Queue.

Browser Method (SmartOffice Editor)


  1. Click the Continue button.
  2. If you are prompted to enter any run-time user inputs, enter those and click the OK button (for more information about run-time user inputs, see the Adding Merge Codes to Letters topic in Microsoft Plug-in for SmartOffice Help).
  3. Review the details of the correspondence in the Correspondence dialog box.
  4. Do any of the following:
  • To preview an individual letter, select the recipient in the Confirmed Recipients list, and then click the Preview/Edit button. The preview opens in SmartOffice Editor. If necessary, make any changes, and then select Save & Close. If no changes are necessary, select Close Preview.
  • To preview all letters, click the Preview All button. Note that this feature displays the letters in read-only mode; they cannot be edited.
  • To abort the process, click the Cancel button.
  1. Print the letter/send the e-mail message:
  • For print letters, click the Print button. SmartOffice prints the letters and automatically saves a digital copy to the Letters/Documents content link of each recipient.
  • For e-mail messages, click the Send button. SmartOffice sends the message in the background and displays a confirmation message. The user can check the status of the sent message in the E-mail Queue.
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