---
title: Customizing email notifications for certificate events
description: Modify the email notification templates used by SMTP notification publishers in PingAccess.
component: pingaccess
version: 9.0
page_id: pingaccess:pingaccess_user_interface_reference_guide:pa-customizing-notification-templates-for-certificate-events
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingaccess/9.0/pingaccess_user_interface_reference_guide/pa-customizing-notification-templates-for-certificate-events.html
revdate: December 11, 2025
section_ids:
  modifying-email-notification-templates: Modifying email notification templates
  localizing-email-notification-templates: Localizing email notification templates
---

# Customizing email notifications for certificate events

Modify the email notification templates used by SMTP notification publishers in PingAccess.

## Modifying email notification templates

PingAccess creates notification messages based on template files located in the `<PA_HOME>/conf/template/mail-notifications` directory. Each template file is a combination of variables and HTML codes.

Using a text editor, you can modify the following template files to suit your branding requirements:

* `message-template-cert–expire`

* `message-template-cert-warning`

* `message-template-cert-test`

> **Collapse: Variables available across all templates**
>
> | Variable   | Description                                                                                                                               |
> | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
> | `$escape`  | A utility class that can be used to escape String variables inserted into the template.                                                   |
> | `$baseUrl` | Corresponds with the **Administrator Server Base URL** you specify in [Notification settings](pa-configuring-notification-settings.html). |

Learn more about customizing PingAccess templates in [User-facing page customization reference](../configuring_and_customizing_pingaccess/pa_user_facing_page_customization_ref.html).

## Localizing email notification templates

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | The `pa-messages.properties` file in the `<PA_HOME>/conf/localization` directory contains `message-template-test*` and `message-template-cert*` properties you can edit, but PingAccess can't localize email messages.This is because PingAccess usually determines a user's locale from their browser. With email messages, PingAccess can't determine which locale to use. Learn more about localization in PingAccess in [User-facing page localization reference](../configuring_and_customizing_pingaccess/pa_user_facing_page_localization_ref.html). |