---
title: Notification emails
description: When you configure the outbound email service, IDM can use that service to notify users of significant events, primarily related to user self-service. For specifics, refer to the following table for related notification emails:
component: pingidm
version: 7.5
page_id: pingidm:self-service-reference:email-notification
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/7.5/self-service-reference/email-notification.html
keywords: ["JSON", "Email", "Configuration", "Authentication", "Self-Service", "User Self-Service"]
section_ids:
  email-user-self-registration: User self-registration email template
  email-templates-adminui: Managing email templates using the admin UI
---

# Notification emails

When you configure the outbound email service, IDM can use that service to notify users of significant events, primarily related to user self-service. For specifics, refer to the following table for related notification emails:

**Configuring Notification Emails**

| Situation                                                                        | Configuration File              | Details                                                                    |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| When a user is successfully registered                                           | `emailTemplate-welcome.json`    | See [User Self-Registration Email Template](#email-user-self-registration) |
| When a user asks for their forgotten username                                    | `selfservice-username.json`     | See [Email for forgotten username](uss-email-forgotten.html)               |
| When a user registers using self-service and needs to verify their email address | `selfservice-registration.json` | See [Self-Service registration emails](uss-email-registration.html)        |
| When a user asks for a password reset                                            | `selfservice-reset.json`        | See [Email for password reset](uss-email-password.html)                    |

Each email template can specify an email address to use in the `From` field. If this field is left blank, IDM will default to the address specified in Email Settings.

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|   | Email templates utilize [Handlebar expressions](https://handlebarsjs.com/guide/) to reference object data dynamically. For example, to reference the `userName` of an object:```html
{{object.userName}}
``` |

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|   | Some email providers, such as Google, will override the `From` address you specify in the templates, and instead use the address used to authenticate with the SMTP server. The email address specified in the template may still be present, but in an email header hidden from most users, such as `X-Google-Original-From`. |

## User self-registration email template

When a new user registers through the IDM self-registration interface (and if you have configured outbound email), that user will get a welcome email as configured in the `emailTemplate-welcome.json` file:

```json
{
    "enabled" : true,
    "from" : "",
    "subject" : {
        "en" : "Your account has been created"
    },
    "message" : {
        "en" : "<html><body><p>Welcome to OpenIDM. Your username is '{{object.userName}}'.</p></body></html>"
    },
    "defaultLocale" : "en"
}
```

You may want to make the following changes:

* Add an email address to the `from` property, perhaps an email address for your organization's systems administrator.

* Specify locale(s) in the `defaultLocale` property.

  Note that locales specified as `preferredLocales` in the `Accept-Language` header take precedence over the `defaultLocale`.

* Modify the subject line as needed.

* Include a welcome `message` appropriate to your organization.

## Managing email templates using the admin UI

The admin UI includes tools that can help you customize email messages related to the administrative tasks:

* Creating users

* Resetting passwords

To configure these messages using the admin UI:

1. From the navigation bar, click Configure > Email Settings, and select the Templates tab.

   IDM displays a list of email templates.

   ![Email Settings > Templates](_images/emailSettingsTemplates.png)

2. To configure an email template, click the adjacent edit [icon: pencil-alt, set=fas]button.

3. On the Email Template templateName page, make changes, and click Save.

   ![Email Settings > Templates > Welcome](_images/emailTemplateWelcome.png)