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What Are Templates?

Templates are reusable onboarding blueprints that define your customer journey from kickoff to go-live. They capture your proven processes and ensure every customer gets a consistent, high-quality experience. [SCREENSHOT: Template editor overview showing milestones and actions] Caption: The template editor provides a visual way to build onboarding workflows

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Why Templates Matter

Without templates, every CSM invents their own process. With templates:
  • ✅ Consistency - Every customer follows proven best practices
  • ✅ Scalability - Onboard 10x customers without 10x headcount
  • ✅ Knowledge capture - Institutional knowledge lives in templates, not CSM heads
  • ✅ Continuous improvement - Update templates based on learnings, improve all future customers
  • ✅ Predictability - Set realistic expectations with data-backed timelines
Think of templates as your “onboarding playbook” - they codify what works and eliminate what doesn’t.

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Creating Your First Template

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Step 1: Access Template Editor

  1. Navigate to Templates in the main menu
  2. Click “Create New Template”
  3. You’ll see the template configuration screen
[SCREENSHOT: New template creation screen] Caption: Start with basic template metadata

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Step 2: Configure Template Metadata

Fill in the template basics:
FieldPurposeExample
NameInternal template identifier”Standard SaaS Onboarding”
DescriptionWhat this template is for”For mid-market SaaS customers with typical setup needs”
Est. DurationTotal weeks8 weeks
Target SegmentWho this template suits”SMB, Mid-Market”
Choose descriptive names that help CSMs quickly identify the right template for each customer type.

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Step 3: Add Milestones

Milestones are the phases of your onboarding journey. Common structures:
Best for: Self-serve products, simple setups
  1. Kickoff (Week 1)
    • Welcome email
    • Get credentials
    • Initial setup
  2. Configuration (Week 2)
    • Configure settings
    • Import data
    • Test functionality
  3. Launch (Week 3)
    • User training
    • Go-live
    • Post-launch check-in
To add a milestone:
  1. Click “Add Milestone” in the template editor
  2. Enter milestone name (e.g., “Kickoff”)
  3. Set sequence number (1, 2, 3…)
  4. Set estimated duration in days
  5. Add dual descriptions:
    • “What we’re doing” - Internal team tasks
    • “What you’re doing” - Customer responsibilities
[SCREENSHOT: Milestone configuration modal] Caption: Configure milestone details and descriptions

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Step 4: Add Actions to Milestones

Actions are the specific tasks within each milestone. For each action:
  1. Click “Add Action” within a milestone
  2. Select action type (Send Email, Request Docs, Collect Info, etc.)
  3. Configure trigger rules (when does it execute?)
  4. Set action content (email body, form fields, etc.)
  5. Configure portal visibility (what customers see)
[SCREENSHOT: Action configuration with all fields] Caption: Action configuration includes type, trigger, content, and visibility

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Action Configuration Fields

  • Label: Short name (e.g., “Welcome Email”)
  • Description: Internal notes about purpose
  • Type: Send Email, Request Docs, Collect Info, Schedule Meeting, Slack Message
When should this action execute?
  • Milestone Start (Immediate): As soon as milestone begins
  • Milestone Start (Delayed): X hours after milestone starts
  • Manual: CSM must manually trigger
Example: Send welcome email immediately, follow-up 48 hours later
Action type-specific content:Send Email:
  • Subject line template
  • Email body template
  • Recipient configuration (to/cc/bcc)
  • Variable placeholders (, etc.)
Request Docs:
  • Document types needed
  • Optional vs required
  • Instructions for customer
Collect Info:
  • Form field definitions
  • Field types and validation
  • Intro text and instructions
Schedule Meeting:
  • Meeting type
  • Suggested duration
  • Attendees list
Slack Message:
  • Channel configuration
  • Message template
  • Formatting options
Customer portal visibility:
  • Hidden: Only CSMs see this action
  • Visible: Customers see it in their timeline
  • Interactive: Customers can complete it (forms, docs)
Portal settings:
  • Display label (what customers see)
  • Status visibility (completed, pending, etc.)
  • Section grouping (organize related actions)

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Step 5: Use Variables for Personalization

Thread supports dynamic variables that populate at execution time: 
Subject: Welcome to {{company_name}}, {{primary_contact_name}}!

Hi {{primary_contact_name}},

I'm {{csm_name}}, your Customer Success Manager at our company.
I'm excited to partner with {{company_name}} on your {{arr}} implementation.

We closed your deal on {{close_date}}, so let's get started!

Looking forward to working together,
{{csm_name}}
{{csm_email}}
Available variables:
  • {{company_name}} - Customer company
  • {{account_name}} - Account display name
  • {{primary_contact_name}} - Main point of contact
  • {{primary_contact_email}} - Contact email
  • {{csm_name}} - Assigned CSM full name
  • {{csm_email}} - CSM email
  • {{arr}} - Annual recurring revenue
  • {{close_date}} - Deal close date
  • {{organization_name}} - Your company name
Use variables liberally! They make templates reusable while keeping communications personal.

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Step 6: Save & Test Template

Before applying to real customers:
  1. Click “Save Template”
  2. Create a test account
  3. Apply this template
  4. Walk through the entire flow
  5. Review AI-generated drafts
  6. Check customer portal view
  7. Iterate based on findings
Always test templates with a dummy account before rolling out to real customers!

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Template Design Principles

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1. Start Simple, Add Complexity

Don’t try to capture every edge case in v1. Good first template:
  • 3-5 milestones
  • 2-4 actions per milestone
  • Mix of emails, forms, and documents
  • Standard timing (no complex delays)
Avoid in v1:
  • 10+ milestones (too granular)
  • Complex conditional logic
  • Custom actions for rare scenarios
  • Overly detailed instructions
You can always create specialized templates later!

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2. Think Dual Perspective

Every milestone should clearly articulate: CSM side (“What we’re doing”):
  • Technical setup steps
  • Internal preparation tasks
  • Behind-the-scenes work
  • Quality checks
Customer side (“What you’re doing”):
  • Information they need to provide
  • Decisions they need to make
  • Actions they take in portal
  • Expected time commitment
[SCREENSHOT: Side-by-side view of CSM and customer perspectives] Caption: Dual perspectives ensure alignment on both sides

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3. Use Delays Strategically

Don’t bombard customers with actions all at once. Good delay strategy: 
Day 0: Welcome email (immediate)
Day 2: Technical requirements form (48hr delay)
Day 4: Follow-up call scheduling (96hr delay)
Day 7: Training resources (1 week delay)
Bad delay strategy: 
Day 0: Welcome email + requirements form + meeting invite + document requests
(Too much at once - customers feel overwhelmed)
Space actions 24-72 hours apart to give customers time to respond between requests.

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4. Make Actions Completable

Every action should have a clear completion criterion:
  • ✅ Email sent - Marked complete manually by CSM
  • ✅ Form submitted - Auto-complete when customer submits
  • ✅ Document uploaded - Auto-complete when files received
  • ✅ Meeting held - Marked complete by CSM after call
Avoid open-ended actions like “Customer success” or “General follow-up”

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5. Balance Automation and Human Touch

Use AI for efficiency, but keep human connection: Automate:
  • Welcome emails
  • Status updates
  • Reminder emails
  • Progress notifications
  • Standard form requests
Keep manual:
  • Kickoff calls
  • Problem-solving discussions
  • Executive business reviews
  • Escalation handling
  • Relationship building

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Common Template Patterns

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Welcome Sequence

When: Milestone 1 (Kickoff) 
Action 1: Welcome Email (immediate)
Action 2: Getting Started Guide (link to portal)
Action 3: Schedule Kickoff Call (24hr delay)
Action 4: Pre-Kickoff Questionnaire (before call)
Action 5: Kickoff Meeting (manual)
Action 6: Post-Kickoff Summary (after call)

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Technical Setup Phase

When: Milestone 2-3 
Action 1: Technical Requirements Form (immediate)
Action 2: Integration Credentials Request (after form submitted)
Action 3: Setup Instructions Email (48hr delay)
Action 4: Integration Testing Document (after setup complete)
Action 5: Setup Validation Meeting (manual)

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Training & Enablement

When: Milestone 4-5 
Action 1: Training Schedule Email (immediate)
Action 2: Pre-Training Materials (48hr delay)
Action 3: Training Session 1 (manual)
Action 4: Training Homework (after session 1)
Action 5: Training Session 2 (manual)
Action 6: Certification Assessment (after session 2)

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Launch Checklist

When: Final milestone 
Action 1: Pre-Launch Checklist (immediate)
Action 2: Launch Readiness Review (manual)
Action 3: Go-Live Communication (before launch)
Action 4: Launch Day (manual)
Action 5: Post-Launch Check-in (24hr delay)
Action 6: 30-Day Success Review (30 days delay)

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Template Versioning

Thread uses immutable snapshots for templates:
  • When you apply a template to an account, the entire configuration is copied
  • Changes to the template don’t affect existing accounts
  • Each account keeps its original template version
Why this matters:
You improve your template:
  • Add a new action in Milestone 2
  • Change email copy
  • Adjust timing delays
What happens:
  • ✅ New accounts get updated template
  • ✅ Existing accounts keep original template
  • ✅ No mid-flight disruption
  • ✅ Consistency maintained
If you need to update live accounts, you’ll need to manually edit actions in the Implementation Tab for each account.

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Next Steps

Milestones & Phases

Deep dive into structuring milestones effectively

Action Types

Complete guide to all five action types

Best Practices

Learn from proven templates that drive results

Apply Templates

How to apply templates to customer accounts