SmartTemplates

You can add a list of external HTML templates, integrated into the Write / Reply and Forward buttons, just like with Stationery, by selecting the item Template Files from the accounts drop down:
SmartTemplate - Template Files Integration

Note: when using an external template file (just like with Stationery), then the account specific quote header and template are ignored. If you need any SmartTemplates variables, you can insert them directly in the HTML template file.

 

How to use Template Files (instead of Stationery Add-on)

You select an external template via a dropdown on the reply / write or forward button:
Templates on reply
This will load the template (HTML file) from disk and replace all SmartTemplates variables based on your Thunderbird Identity and data of the replied / forwarded Mail as expected.

To add more templates to each menu, select the command configure menu items...
configure templates

This will open the SmartTemplate Settings dialog with the page "Template Files" selected:
How to add template files

  1. In Account, select "Template Files" 1
  2. Click "Select Template File from disk" 2
  3. [Optional step] 3 change the Title to display in the menu
  4. [Optional step] 4 add a Category - this will create a submenu in order to structure your menu
  5. 5 Click Add to add the template to the Write / Reply or Forward list.

 

How to use Categories

You can structure the template menus into submenus using the "Category" field. These use alphabetical keyboard shortcuts (A, B, C...).
Categories menu list

To add a menu to an existing item, select it and enter the desired label for the popup menu:
Category field
After that, click on the Update button. This will make a new submenu and move the template underneath it. Note that the uppercae / lowercase spelling needs to match exactly if you want multiple templates under the same submenu.

What is Stationery?

From version 0.9.3 onwards, SmartTemplates supported integration with the Stationery addon by integration from its owner Arivald. After Thunderbird 68, Stationery is not supported anymore, and you can use the internal template integration of SmartTemplates.

Official Stationery page: Stationery for Thunderbird

Stationery is an addon that allows adding "outlook-style" stationery to your emails. What's more, it can be very well used to create powerful mail templates for repetitive tasks such as sending out standard mails or replies; one thing that is missing in its functionality is the ability to add in a variety of mail header based variables, this is where SmartTemplates comes in.

Stationery uses HTML files as templates for mail. It allows using different templates in replies / forwarded mail and makes it possible to select the template using a simple click on a chevron beside the reply button:
template selection

Stationery used to add a handy html editing pane to the composer window; from Thunderbird 78 onwards, you can instead install the Add-on ThunderHTMLedit to get the same feature:
template selection

How do I use SmartTemplates with external templates?

You can use pretty much all variables directly in your stationery files. When you select a new Template during writing or replying to mail, then the account templates which are bound to the account identity of your current email will be temporarily ignored. The quote header settings are still used, unless specified otherwise (see below).

Instead SmartTemplates will search and replace the special header variables in the Stationery itself. This turns Stationery into a full blown templating application.

Additionally, you can use the following powerful variables to control the content and behavior of your Stationery Template:

For a more complete list of variables that you can use in your Stationery, please read the variables page.

Example of a Stationery with SmartTemplates variables

Here is an example of a Stationery I use when I write support email. The quoted text is automatically inserted into the inner container via %quotePlaceholder%. Also, %subject% is used to show the conversation title in the top. Note that the signature (green box) is injected into the stationery using the %sig(HTML)% / %sig(Text)% variable. The signature itself also contains SmartTemplates variables (%identity(name)%).

stationery example

We hope you enjoy this new and powerful features of SmartTemplates.

Please, leave some feedback at the Mozilla Addons Page - spread the word so more people start using it!