Testing and activating a template

A new template cannot be sent until it passes two gates: a successful test and an explicit activation. This article walks through both, explains what a failed test does (more than you might expect), and covers the editing lock on active templates.

Before you start

You need a saved template — see Creating a template. Its Template Status should read Pending Test.
If the template uses merge fields, have a record Id of the Applicable Object ready — the test merges against a real record. See Using merge fields.
Upgraded from an older version? Your template page may show two similar sets of actions — for example both Test Template and Test Connect Template (Deprecated). Always use the ones without "(Deprecated)": Test Template, Activate Template, Deactivate Template. The deprecated twins are older versions kept for continuity.

Step 1 — Run Test Template

Open the template record.
Click the Test Template action.
If Merge Field(s) is ticked, you are prompted for a record to test against — the on-screen text reads: Provide a 18 character record id of the applicable object to test the template. Paste a record Id of the Applicable Object (copy it from the record's URL).
Run the test.

Expected result (success): the message Template Testing Successful appears, the system-managed Template Testing Date Time field is stamped with the current date and time, and Template Status changes to Pending Activation.

The Test Connect Template dialog with the note that only tested and active connect templates can be used for messaging, and Test Template and Done buttons

The Test Template action opens this dialog — run the test from here and watch for Template Testing Successful. For a merge-field template, have a record Id of the Applicable Object ready.

If the test fails, you'll see Template Testing Failed together with the reason (for example Input parameters provided are invalid. when the record Id doesn't match the Applicable Object). Fix the template or the test input and run the test again.

A failed test does more than fail. If the template had previously passed a test, a failed re-test clears the Template Testing Date Time stamp AND deactivates the template on the spot. A live template that fails a re-test is immediately out of service — agents lose it from their pickers until it passes a test and is activated again. That is deliberate: a template that can no longer render must not keep sending.

Step 2 — Activate the template

On the tested template, click the Activate Template action.

Expected result: the message Connect template activated successfully. appears and Template Status changes to Active. The template now appears in the Connect Feed's template picker and in bulk messaging.

The green success toast reading Success! Connect template activated successfully.

The confirmation to watch for — Connect template activated successfully. After the toast, Template Status on the record reads Active and the template starts appearing in the feed's template picker.

Activation is blocked until the template has a successful test on record:

Ticking Is Active by hand on an untested template fails the save with the validation error: Only tested templates can be marked as Active. To test the template use the "Test Template" button on the record.
Running Activate Template on an untested template shows: Template must be tested prior Activation.
Running it on an already-active template shows: Template is already Active.

Editing an Active template — you can't

An Active template is frozen. Any edit to any field is rejected with:

Only inactive templates can be updated. Please use the "Deactivate Template" button to deactivate the template prior to making any changes.

The working cycle for changing a live template is therefore:

Deactivate Template → you'll see Connect template deactivated successfully. and the status returns to Pending Activation. (Running it on an inactive template shows Connect template is already Inactive.)
Make your edits and save.
Test Template again — see the rule below.
Activate Template.

The We hit a snag error dialog on saving an edit to an Active template, reading Only inactive templates can be updated. Please use the Deactivate Template button to deactivate the template prior to making any changes, above the Cancel and Save buttons

Saving any edit on an Active template is rejected with this error. Click Cancel, run Deactivate Template, and only then make your change.

Re-test after every edit. Editing a deactivated template does not clear its old test stamp, so technically you could re-activate without testing — but that old test proved the previous body, not your edit. A typo in a merge field would then surface only in front of a customer (or fail the send). Make Test Template an unconditional step after every change.

While the template is deactivated, agents cannot pick it and automated sends referencing it will fail — plan edits to live templates outside your messaging peak.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
`Template must be tested prior Activation.`	No successful test on record	Run Test Template first
`Template Testing Failed` + `Input parameters provided are invalid.`	Missing or wrong-object record Id for a merge template	Test with an 18-character record Id of the Applicable Object
Template suddenly shows Pending Test and inactive	A re-test failed — the stamp was cleared and the template deactivated	Fix the body (a field was likely renamed/deleted), re-test, re-activate
`Only inactive templates can be updated. ...` when saving edits	The template is Active	Deactivate Template, edit, re-test, Activate Template
Test succeeded but the customer got raw `{{...}}` text	Merge Field(s) unticked — the test validated it as plain text	See the merge-field trap

FAQ

The test calls the template renderer. When merging is enabled, it extracts merge fields, queries the record, substitutes values and applies formatting. A failure in that processing fails the test. It does not validate provider delivery or guarantee future data remains valid. For an end-to-end check, send the activated template to your own number.

No. The test renders the template inside Salesforce only; nothing is delivered to a phone. For a true end-to-end check, send the activated template to your own number from the feed.

Your org upgraded to version 1.93, which replaced these actions with new versions under the same names and relabelled the old ones "(Deprecated)". Both still work, but use the non-deprecated ones; your admin can remove the deprecated actions from the page layout.

Anyone with edit access to the template record — the actions respect your normal object permissions. See Giving your team access.

Where to go next

Sending your first message — use the newly active template from the Connect Feed.
Bulk messaging overview — send it to a whole list.
Using merge fields — if the test failed on merge syntax.