Smart field links in your email templates automatically generate buttons that link your clients to forms, contracts, invoices, portals, and schedulers — so each email points to the right content for the right project without any manual linking.
Smart field links overview
Every piece of project content in Dubsado — a form, contract, invoice, scheduler, or client portal — has a unique URL per project. Smart field links are placeholder tokens you add to your email templates that resolve to those unique URLs at send time. You do not enter a URL manually; Dubsado fills in the correct link based on the project context when the email goes out.
Smart field links are a category of smart fields. For a broader introduction to smart fields in email templates, see the full smart field reference guide. You can also use smart fields in form templates — see the article on smart fields in form templates for details.
Where you can use smart field links
Smart field links are available in all three email template contexts in Dubsado. In each one, you access them through the Smart Fields button in the email editor toolbar, then expand the Links category.
The three contexts are:
Custom templates — Navigate to Messages ➔ Custom templates and open or create a template.
Default templates — Navigate to Messages ➔ Default templates and open a template.
Flow action emails — Open the email action inside any flow template.
When composing an email directly from a project, use Project Links instead to insert direct links to specific content that's already been applied to the project.
How to insert a smart field link
The steps below use a custom template as the example, but the same Smart Fields ➔ Links path applies when editing a default template or a flow action email.
Navigate to Messages ➔ Custom templates.
Open an existing template or create a new one.
In the email editor toolbar, click the Smart Fields button.
In the popover, expand the Links category.
Click the link type you want to insert — for example, Primary invoice, Form, or Contract.
The token is inserted into the email body at your cursor position.
Types of smart field links
There are seven smart field link tokens available. The table below lists each one along with its token syntax and what it renders when the email is sent.
Label
Token
What it renders
Primary invoice
{{job | invoiceLink}}
Button linking to the primary invoice on the project
Contract
{{job | contractLink}}
Button linking to the project contract
Client portal
{{client | portalLink}}
Button linking to the client portal
Portal password
{{client | portalPassword}}
Text displaying the client's portal password
Form
{{form | formLink}}
Button linking to a form
Scheduler
{{scheduler | schedulerLink}}
Button linking to a scheduler
Scheduler group
{{schedulerGroup | schedulerGroupLink}}
Button linking to a scheduler group
The sections below explain how each token resolves.
Primary invoice
The Primary invoice token links to the primary invoice on the project. In a flow email action, it resolves to the primary invoice unless the email is part of a create-invoice action — in that case, it links to the invoice that was just created. In payment plan reminder emails, it links to the specific invoice the reminder is for.
Contract
The Contract token links to the project's contract. Each project has one contract, so this token always resolves to that contract. The button text defaults to the contract title.
Client portal and portal password
The Client portal token links to the client's portal. The Portal password token displays the password as plain text — it is not a button.
The Portal password token displays text, not a button. You can combine it with the Client portal link in the same email to give clients both their portal link and login credentials.
If no password has been set for the client, the Portal password token displays the client's email address instead.
Form
The Form token links to whichever form is being sent. The token knows which form to link to because the email is triggered in the context of sending that specific form. When the form is sent through a flow, the form is specified in the flow action configuration.
The Form token only works for forms that have been added to the project — specifically sub-agreements, questionnaires, and proposals.
Only add one Form smart field link per email template. The editor does not prevent you from inserting the token more than once, but only one form can resolve per send.
If you need to direct clients to multiple forms, consider linking them to the client portal instead. Or, use Project Links when composing a manual email from within the project.
Scheduler
The Scheduler token links to the scheduler being sent through the project or a flow action. This token is not for publicly shared scheduler links — it only works when a scheduler is sent through a project or a flow action.
Scheduler group
The Scheduler group token links to a scheduler group. You can use it when manually sending a scheduler group through a project or inside a flow action email.
Using multiple smart field links in one email
You can include multiple different link types in the same email template. For example, a welcome email might include a Contract link, a Primary invoice link, and a Client portal link all in one message.
You can only use one of each link type per email. For instance, you cannot add two Form tokens to the same template, because only one form can resolve per send.
FAQ
Can I attach a form directly to an email template?
No. Forms are not attached to email templates. Instead, you insert a Form smart field link token in the template, then select the form to send when you trigger the email from a project or flow. The token resolves to the correct form link at send time.
What happens if I send an email with a smart field link but the content has not been added to the project?
If the content does not exist on the project yet, the token will not resolve. The client will not see a broken link or raw token text — the link or button simply does not appear in the email. Make sure the form, invoice, contract, or scheduler exists on the project before the email is sent.
Can I use more than one smart field link type in the same email?
Yes. You can combine different link types in the same email template — for example, a contract link and an invoice link together.
Take care not to use more than one form link, scheduler link, or scheduler group link in the same email, and ensure the email template is being used in the correct context.