Message templates

Depending on the Absolute product licenses associated with your account, the Messaging feature may not be available.

You can use the Messages area to create Freeze message templates that users can use in:

If desired, users can then edit the message template to suit their needs.

To view the complete library of message templates, your user role needs to be granted View permissions for Freeze Device. All default roles, except the Guest User role, are granted these permissions.

To create, edit, and delete Freeze message templates, your user role needs to be granted Manage permissions for Freeze Device. The System Administrator, Security Administrator, and Security Power User roles are granted these permissions.

To open and view the library of message templates:

  1. On the navigation bar, click Settings > Messages.. The Messages page opens to show all your existing message templates.
  2. To list Freeze message templates, click Freeze message.
  3. To view an existing message, click its background.

Adding a message in the Settings area creates a message template in the Message library.

Templates are available for selection when an authorized user submits the applicable request. Alternatively, users can create a new message while they're submitting a request and save it as a template for future use.

The library includes three default Freeze message templates. You can edit these templates to better suit your needs, make a copy, or delete them if you don't want them to be available for selection in a request. Learn more

To view a template's message text, open the Messages page and click the template name. The message opens in a dialog to the right.

Freeze message templates

Absolute template Description
End of School Year Message to notify a student that their device is now frozen because it is the end of the school year, and the device must be returned to the school.
Laptop return Message to notify a departing employee that all company property, including the now frozen company laptop, must be returned.
Out of compliance Message to notify an employee that their device is frozen because it no longer follows company policy.

You can create a message template that users can use in a Freeze request or an Offline Freeze rule.

Note that if your message template may be used for a Firmware Freeze, ensure that it meets the following requirements:

  • The message contains no more than one image or logo.
  • Important information is not contained in an image. Due to message size limitations at the firmware level, images may be stripped out of the message before the message is displayed in the firmware.

Also note that you may want to avoid including URLs in your message since a firmware frozen device is not able to connect to the Internet.

To create a template for a Freeze message:

  1. On the Messages page, click Create message.
  2. In the Freeze Message section, click Create Freeze Message.
  3. Click New Message and enter a name for this template.
  4. To add an image to the header of the message, drag the image to the dialog, or click browse and select it. The image file must be in .png or .jpeg format and be no larger than 4 MB. Note that images are centered by default.

  5. Enter your message text using the tools in the message editor toolbar to format the text. You can also insert images and tables. Note that the message can't exceed 4000 characters.

    When your message is saved, the system validates the message content and automatically removes any HTML tags or attributes that may expose Absolute servers or agents to injection attacks, such as cross site scripting (XSS). As a result, the formatting applied to your message text may be altered, in some rare cases.

    You can add device specific information to the message using a Custom Device Field variable. When the message is generated, the variable is replaced with the value assigned to the device.

    Example
    You want the device user's department—Accounting—to show in the message. You add the Department Custom Device Field to the message. When the message is generated, "Accounting" shows in place of the variable.

    To add Custom Device Fields:

    1. In the text box, click where you want to insert the Custom Device Field.

    2. Click Insert variable and select a field from the list.

      You can include device identifiers in the message by selecting Device Name and Serial Number from the list.

    3. Leave the field's drop-down set to Label.
    4. Repeat the above steps for each Custom Device Field you want to add.

  6. Click Preview and review your message to confirm that it will display to users as expected. If you need to make any further changes, click (Back).

    Preview mode closely approximates how the message will show on a frozen device. On some devices, the size and position of the message's images may differ.

  7. When you're done, click Save.

The message is added to the Messages area and a Device freeze message template created event is logged to Event History. The message is now available for selection when a user submits a Freeze request or creates an Offline Freeze rule.