# What is the difference between custom invite mailer, invite forum mailer and custom invite forum mailer?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [6 april 2017 om 17:09 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557 "2017-04-06T17:09:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [6 april 2017 om 17:09 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/1 "2017-04-06T17:09:34Z")
Uner Customize → Email templates (as well as under Emails → Templates) there are three very similar sounding templates:
1. custom invite mailer
2. invite forum mailer
3. custom invite forum mailer
(to add to the confusion, the latter two are currently both labelled as “invite forum mailer” in the menu -
as reported [here](https://meta.discourse.org/t/double-invite-forum-mailer-email-template/60340))
Could someone clarify the difference between these, i.e. where each is used. In particular, I would like to know which one I should edit if I want to change the email sent to bulk invitees.
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### Author:  [@techAPJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/techAPJ)
#### Post date: [7 april 2017 om 08:04 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/2 "2017-04-07T08:04:52Z")
> invite mailer
This template is used when inviting a user to a topic.
> [@tophee](#):
>
> custom invite mailer
This template is used when inviting a user to a topic with custom message.
> [@tophee](#):
>
> invite forum mailer
This template is used when inviting a user to a forum.
> [@tophee](#):
>
> custom invite forum mailer
This template is used when inviting a user to a forum with custom message.
> [@tophee](#):
>
> I would like to know which one I should edit if I want to change the email sent to bulk invitees
In this case you should edit `invite forum mailer`.
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### Author:  [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [7 april 2017 om 08:13 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/3 "2017-04-07T08:13:13Z")
> [@techAPJ](#):
>
> This template is used when inviting a user to a forum with custom message.
> [@techAPJ](#):
>
> I would like to know which one I should edit if I want to change the email sent to bulk invitees
>
> In this case you should edit invite forum mailer.
Aaah, so “custom” in these names refers to the custom message the user can enter just before sending the invite, not a message customized by the admin, right?
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### Author:  [@techAPJ](https://meta.discourse.org/u/techAPJ)
#### Post date: [7 april 2017 om 08:17 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/4 "2017-04-07T08:17:38Z")
> [@tophee](#):
>
> so “custom” in these names refers to the custom message the user can enter just before sending the invite
Yes, that is correct.
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### Author:  [@jesselperry](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jesselperry)
#### Post date: [29 oktober 2017 om 18:31 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/5 "2017-10-29T18:31:00Z")
> [@techAPJ](#):
>
> This template is used when inviting a user to a topic with custom message.
How do I enable the ability to invite people to a topic with a custom message? I see no setting for this, and when I invite someone, I’m only given the option of entering their username.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [29 oktober 2017 om 20:42 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/6 "2017-10-29T20:42:29Z")
Do you have SSO enabled?
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### Author:  [@jesselperry](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jesselperry)
#### Post date: [29 oktober 2017 om 20:54 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/7 "2017-10-29T20:54:41Z")
Yes, I do. Is that preventing it?
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [29 oktober 2017 om 20:58 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/8 "2017-10-29T20:58:50Z")
Invites would bypass the parent site auth so that is not possible.
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### Author:  [@jesselperry](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jesselperry)
#### Post date: [29 oktober 2017 om 21:21 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/9 "2017-10-29T21:21:35Z")
Sorry, I’m not sure what that means. I’m inviting someone to a topic, not as a new member to the site. The invite button works, it just only lets me enter the username. Does not give me the option to share a message with them as well.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [29 oktober 2017 om 21:23 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/10 "2017-10-29T21:23:49Z")
To post in the topic they must create a new account, yes? Under SSO this means the account must be created at the parent site first, not in Discourse.
Thus invites to new users are not possible with SSO enabled. Disable SSO if you wish to send invites to new users.
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### Author:  [@jesselperry](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jesselperry)
#### Post date: [29 oktober 2017 om 21:36 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/11 "2017-10-29T21:36:39Z")
Sorry, to clarify this is to existing users. Not trying to invite new users to the Discourse. Just invite existing, SSO enabled users to the specific topic. In fact I’m only given the option of username (so it wouldn’t be possible to invite new users)
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [29 oktober 2017 om 23:20 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/12 "2017-10-29T23:20:18Z")
Existing users just get a notification, there is no place for that text to go. New users would get an email which contains a body which could have lots of text. Notifications do not contain anywhere close to the volume of text a full email does.
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### Author:  [@outofthebox](https://meta.discourse.org/u/outofthebox)
#### Post date: [15 februari 2018 om 20:19 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/13 "2018-02-15T20:19:38Z")
Hi, to clarify:
So, if my bulk invite file has:
Column A: email
Column B: multiple groups
Column C: Topic I want them to see first
I want to modify “Invite Forum Mailer” to have the email template for this invite campaign sent to those included in the bulk invite file?
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### Author:  [@simon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/simon)
#### Post date: [16 februari 2018 om 04:11 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/14 "2018-02-16T04:11:33Z")
When you are including a topic\_id in the CSV file, the template you need to edit is the Invite Mailer.
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### Author:  [@outofthebox](https://meta.discourse.org/u/outofthebox)
#### Post date: [12 juli 2018 om 20:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/15 "2018-07-12T20:00:22Z")
Hi,
Here’s a mockup for another approach to group invites:
Design approach:
- Make it obvious which invite text will go with the bulk invite - much more difficult to send the wrong invitation text to the bulk invited users
- Enable setting the interface language for invited users (bonus points, helpful for global, multi-lingual communities)
- Enable saving the settings as a template (“Invite Australian Alumni”) so that the invitation text and interface language can be set and forgotten. Then all the admin needs to do is open that template, add the .csv file, and those group invitations are on their way.
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### Author:  [@Chuck\_Kalish](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Chuck_Kalish)
#### Post date: [15 november 2018 om 18:52 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/16 "2018-11-15T18:52:48Z")
Hi. I can see how to invite new users to a topic (there is an “invite” icon), but how do I invite users to the forum (w/o specifying a topic)?
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [15 november 2018 om 19:09 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/17 "2018-11-15T19:09:35Z")
It’s under your userprofile.
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### Author:  [@Chuck\_Kalish](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Chuck_Kalish)
#### Post date: [15 november 2018 om 20:34 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/18 "2018-11-15T20:34:12Z")
Thanks, but when I send an invitation that way (user profile\>messages\>invites\>“send an invite” I get a message with a subject line including a specific topic and the template from a specific topic (seems like it is the “invite mailer” template).
I would have thought that would use the “invite forum mailer” template, but doesn’t seem to. (I guess I could switch the templates, but that seems backwards)
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### Author:  [@tophee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tophee)
#### Post date: [15 november 2018 om 21:52 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/19 "2018-11-15T21:52:17Z")
> [@Chuck\_Kalish](#):
>
> I get a message with a subject line including a specific topic
Which topic is that?
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### Author:  [@Chuck\_Kalish](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Chuck_Kalish)
#### Post date: [16 november 2018 om 13:15 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-the-difference-between-custom-invite-mailer-invite-forum-mailer-and-custom-invite-forum-mailer/60557/20 "2018-11-16T13:15:16Z")
Ahh, I think I figured it out. I am testing the invite system and so sending multiple invitations to the same email address (I only have so many). It looks like the invite link from the user profile “reuses” previous invitations. So, If I invited you to join a topic first, then I send an invitation from the user profile (to the forum)-- you get the topic invitation sent a 2nd time.
I just tried with a new email address and the user profile invitation is to the forum, not a topic.
Thanks for the quick responses.
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