> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.intellikon.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Personas and templates

> Describe the customers you write to, and shape the messages Pulse writes for them.

A persona describes a type of person you sell to: their market, their problems and why your product helps. A template is the shape of a message. When Pulse writes a campaign message, it combines the campaign's template and persona with the contact's own details, so each message reads as if it was written for that person.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellikon-ai-ltd/wM16d87Um0QW2CyJ/images/pulse/personas.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=wM16d87Um0QW2CyJ&q=85&s=043123f8a96396280832f29e0119d1ef" alt="The Personas list, with each persona's market, pain points and value proposition." width="2880" height="1800" data-path="images/pulse/personas.png" />
</Frame>

## Create a persona

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellikon-ai-ltd/wM16d87Um0QW2CyJ/images/pulse/new-persona.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=wM16d87Um0QW2CyJ&q=85&s=0ad49d4444f0a3a3f11d5d55ac51a9fd" alt="The New persona window, with Name, Industry, Company size, Geography, Pain points, Value proposition and Save persona." width="1000" height="1320" data-path="images/pulse/new-persona.png" />
</Frame>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start a persona">
    Select **Personas**, then **New persona**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name it">
    Use a **Name** your team will recognise, such as the job title you are targeting.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add their industry">
    Fill in **Industry**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add their company size">
    Fill in **Company size**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add where they are">
    Fill in **Geography**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Say what matters to them">
    Under **Pain points**, describe their problems in their own words.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Say how you help">
    Under **Value proposition**, say how you solve them.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Select **Save persona**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The persona now appears in your list. Pulse writes from everything in it except the name, which is only for your team. A specific sentence under **Pain points** or **Value proposition** gives it more to work with than a list of keywords. Next, [create a template](#create-a-template).

## Channel

<Card title="Email" icon="mail">A subject line and a full message.</Card>

## Create a template

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellikon-ai-ltd/wM16d87Um0QW2CyJ/images/pulse/template-compose.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=wM16d87Um0QW2CyJ&q=85&s=e183f7c16df6057ad931869070f1e448" alt="The Compose step of a new template, with the Subject and Body boxes, the variables to insert below them, and Back and Next." width="1310" height="1600" data-path="images/pulse/template-compose.png" />
</Frame>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start a template">
    Select **Templates**, then **New template**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name it">
    Give it a **Name**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Keep the channel">
    Leave **Channel** at **Email**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a default persona if you want one">
    If you want a **Default persona**, pick one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go on to the message">
    Select **Next**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a subject">
    Enter a **Subject**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the message">
    Enter the **Body**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Insert a contact variable">
    Click a contact variable below the editor to insert it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Your subject and body are now in the editor. Next, [preview the template and create it](#preview-the-template-and-create-it).

## Preview the template and create it

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellikon-ai-ltd/wM16d87Um0QW2CyJ/images/pulse/template-preview.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=wM16d87Um0QW2CyJ&q=85&s=790646933f7cac3f490b74854634f156" alt="The live preview of a new template, with Contact, Preview as, Fill with AI, the email preview and Create template." width="920" height="1200" data-path="images/pulse/template-preview.png" />
</Frame>

Carry on from where you wrote the message.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick a contact">
    Under **Live preview**, pick a contact.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a persona">
    Pick a persona to see the message filled in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="See what Pulse would write">
    Select **Fill with AI** to see what Pulse would write. Nothing is sent from the preview.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check it">
    Check the **Review** step.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create it">
    Select **Create template**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The template now appears in your list. Next, [run a campaign](/products/pulse/campaigns) with it.

## Variables

Contact details are filled in from the contact's record: `{{first_name}}`, `{{last_name}}`, `{{full_name}}`, `{{company}}`, `{{role}}` and `{{email}}`.

AI variables are written fresh for each contact when their message is drafted: `{{ai_icebreaker}}` for an opening line, `{{ai_pain_point}}` for the problem you are addressing, `{{ai_value_prop}}` for how you help, and `{{ai_cta}}` for the ask at the end. Type these into the body yourself; only contact variables can be clicked in.

## Troubleshooting

**If Pulse shows "Pick a contact and a persona to run the AI fill",** choose both under **Live preview**, then select **Fill with AI** again.

**If Pulse warns "Unknown variables will send as raw text",** check the spelling of each variable it lists against the ones above.