Documentation

Workflow notification email content doesn’t update in AEM 6.5

Last update: Fri Apr 03 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In AEM 6.5, customizing workflow notification email content requires updating the correct email template based on the workflow step type. Project Task and Assign Task steps use different templates, and changes don’t reflect if the incorrect template is edited or related services are not refreshed. To fix this, update the appropriate workflow email template, configure the externalizer correctly, and restart the required workflow email services.

Description description

Environment

  • Product: Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) On-Premise
  • Version: 6.5
  • Offering: Forms

Issue/Symptoms

  • Workflow notification email content doesn’t reflect custom changes.

  • The email content differs depending on whether the workflow step is a Project Task or an Assign Task step.

  • Templates are stored in different locations:

    • Project Task email template: /libs/settings/workflow/notification/email/default/en.txt
    • Assign Task email template: /libs/fd/dashboard/templates/email/htmlEmailTemplate.txt

  • Changes to email templates don’t appear until the email services are restarted.

Resolution resolution

To fix this issue, follow these steps:

  1. Identify the workflow email typeyou’re customizing and overlay the correct template. The Project Task workflow email template is located at /libs/settings/workflow/notification/email/default/en.txt, while the Assign Task workflow email template is located at /libs/fd/dashboard/templates/email/htmlEmailTemplate.txt.
  2. Navigate to /system/console/configMgr and open Day CQ Link Externalizer.
  3. Add or update the host configuration based on your environment to change host.prefix. For HTTP, configure the FQDN or IP address with the port. For HTTPS, configure the value as https://FQDN/IP:port for local, author, and publish schemes, and save the changes. Leave the Host name field empty.
  4. Go to /system/console/components and restart both com.day.cq.workflow.impl.email.EMailNotificationService and com.day.cq.workflow.impl.email.TaskEMailNotificationService by disabling and enabling them to apply the template changes.
  5. Verify that the workflow notification emails now reflect the customized content.

Notes:

  • The notify checkbox triggers an uneditable template fetched from metadata. Customization is only possible using the specified template files.
  • Always test all changes in a lower environment before applying them in production.
  • To change URLs from HTTP to HTTPS, remove the host name from the externalizer settings to ensure correct URL rendering in workflow emails.
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