Overview
Settings > Stage Updates controls the emails sent when a mortgage file changes stage. Also called: stage update emails. Client updates are never sent automatically. When you move a file on the pipeline board, Broki asks whether to notify the client and shows a draft you can edit. Nothing is sent unless you select Yes, notify client.
Partner updates are automatic. When enabled, Broki emails the file's assigned realtor after each stage change, after a short delay, unless you require approval for that stage.
At a glance
Client emails are never automatic. The prompt appears only when you move a file on the Pipeline board, and nothing is sent unless you select Yes, notify client.
Partner emails are automatic after the send delay when partner updates are on and that stage has a saved, enabled email, unless Require approval before sending is on.
Video mode set to Disabled turns off the client notify prompt. If video mode has never been set, it is treated as Disabled.
The subject, message, and video you save are yours, even if you are an admin.
Before you begin
You need permission to open Stage Updates, and the emails use your branding and the file owner's mailbox when one is connected.
You need the Pipeline Configuration permission to open Stage Updates. Team members have it by default.
The client and partner emails use your company colors and logo from Company and email branding.
Emails are sent from the file owner's connected Gmail or Outlook account when there is one. Otherwise they come from Broki's sender with replies going to the file owner. See Integrations setup.
Client update content you save here (subject, message, video) is saved as yours, even if you're an admin. Each advisor sets up their own.
Step-by-step instructions
These steps set up client updates, send one from the pipeline board, set up partner updates, and pause partner emails on one file.
Set up client updates
Set up client updates so each stage can have a layout, subject, message, and video. Saved content belongs to you.
Go to Settings > Stage Updates > Client updates.
In Email design, under Choose a style, pick a layout. Live preview shows the layout with sample data and your branding.
The layouts are:
Classic: status badge, message card, and portal button.
Timeline: a progress stepper showing where the client is in the journey.
Formal: dark header with your company logo.
Partner style: logo header, stage pill, message, and advisor card.
In Video mode, choose how videos are added. You see "Video mode updated".
The video modes are:
Use file owner's videos (Recommended): each advisor's own videos are used on files they own. If the owner hasn't set a video for a stage, no video is included.
Use admin videos only: see "Limitations and important behavior" before choosing this.
Disabled: no videos. This also turns off the client notify prompt completely.
In Configure by stage, select a stage to expand it and set the fields for that stage.
The stage fields are:
Subject line (optional). If you leave it empty, the subject is "Application Update - [stage name] - [loan code]".
Default message, using the variable picker to insert details such as the client's name.
Video (Loom or YouTube): select Add video URL and paste the link.
Video thumbnail: select Upload thumbnail (JPEG, PNG, or WebP, 5 MB or smaller; 16:9 works best).
Select Save. You see "Video saved for [stage]".
Optional: select Preview to see the email for a real file. You need at least one file with client contacts.
Use the switch on each stage row to turn the notify prompt on or off for that stage. New stages start with it on.
The card header shows how many stages you've configured, for example "4 of 9 stages configured". Badges on each row show Notify off, Video configured, Subject set, and Message set.
Send a client update
Send a client update from the Pipeline board when you want the client emailed about a stage change. The prompt does not open from the file's Application Status tab.
On the Pipeline board, drag a file to its new stage.
Notify client of status change? opens with a draft built from your saved subject, message, and video for that stage.
Check the recipients. To lists the file's active contacts with an email address. Use + Cc and + Bcc to add others.
Edit the Subject and Message if needed, and choose an Email signature. The preview updates as you type.
Before you continue: Selecting Yes, notify client emails every listed contact right away.
Select Yes, notify client to send, or No, skip to move the file without emailing.
You see "Notifications sent".
Each contact gets their own email. If some fail, you see "Sent N of M notifications" with the failed addresses.
The prompt doesn't open when:
the Stage update notifications switch on Settings > Pipelines is off,
Video mode is Disabled,
the stage is hidden from the client portal,
the stage's notify switch is off, or
you change the stage from the file's Application Status tab instead of the pipeline board.
Set up partner updates
Set up partner updates so realtors can be emailed automatically after a stage change. Send partner update emails is off by default.
Go to Settings > Stage Updates > Partner updates.
In Automation, turn on Send partner update emails. It's off by default.
Before you continue: Once on, realtors are emailed automatically for every stage that has a saved, enabled email.
Set Send delay (minutes), from 1 to 1440. If the file changes stage again during the delay, the pending email is cancelled and a new one is scheduled. You see "Saved".
Choose an email design. The layouts match client updates, with Partner style shown as Original.
Under Per-stage email, expand a stage.
The stage controls are:
Turn on Emails for this stage. This saves straight away.
Optional: turn on Require approval before sending. The email then waits in Communications under Pending Approval on the dashboard until someone approves it.
Enter a Subject line (optional; the default is "Update on [client name] - [current stage]") and a Message. You can include a link to the partner portal.
Select Save subject & message. You see "Saved · [stage]".
Use Email preview to check the email with sample data or your unsaved edits.
The header shows how many stages are saved. Badges show Disabled, Configured, and Approval required.
See when a partner update is sent
A partner update is sent only when partner emails are on, the new stage has a saved enabled email, the file has an assigned realtor with an email address, and partner emails aren't paused for that file. The email still waits for the Send delay (minutes) you set. If Require approval before sending is on, it waits in Pending Approval until someone approves it.
Partner emails are triggered by stage changes on the pipeline board and on the file's Application Status tab. Just before sending, Broki checks again; the email is cancelled if the stage or realtor changed, automation was turned off, or the stage was disabled. If the file changes stage again during the delay, the pending email is cancelled and a new one is scheduled.
Pause partner emails for one file
Pause partner emails for one file when that file's realtor should not get automatic stage emails.
Open the mortgage file and go to the Teams tab.
On the realtor's card, turn off Auto partner stage emails. The card shows "Stage emails paused for this realtor".
Turn it back on to resume.
Practical examples and other ways to use it
These examples limit which stages email clients or realtors, and pause one file.
Personal videos per advisor. Choose Use file owner's videos, then have each advisor add a short Loom for their key stages on their own Stage Updates page.
Only notify clients at milestones. Turn the notify switch off for internal stages and leave it on for stages like Approved and Funded.
Review realtor emails before they go out. Turn on Require approval before sending for sensitive stages such as Conditions.
Avoid a burst of realtor emails. Set Send delay (minutes) to 30 so quick stage corrections cancel the earlier email.
A realtor asked not to be emailed. Pause partner emails on that file's Teams tab.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
These mistakes turn off the client prompt, save content for the wrong person, or send no realtor email.
Choosing Disabled to stop videos only. Disabled also stops the client notify prompt. Choose Use file owner's videos and leave stage videos empty instead.
Expecting client updates from the Application Status tab. The prompt only appears on the pipeline board.
Expecting an admin's saved content to apply to everyone. Saved subjects, messages, and videos belong to the person who saved them.
Turning on partner updates without saving any stage emails. Nothing is sent until each stage has a saved, enabled email.
Forgetting the realtor assignment. Partner emails only go to the realtor assigned on the file.
Troubleshooting
Use this section when the notify prompt does not open, or a client or realtor email is missing.
The notify prompt doesn't appear when I move a file
The notify prompt doesn't appear when the global switch is off, video mode is disabled, the stage is hidden or has notify off, or you moved the stage from the file instead of the board.
Possible causes: The global switch is off, Video mode is Disabled, the stage is hidden from clients, the stage's notify switch is off, or you moved the stage from the file instead of the board.
Check first: Settings > Pipelines (the Stage update notifications switch) and Settings > Stage Updates > Client updates.
To fix:
Turn on Stage update notifications on Settings > Pipelines.
Set Video mode to Use file owner's videos.
Turn on the stage's notify switch in Configure by stage.
Move the file again on the pipeline board.
Confirm it worked: Notify client of status change? opens.
"No active contacts found for this file. Please add client contacts in the Contacts tab before sending stage updates."
You see "No active contacts found for this file. Please add client contacts in the Contacts tab before sending stage updates." when the file has no active client contact with an email address.
To fix: Add the borrower as a contact with an email address on the file, then move the stage again.
"File owner email not found"
You see "File owner email not found" when the file's owner has no email on their team member record.
Possible causes: The file's owner has no email on their team member record.
To fix: Ask an admin to check the owner on Settings > Members, or change the file owner.
The client email has no video or message
The client email has no video or message when admin videos are selected, or the file owner hasn't saved content for that stage.
Possible causes: Use admin videos only is selected; or the file owner hasn't saved content for that stage.
To fix:
Switch Video mode to Use file owner's videos.
Have the file owner save a subject, message, or video for the stage.
The realtor didn't get a partner update
The realtor didn't get a partner update when automation, the stage email, the realtor, a pause, or approval is blocking it.
Possible causes: Automation is off; the stage has no saved, enabled email; the file has no assigned realtor or the realtor has no email; emails are paused on the file; or the email is waiting for approval.
Check first: Partner updates badges for the stage, and the realtor card on the file's Teams tab.
To fix:
Turn on Send partner update emails.
Save the stage's email with Emails for this stage on.
Assign a realtor with an email address to the file.
If approval is required, approve it from Pending Approval on the dashboard.
Contact support if: Everything above is set and no email arrives after the send delay. Include the file's loan code and the time of the stage change.
Limitations and important behavior
These limits apply to who sends each email, empty admin-video emails, and where the client prompt appears.
Client updates are always sent by a person from the notify prompt. Partner updates are sent automatically unless approval is required.
Use admin videos only uses organization-wide stage content, which can't currently be created from this page, so emails in that mode go out without a saved video, message, or subject. Use Use file owner's videos.
If Video mode has never been set, it's treated as Disabled, which means no notify prompt.
Partner emails are retried up to 3 times if sending fails.
The client notify prompt doesn't appear on collaborator pipeline boards.
Frequently asked questions
These are questions about whether stage emails send on their own and which address they come from.
Are client stage-update emails sent automatically? No. You see a draft and choose Yes, notify client or No, skip each time.
Are partner update emails sent automatically? Yes, once Send partner update emails is on and the stage has a saved, enabled email. Turn on Require approval before sending if you want to review them first.
Which email address do stage update emails come from? The file owner's connected Gmail or Outlook account, or Broki's sender with replies going to the owner if none is connected.
Can each advisor use their own videos? Yes. Choose Use file owner's videos and have each advisor save their own.
Related articles
These articles cover pipeline stages, moving files, advisors, branding, signatures, and the partner portal.