# Using a GF Notification as Your Email Template

When creating a feed, you need to define the content of your emails:
From, Reply-To, Subject, and Message. You can set these from scratch or
start with an existing Gravity Forms notification.

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## Optional Template

- **Using a Notification**: Selecting a notification will auto-fill the
  feed’s fields with that notification’s details.
- **Starting Point**: You can use this as a base, then update the fields
  as desired.
- **Independent Changes**: Updates you make in the feed do not change
  the original notification.

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## Important Notes

- **Unsaved Switch**: If you change the template after making edits
  (before saving), you’ll lose those edits.
- **Switch Back Behavior**: If you’ve saved updates to a feed, then
  switch to another notification and back, the fields will display
  what’s in the notification itself — not your saved changes. However,
  the feed will still use the last saved settings until you overwrite
  them by saving again.
- **From Scratch**: You don’t have to use a notification at all. You can
  manually fill in all fields instead.

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## Merge Tags

Whether you use a notification or build from scratch, you can insert
merge tags into the Subject or Message. Merge tags can pull data from:

- The control form submission (e.g., Subject, Message fields).
- The target form entries (e.g., donor name, status).

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This flexibility lets you choose between convenience (start with a
notification) or full customization (build it yourself).
