diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/app.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/app.scss
index dcb2a9f2b..e4a629217 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/app.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/app.scss
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ a {
   }
 }
 
+.form-control-1-1 {
+  width: 100%;
+}
+
 .form-control-5em {
 
   width: 100%;
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/main.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/main.scss
index f04d61fce..eb420be44 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/main.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/main.scss
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ $path: '/static/images/';
 @import 'components/api-key';
 
 @import 'views/job';
+@import 'views/edit-template';
 
 // TODO: break this up
 @import 'app';
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/views/edit-template.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/views/edit-template.scss
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3635b067f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/views/edit-template.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+.edit-template {
+
+  &-placeholder-hint {
+    display: block;
+    padding-top: 20px;
+    color: $secondary-text-colour;
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/app/main/dao/templates_dao.py b/app/main/dao/templates_dao.py
index 032c45fbf..d34f2b187 100644
--- a/app/main/dao/templates_dao.py
+++ b/app/main/dao/templates_dao.py
@@ -1,32 +1,23 @@
 from flask import url_for, abort
 from app import notifications_api_client
 from app.utils import BrowsableItem
+from notifications_python_client.errors import HTTPError
 
 
-def insert_service_template(name, type_, content, service_id):
+def insert_service_template(name, content, service_id):
     return notifications_api_client.create_service_template(
-        name, type_, content, service_id)
+        name, 'sms', content, service_id)
 
 
-def update_service_template(id_, name, type_, content, service_id):
+def update_service_template(id_, name, content, service_id):
     return notifications_api_client.update_service_template(
-        id_, name, type_, content, service_id)
+        id_, name, 'sms', content, service_id)
 
 
 def get_service_templates(service_id):
     return notifications_api_client.get_service_templates(service_id)
 
 
-def get_service_templates_or_404(service_id):
-    try:
-        get_service_templates(service_id)
-    except HTTPError as e:
-        if e.status_code == 404:
-            abort(404)
-        else:
-            raise e
-
-
 def get_service_template_or_404(service_id, template_id):
     try:
         return notifications_api_client.get_service_template(service_id, template_id)
diff --git a/app/main/forms.py b/app/main/forms.py
index cf1aa76c8..ddab3fe01 100644
--- a/app/main/forms.py
+++ b/app/main/forms.py
@@ -188,7 +188,6 @@ class TemplateForm(Form):
     name = StringField(
         u'Template name',
         validators=[DataRequired(message="Template name cannot be empty")])
-    template_type = RadioField(u'Template type', choices=[('sms', 'SMS')])
 
     template_content = TextAreaField(
         u'Message',
diff --git a/app/main/views/templates.py b/app/main/views/templates.py
index 0b3f492ff..a8453f9e5 100644
--- a/app/main/views/templates.py
+++ b/app/main/views/templates.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def add_service_template(service_id):
 
     if form.validate_on_submit():
         tdao.insert_service_template(
-            form.name.data, form.template_type.data, form.template_content.data, service_id)
+            form.name.data, form.template_content.data, service_id)
         return redirect(url_for(
             '.manage_service_templates', service_id=service_id))
     return render_template(
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def edit_service_template(service_id, template_id):
 
     if form.validate_on_submit():
         tdao.update_service_template(
-            template_id, form.name.data, form.template_type.data,
+            template_id, form.name.data,
             form.template_content.data, service_id)
         return redirect(url_for('.manage_service_templates', service_id=service_id))
 
diff --git a/app/templates/views/edit-template.html b/app/templates/views/edit-template.html
index ae3d5005e..2563dd81e 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/edit-template.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/edit-template.html
@@ -11,17 +11,22 @@
     <h1 class="heading-large">{{ h1 }}</h1>
 
     <form method="post">
-      {{ textbox(form.name) }}
-      <fieldset class="form-group">
-        <legend class="form-label">
-          Template type
-        </legend>
-        <label class="block-label" for="template_type">
-          <input type="radio" name="template_type" id="template_type" checked="checked" value="sms" />
-          Text message
-        </label>
-      </fieldset>
-      {{ textbox(form.template_content, highlight_tags=True) }}
+      <div class="grid-row">
+        <div class="column-two-thirds">
+          {{ textbox(form.name, width='1-1') }}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      <div class="grid-row">
+        <div class="column-two-thirds">
+          {{ textbox(form.template_content, highlight_tags=True, width='1-1') }}
+        </div>
+        <div class="column-one-third">
+          <label for='template_content' class='edit-template-placeholder-hint'>
+            Add placeholders using double brackets, eg Your thing
+            is due on ((date))
+          </label>
+        </div>
+      </div>
       {{ page_footer(
         'Save',
         delete_link=url_for('.delete_service_template', service_id=service_id, template_id=template_id) if template_id or None,
diff --git a/tests/app/main/views/test_templates.py b/tests/app/main/views/test_templates.py
index 47af74f9f..3319f1468 100644
--- a/tests/app/main/views/test_templates.py
+++ b/tests/app/main/views/test_templates.py
@@ -58,12 +58,10 @@ def test_should_redirect_when_saving_a_template(app_,
             service_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
             template_id = 456
             name = "new name"
-            type_ = "sms"
             content = "template content"
             data = {
                 'id': template_id,
                 'name': name,
-                'template_type': type_,
                 "template_content": content,
                 "service": service_id
             }
@@ -76,7 +74,7 @@ def test_should_redirect_when_saving_a_template(app_,
             assert response.location == url_for(
                 '.manage_service_templates', service_id=service_id, _external=True)
             mock_update_service_template.assert_called_with(
-                template_id, name, type_, content, service_id)
+                template_id, name, 'sms', content, service_id)
 
 
 def test_should_show_delete_template_page(app_,