diff --git a/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Administration/Services/UserPunishService.cs b/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Administration/Services/UserPunishService.cs
index db082a8ac..730e572ec 100644
--- a/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Administration/Services/UserPunishService.cs
+++ b/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Administration/Services/UserPunishService.cs
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ WHERE GuildId={guildId}
             }
         }
 
-        public CREmbed GetBanUserDmEmbed(ICommandContext context, IGuildUser target, string defaultMessage,
+        public SmartText GetBanUserDmEmbed(ICommandContext context, IGuildUser target, string defaultMessage,
             string banReason, TimeSpan? duration)
         {
             return GetBanUserDmEmbed(
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ WHERE GuildId={guildId}
                 duration);
         }
 
-        public CREmbed GetBanUserDmEmbed(DiscordSocketClient client, SocketGuild guild,
+        public SmartText GetBanUserDmEmbed(DiscordSocketClient client, SocketGuild guild,
             IGuildUser moderator, IGuildUser target, string defaultMessage, string banReason, TimeSpan? duration)
         {
             var template = GetBanTemplate(guild.Id);
@@ -450,7 +450,6 @@ WHERE GuildId={guildId}
                 .WithOverride("%ban.duration%", () => duration?.ToString(@"d\.hh\:mm")?? "perma")
                 .Build();
 
-            CREmbed crEmbed = null; 
             // if template isn't set, use the old message style
             if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(template))
             {
@@ -459,8 +458,6 @@ WHERE GuildId={guildId}
                     color = Bot.ErrorColor.RawValue,
                     description = defaultMessage 
                 });
-                
-                CREmbed.TryParse(template, out crEmbed);
             }
             // if template is set to "-" do not dm the user
             else if (template == "-")
@@ -468,23 +465,18 @@ WHERE GuildId={guildId}
                 return default;
             }
             // if template is an embed, send that embed with replacements
-            else if (CREmbed.TryParse(template, out crEmbed))
-            {
-                replacer.Replace(crEmbed);
-            }
             // otherwise, treat template as a regular string with replacements
-            else
+            else if (!SmartText.CreateFrom(template).IsEmbed)
             {
                 template = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(new
                 {
                     color = Bot.ErrorColor.RawValue,
-                    description = replacer.Replace(template) 
+                    description = template
                 });
-
-                CREmbed.TryParse(template, out crEmbed);
             }
             
-            return crEmbed;
+            var output = SmartText.CreateFrom(template);
+            return replacer.Replace(output);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Administration/UserPunishCommands.cs b/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Administration/UserPunishCommands.cs
index ab231aa1d..e9c21f432 100644
--- a/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Administration/UserPunishCommands.cs
+++ b/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Administration/UserPunishCommands.cs
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ namespace NadekoBot.Modules.Administration
                         if (embed is not null)
                         {
                             var userChannel = await guildUser.GetOrCreateDMChannelAsync();
-                            await userChannel.EmbedAsync(embed, _eb);
+                            await userChannel.SendAsync(embed);
                         }
                     }
                     catch
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ namespace NadekoBot.Modules.Administration
                     if (embed is not null)
                     {
                         var userChannel = await user.GetOrCreateDMChannelAsync();
-                        await userChannel.EmbedAsync(embed, _eb);
+                        await userChannel.SendAsync(embed);
                     }
                 }
                 catch
@@ -577,13 +577,13 @@ namespace NadekoBot.Modules.Administration
             {
                 var dmChannel = await ctx.User.GetOrCreateDMChannelAsync();
                 var defaultMessage = GetText("bandm", Format.Bold(ctx.Guild.Name), reason);
-                var crEmbed = _service.GetBanUserDmEmbed(Context,
+                var embed = _service.GetBanUserDmEmbed(Context,
                     (IGuildUser)Context.User,
                     defaultMessage,
                     reason,
                     duration);
 
-                if (crEmbed is null)
+                if (embed is null)
                 {
                     await ConfirmLocalizedAsync("bandm_disabled");
                 }
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ namespace NadekoBot.Modules.Administration
                 {
                     try
                     {
-                        await dmChannel.EmbedAsync(crEmbed, _eb);
+                        await dmChannel.SendAsync(embed);
                     }
                     catch (Exception)
                     {
diff --git a/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Help/Help.cs b/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Help/Help.cs
index c1cbfb743..ff238fa34 100644
--- a/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Help/Help.cs
+++ b/src/NadekoBot/Modules/Help/Help.cs
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ namespace NadekoBot.Modules.Help
             _lazyClientId = new AsyncLazy<ulong>(async () => (await _client.GetApplicationInfoAsync()).Id);
         }
 
-        public async Task<(string plainText, IEmbedBuilder embed)> GetHelpStringEmbed()
+        public async Task<SmartText> GetHelpString()
         {
             var botSettings = _bss.Data;
             if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(botSettings.HelpText) || botSettings.HelpText == "-")
@@ -64,18 +64,8 @@ namespace NadekoBot.Modules.Help
                 .WithOverride("%bot.prefix%", () => Prefix)
                 .Build();
 
-            var app = await _client.GetApplicationInfoAsync();
-
-            if (!CREmbed.TryParse(botSettings.HelpText, out var embed))
-            {
-                var eb = _eb.Create().WithOkColor()
-                    .WithDescription(String.Format(botSettings.HelpText, clientId, Prefix));
-                return ("", eb);
-            }
-
-            r.Replace(embed);
-
-            return (embed.PlainText, embed.ToEmbed(_eb));
+            var text = SmartText.CreateFrom(botSettings.HelpText);
+            return r.Replace(text);
         }
 
         [NadekoCommand, Aliases]
@@ -271,11 +261,10 @@ namespace NadekoBot.Modules.Help
                     : channel;
                 try
                 {
-                    var data = await GetHelpStringEmbed();
+                    var data = await GetHelpString();
                     if (data == default)
                         return;
-                    var (plainText, helpEmbed) = data;
-                    await ch.EmbedAsync(helpEmbed, msg: plainText ?? "").ConfigureAwait(false);
+                    await ch.SendAsync(data);
                     try{ await ctx.OkAsync(); } catch { } // ignore if bot can't react
                 }
                 catch (Exception)