This article describes how to switch the underlying template of a message to a different template.

This feature is useful if, for example:

• your organization has made changes to its branding (e.g., logo, colors) and, rather than create new messages, you want to easily update the appearance of one or several existing messages, or
• your organization wants to align your messages with an upcoming event and to promote it. Instead of changing an existing template, you could copy it, make the changes, apply it to the relevant messages, and then switch back to the original template after the event.

Whatever the reason, this feature simplifies switching the "foundation" upon which a message is built.

Feature availability

The template-switching feature is unique to Message Designer 2 (MD2) messages.

If your account uses other message editors (e.g., QuickMail, Snag Mail), those messages also display in the Messages list, so make sure that the message you want switch templates for is a Message Designer-type message.

• You can confirm this by checking Type in the column chooser below the list to display the Type column in the list.

The feature is available for any MD2 message that you can edit.

• Messages that are in the In Progress, Sent, and Review statuses are eligible.

NOTE: If you switch the template of a Sent message, you are changing the Web Version of the message only, not the actual published message.

Things to consider

If you decide to switch a message's template, it's important to understand and consider the following limitations, behaviors, and affects.

• You can switch the template for only one message at a time. (The multi-select functionality on the Messages list page does not support switching a template.)
• You have to edit a message in order to switch its template.
• A template has the building blocks (i.e., the preset Message Content Areas and content types) of the message. Any building blocks in the new template will automatically be applied to the message when it's switched to the new template.
  • If the new template does support the building blocks in the "outgoing" template, the template switch occurs immediately. However:
  • If the new template does not support a building block that was in the "outgoing" template, there is a "conflict" and you have to decide whether to continue with the switch, as described in Template conflicts, below.

NOTE: Depending on where in the new template these building blocks are supported, those stories might shift to — and ultimately display in — a different section of the message.

Switch a template

To switch a message's template:

1. Access the Admin interface.
2. Navigate to Messages > List.

TIPS: On list pages, click a column header to sort on that column; click again to reverse the sort order. Click the columns count below the list to add and remove columns in the current view.

3. On the (In Progress, Sent, or Review) Messages list, locate the message that you want to switch the template of and either:

• • click the hyperlinked name of the message or
  • click elsewhere on the row to select the message and click Edit.

TIPS: To keep the current list page open, right-click the hyperlinked name and open the message in a new tab or window.

The message opens to the Design tab of Message Designer.

4. Click the Template tab, which displays:

• • the Change your Message's template title,
  • the current template (as indicated by In Use),
  • other templates (based on the selected Folder), and
  • the Folder dropdown that you can click to select a different folder.

NOTE: The current template persists on this page, irrespective of which folder is selected.

Locate the template that you want to apply to the message and click it to select it.

The system automatically compares the existing template to the new template.

• If there are no conflicts, the new template is immediately applied to the message and the Design tab opens.
• If there are conflicts, you have a few options, as described in the next section.

Template conflicts

If the template comparison uncovers any conflicts, a Template Update Warning popup displays, such as the two that are shown below.

1. Review the conflict information and then either:

• • Click Cancel to abort the template switch (and maybe try a different template).
  • Check the I understand that the items listed above will be lost box, which enables the Update button.
    The new template is applied to the message and the Design tab opens.

Template Update Warning examples

Below are two examples of warnings that might display if there are template conflicts.

• Click Learn more to open this article in a new tab.
• Click edit this template to open the template in Template Designer 2 in a new tab.