This article...

• Details the main areas of the Message Designer editor.
• Describes how to create and format email messages.
• Describes how to apply, edit, and switch templates to control the layout and appearance of a message.
• Covers how to build messages by adding and configuring content blocks.
• Summarizes configuring message properties and targeting message recipients.

Even if you don't have graphic design experience, you can create professional-quality email messages with Message Designer. With it, you can:

• add and remove stories (i.e., content),
• insert headings, text blocks, and images, and
• apply custom templates.

Message Designer's formatting tools make it easy to:

• add borders and spacing,
• change font styles and colors, and
• manipulate images.

ACCESSIBILITY: Any time you're designing webpage or email-based content, it's important to keep in mind modern accessibility principles. Because this article touches on content design, we recommend referring to Best Practices - Accessibility and its associated resources.

Watch the video

Click the image to link to a HUG Education Library video that is related to the content in this article.

You should also visit the Deliverability section of our knowledge base for recommended deliverability tasks and best practices, troubleshooting information, and more.

Message Designer layout

This section details Message Designer's three main areas.

• Navigation Bar - Across the top of the designer are the main navigation tabs for the various tasks associated with creating, designing, and sending a message:
  • apply a template,
  • design a message,
  • set a message's properties,
  • review a message, and
  • send a message.
• Content Properties - After adding or selecting content on the canvas, a Properties panel displays in this area on the left. The panel is unique to the selected content type and is where you configure the properties (e.g., select an image; apply borders and padding; input and format text; add hyperlinks).
• Canvas - The canvas is where you add, arrange, and manage the content of the message.

Select Template tab

This tab displays the templates that can be applied to your messages. You can apply a different template to change the look of your message without changing the message content.

Select Template tab notes

• Templates must be activated in order to be available.
• Admins who have template editing permissions (i.e., the Template Designer permission) can click Edit under a template and modify it from within Message Designer.
• The Folder dropdown always displays Main Folder — the only templates folder.
• The template that is currently applied to the message displays with a bold border in the Templates grid on the right and in the Your Selection panel on the left:

Choose a Template

To choose a different template for your message, click a different template thumbnail.

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 Message tab opens.
• If there are conflicts, you should review the information in the Template conflicts section.

Original template

New template

Edit templates in Message Designer

While on this tab, you can edit the current template while working on a message.

1. Click your template's Edit button to open Template Designer (this automatically saves your work).

2. Make any necessary modifications to the template and click Save to update it.
3. To the right of the page title, click Return to navigate back to the Design Message tab.
4. At the "template update" notification, click Update Template to switch to your new template.

Additional details

Keep the following details in mind about this tab:

• The template that is the foundation of the message always displays as the first item (regardless of the folder selection).
• You can edit the in-use template even if that template is deactivated.
• You cannot edit an in-use template if it has been deleted. This disables the Edit button.

Design Message tab

This tab is where you build your messages, of which, content types are the heart and soul. In Message Designer, you add content via Message Content Areas, which are indicated by an Add Content button.

NOTE: The layout of the message and the Message Content Areas that are available are controlled by the template upon which your message is based. If you're unable to add some types of content, you might have to edit the template.

To add content:

1. Click one of the Add Content buttons. The available content types (as determined by the template) display in a selection box.

2. Click the content type that you want to add, and manage its properties in the panel on the left.
3. Add your content and format it as necessary using the Rich Text Editor.

TIP: Higher Logic's integrated AI Assistant is available with the text-based content blocks of the text editor. Learn how to work more quickly with AI Assistant when creating and editing content.

Text Version of a message

This is the text-only version of your message (all HTML is removed), which you can preview and edit by selecting this view.

To access the text-only version, click the menu at the top right and select Text Version.

NOTE: This version is sent to recipients who choose to receive text-only email messages (i.e., they use a text-based email client).

As you create a message, the text-only version is automatically created for you alongside the HTML version. When your message is finalized, you should review this version in case there are any formatting or style issues (e.g., spacing, bullets) that may not properly convert from the HTML version.

TIP: Content that you add to the text-only version is not automatically added to the HTML version. The benefit of this is that you can add unique text-only content.

Learn about text-only versions of messages.

Undo/Redo buttons

• Undo - Click this to undo one or more actions you made while creating your message. This is the best way to quickly and easily fix mistakes you've made or changes you don't want to keep.
• Redo - Click this to redo actions you've made while creating your message, but had then undone.

NOTE: These buttons are available only when editing the HTML version of your message.

Choose Properties tab

This tab is where you set and manage several properties for your message. The properties are logically separated into sections and are described below.

TIP: As indicated, all of the fields on this page are required as indicated by the asterisk ( * ).

Message Setup

In this section:

• specify a name for the message. This is for administrative purposes; it does not display to message recipients.
• accept the default, Main Folder, or click the dropdown to select a different folder in which to store the message.

Inbox Details

In this section:

• specify a From email address for the message. This displays next to the "Friendly From" address. Some bounced messages and all "out-of-office" replies go to this address.
• specify a Friendly From email address for the message. This is what displays to recipients in the "From" field.
• specify a Subject Line for the message. Click the Personalization icon to the right to "personalize" the subject of the message.
• specify a Reply To email address for the message. All replies to this message (except those noted for the From address) are directed to this address.

Recipients

In this section:

• click the dropdown to select one Contact List Group from the alphabetized list.

The message will be sent to the contacts who are in the selected group.

Notes

• This list of Contact Groups is populated as the result of a synchronization with your Higher Logic Community.
• The list synchronization occurs just before the message is sent in order to ensure that the most up-to-date version of the list is used. This is referred to as "sync-on-send."
• This is bi-directional synchronization with the List Builder page in your community site. Actions that you preform on this page (e.g., create a Group; rename a Group) are "written" to the List Builder in your community during the next sync.
• The refresh icon spins to indicate that the list is being synchronized and updated.
• You can create and manage these lists:

• via the List Builder option on this page (as described in Create and manage lists of contacts, below) and
• on the List Builder page (in Users > List Builder) in the Admin interface of your community site.

Create and manage lists of contacts

This section describes how to create and manage (edit, delete) lists of contacts while working in a message in Message Designer.

IMPORTANT: Before performing the list management actions that are described in this section, review the following notes.

List Builder notes

• Only Super Admins can create and manage lists. If you don't have Super Admin privileges, contact your Thrive Community account administrator.
• Lists can include multiple criteria; take some time to analyze the behavior you are trying to identify. Think through these criteria to understand how they factor into your goal.
• The names of all lists must begin with the text Thrive - , as in Thrive - All_Staff. This ensures that the synchronization can differentiate between lists that are intended for use in Thrive Communications and other lists.
  • When a list is synced to Thrive Communications, the "Thrive - " is automatically removed from the name. For example, the Thrive - All_Staff list (as listed in List Builder) is automatically truncated to All_Staff (in the Contact List dropdown in Thrive Communications).
  • If Thrive - is not included in the name, the list will not be synched over to your Thrive Communications account.

List Builder dialog

Click List Builder to open a dialog that lists all of your contact Groups.

TIP: You cannot resize the dialog, but you can hover on the title bar to click-&-drag it to a different location on the page.

• Each of the Groups in the List Builder dialog is represented in the Contact List dropdown.
• The Groups are listed alphabetically by (List) Name (following the required "Thrive -" prepend).
• You can refine the list by clicking the All Groups dropdown and selecting one Group to filter on.
• You can manage the Groups (create, edit, view, copy, delete) by using the action buttons that are detailed below.

List Builder actions

Manage your contact lists in Message Designer as described below.

Create

1. Click Create to create a List.
2. In the Select Query field, select one or more criteria (e.g., is a member of the [specified] community and doesn't have a picture on their profile) for inclusion in the List and click Add.
3. Specify any further criteria (e.g., is a member of the New York Chapter community) and click Calculate Who Qualifies to build the List.
4. Specify a List Name (required) and, optionally, a Group Name.

IMPORTANT: The List Name must start with "Thrive -" in order for it to be available for Thrive Communications messages.

5. Click Save to preserve your work and close the dialog.

NOTE: Do not click Close; your work will not be saved.

NOTE: The description that displays on the List Builder dialog is based on the Select Query field in the create step; it cannot be modified. If any the criteria in the Select Query field is/are changed, the description will auto-update to match the criteria.

NOTE: The save action should trigger a synch; allow it to finish, then review the Contact Groups dropdown and verify that your new list displays.

Edit

1. Click an Edit button to make changes to the associated List.

You can change any of the List's "properties."

IMPORTANT: If you rename the List, be sure to retain the required "Thrive -" prepend in order for it to be available for Thrive Communications messages.

2. Click Save to preserve your work and close the dialog.

NOTE: Do not click Close; your work will not be saved.

NOTE: The save action should trigger a synch. If you changed the name of the List, allow it to finish, then review the Contact Groups dropdown and verify that your new list displays.

View List

1. Click the down-arrow icon to the right of the Edit button and then click View List to display a list of contacts who are in the associated List because they meet the criterion/criteria.
2. Use the page-navigation buttons (1, 2, 3, etc.) below the list to view more contacts.
3. Click the Export dropdown to export the list of contacts and choose your preferred format.
4. Click Close to return to the List Builder dialog.

Copy

1. Click the down-arrow icon to the right of the Edit button and then click Copy to create a copy of that List.

This happens instantly and without further intervention because the List name is simply appended with " - copy".

2. To manage the name and/or properties of the new copy, click its Edit button.

IMPORTANT: If you rename the copy, be sure to retain the required "Thrive -" prepend in order for it to be available for Thrive Communications messages.

NOTE: If you change the criterion in the Select Query field, the List's description auto-updates to the associated description.

3. Click Save to preserve your work and close the dialog.

Changes to a copy do not impact the original List.

NOTE: The copy action should trigger a synch; allow it to finish, then review the Contact Groups dropdown and verify that your new list displays.

Delete

1. Click the down-arrow icon to the right of the Edit button and then click Delete to delete the List.
2. At the prompt, click Delete.

NOTE: The delete action should trigger a synch; allow it to finish, then review the Contact Groups dropdown and verify that the list no longer displays.

Related articles

The final two steps of the overall "message" process, review and send, are on dedicated tabs in Message Designer, but they are detailed in one article.

Review Message tab

This tab is where you can preview your message while working on it and, more importantly, before sending it. You can:

• check the look of your content,
• test your personalizations, and
• send your message.

Send Message tab

This tab is where you set your message-send preferences, such as:

• sending the message immediately or on a preferred schedule and
• which delivery methods you think is best, based on number of recipients and their "open" histories.