NOTE: This article is for customers with the New Admin Experience interface (vertical left-navigation bar).



If your interface is different, view the "classic" version of this article.

Templates are an ideal way for organizations to apply a consistent look to their messages. Templates also let users periodically generate messages that contain similar types of content while ensuring a consistent layout — and because the foundation is in the template, the message creation time is shortened.

While creating and designing templates does take time, this "up-front" investment ultimately results in significant time-savings in the future.

EXAMPLE: Rather than continually creating one-off emails (weekly, monthly, quarterly) that contain the same images and similar content in the same locations with the same font styles and borders, a template can save all these customizations and then automatically apply them when a it's used as the foundation of a message.

If you've taken the time to plan your email campaigns and you know the types of messages you'll be sending on a regular basis (e.g., welcome outreach, member renewals, calls to action), create a library of templates — each one specific to a campaign.

TIP: Create (and save!) a "master" template that contains your logo, preferred font, and color scheme. From it, create (and save!) a collection of distinct, purpose-specific templates for each type of message, and then use those templates for their specific mailing campaigns.

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Accessing templates

Templates are stored in three areas for different purposes.

• Higher Logic pre-configured templates are in Messages > Assets > Template Library. Refer to the Template Library section for information.
• Your organization's published templates are in Messages > Preview > Preview Template. Refer to the Preview published templates section for information.
• Your organization's working and live templates are in Messages > Assets > Templates.

NOTE: The Assets > Templates page is where you'll do most of your template management, so this article focuses on that page and covers how to create, edit, and publish templates.

To manage your templates:

1. Access the Admin interface.
2. Navigate to Messages > Assets > Templates.

Templates list columns

A few of the more important columns are described below.

TIP: 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.

• Themes refers to the collection of customizations that have been applied to templates to give them a desired look. Themes include the font (Arial) and size (10pt), and the background color. An unlocked theme gives users the ability to override the theme's customizations; whereas a locked theme cannot be changed. Select a template and click Edit to manage this setting.
• The Messages column indicates how many messages are using a template.
• The Status column indicates whether a template is working or live. When a template is created, it's in a working (in-progress) state and is not available for use; when a template has been published, it will be changed to a live state and will be available for use.

NOTE: Editing a template will automatically set it to a working state so that you can make changes.

• Transactional refers to a template that will be used for transactional messages; that is, messages which, due to their type of content (such as a receipt or delivery confirmation), do not have to include an "unsubscribe" link. Select a template and click Properties to change this setting.

See Transactional Templates & Messages and Unsubscribe Options for more information. These articles have detailed regulatory information: CAN-SPAM and Anti-Spam Requirements, Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), GDPR Resources.

Create a template

1. Click Create New and give the template a name.

2. You can also add a description, lock the template theme, and make it a Transactional template.
3. Click Create.
4. On the Message Editor page:

1. Set the pixel width of your message canvas (the area where you'll add message content).

NOTE: If you plan to use a banner image, specify a width that will accommodate your banner.

2. Use the Zones and Design tabs to build the look and layout of the template.

Remember: You're not creating a message that has to be populated with content; you're creating a template that will guide where the various types of content (text, images, links) will reside.

TIP: The editor automatically saves every action as you create/edit a template. However, it's a good idea to occasionally manually save.

5. Click the gear icon > Save Changes to save your template.

What's next?

Now that you've created a template, you can:

• set Template Permissions to "protect" templates from being changed by unauthorized users;
• edit, copy, publish, and delete templates (described below); and
• manage template properties and ownership (described below).

Search for templates

If you've created a lot of templates, you can use the search feature to quickly find one or a group with similar names. Type alpha and/or numeric characters in the Search field to query the Name and Created By fields of all records to refine the list of templates.

The list will automatically update with each typed character and display all records (visible and hidden) that contain a match. Click the X to clear the search field to restore the original list.

NOTE: The search field is not case-aware (e.g., "M" and "m" will yield the same results).

Template management actions

Upon selecting a template, a number of management actions become available above the list:

Let's take a look at the various ways you can manage your templates.

Edit a template

Select a template and click Edit.

This will launch the Message Editor page where you can modify the template theme and layout.

Copy a template

You can copy a template and then rename it to avoid having to create a similar version of the template. All properties of the original template are automatically inherited by the copy.

1. Select a template and click Edit.
2. Give it a unique name and, optionally, add a description and make it a Transactional template.
3. Click Create.

Template properties

You can rename a template and toggle its transactional status.

1. Select a template and click Properties.
2. Change the template name and/or toggle its transactional status.
3. Click Save.

Change a template owner

You can change who owns a template in the event that there are personnel changes.

1. Select a template and click Change Owner.
2. Click Select Login.
3. Choose a new owner in the dialog and click Select.
4. Click Change.

Publish a template

A template has to be published before it can be used as the basis for messages.

NOTE: If you modify and republish a template, existing messages that were built on the prior version will not be affected; only new messages, built on the modified template, will reflect the changes.

1. Select a template and click Publish.
2. Click Yes at the prompt.

NOTE: If the template is not transactional and does not have an unsubscribe link, an error message will remind you to include one.

TIP: View all your published templates in Messages > Preview > Preview Template.

Revert a template

A template can be reverted to its most recent published form. This will "undo" all the changes that have been made since the last time the template was published.

WARNING: This operation cannot be undone.

1. Select a template and click Revert.
2. Click Yes at the prompt.

Delete a template

As time goes on, you may end up with templates you no longer need. If so, it's keep your list of templates free of those that are no longer used.

1. Select a template and click Delete.

NOTE: All Themes and User Zones that have been associated with the template will be deleted.

WARNING: This operation cannot be undone.

2. Click Yes at the prompt.

Template Library

The Template Library page (Messages > Assets > Template Library) lists several dozen pre-designed templates that you can use for your messages.

• Click the + and – icons to expand and collapse the collections, and click Preview to open that template in a new window.
• See a template you like? Check the Add to defaults box and click Go below the list and the template will be available for use with future messages.

Preview published templates

Navigate to Messages > Preview > Preview Template to preview your account's published templates.

Scroll through the list and click Preview to open the template in a new tab.

TIP: You can click-and-drag templates to re-position them in the list.

Template permissions

You can use template permissions to restrict who can use which templates for messages. These permissions can be based on login (user) or per template.

Template permissions are managed in Settings > Permissions > Templates by Login.

• To learn more, see Template Permissions.