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.

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.

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

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Access your templates

To access and manage your templates:

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

TIP: 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.

The Manage Templates page displays your organization's (message) templates by name, numerically and alphabetically.

NOTE: All template names that start with a number will be listed before those names that start with a letter. For example, 2019 Renewal and 2020 Welcome would appear earlier in the list than Renewal 2019 and Welcome 2020. Keep this in mind when creating/naming your templates.

Noteworthy columns

A few of the more important columns are described below.

• The Themes column indicates whether the template's theme is locked or unlocked. If the theme is unlocked, its customizations (font, size, and background color) can be overridden in messages based on that template. (Lock a theme to prevent changes to these properties at the message level.)
  • Select a template and click Edit to manage the theme properties in the editor.
• The Messages column indicates how many messages are using the template.
• The Status column indicates whether the template is Working or Live.
  • When a template is created, it's in a Working (in-progress) state and it is not available for use.
  • When a template has been published, it's status updates to Live and it is available for use.

NOTE: Editing a template automatically sets it to Working so that you can make changes. In addition to saving the changes, you have to republish the template for it to be available for use.

• The Transactional column indicates whether the template is used for transactional messages. Transactional messages, due to their content (e.g., 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 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/or
• make it a Transactional template.

3. Click Create.
4. On the Message Editor page:

1. Set the pixel width of your message canvas (where you add the message content).
2. Use the Zones and Design tabs to build the layout of the template.
3. Click the gear icon and then Save Changes to save your template.

Message Editor notes

• Pixel width - If you plan to use a banner image, specify a width that will accommodate the banner.
• Zones and Design tabs - 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.
• Save Changes - The editor automatically saves every action as you create/edit a template, but it's a good idea to occasionally manually save your work.

What's next?

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

• manage (edit, copy, publish, etc.) it and your other templates (described below in Template management actions);
• manage the template's properties and ownership (described below in Template management actions); and
• manage the template's permissions to "protect" it and your other templates from being changed by unauthorized users.

Published template availability

When you publish a new or edited template, it then becomes immediately available:

• on the Preview > Preview Template (i.e., "Normal Templates") page and
• under Your Templates on the template-selection page (when creating a message).

NOTE: Templates are subject to Enterprise rules. Only the templates that you are authorized to use will display.

To learn about Enterprise Assets and how to manage them, see the Enterprise Assets section of the knowledge base.

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; "M" and "m" yield the same results.

Template management actions

When you select a template, the management actions above the list become available.

Edit a template

1. Select a template and click Edit.

This launches Message Editor where you can modify the template theme and layout.

Copy a template

You can copy a template to avoid having to manually create a similar version of it. The copy automatically inherits all of the original template's properties.

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

Template properties

You can rename a template and change its transactional status.

1. Select a template and click Properties.
2. Change the template name and/or change 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 action cannot be undone.

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

Delete a template

It's a good idea to occasionally do some "housekeeping" on your templates. You should delete any templates that you no longer use.

WARNING: This action cannot be undone.

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

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

More on templates

See Templates in Your Account to learn more about the templates in your account. For example:

The Template Library page (Messages > Assets > Template Library) houses pre-designed templates that you can use for your messages. The page is accessible to all Admins.

• To learn more, see Template Library in Templates in Your Account.

Your published templates are housed on the Messages > Preview > Preview Template page.

• To learn more, see Your published templates in Templates in Your Account.

You can use template permissions to manage — by login or by template — which Admins can use which templates for messages. Permissions are set in Settings > Permissions > Templates by Login.

• To learn more, see Template Permissions.