# How to design email templates

> Create a reusable email design in the visual or rich text editor, add merge tags, preview and test it, and use it in campaigns, sequences, and automations.

Product: Kelune CRM Cloud (hosted by us). Page: https://kelunecrm.com/docs/cloud/email-campaigns/email-templates

An email template is a saved design you can start any email from, such as your newsletter layout or a welcome note. Build it once, then apply it in a campaign, a sequence email, or an automation email instead of starting from a blank page.

> **Note:**
>
> You need the permission to create and edit email templates. The Owner, Admin, Manager, and Agent roles have it by default; only Owner, Admin, and Manager can delete templates. Each plan limits the number of templates; see [How to check plans, usage, and billing](https://kelunecrm.com/docs/cloud/getting-started/plans-and-usage).

## Create a template

1. Click **Email templates** in the sidebar.
2. Click **Create template**.
3. Enter a **Template name** and, if you like, a **Description**.
4. To show a preview image in lists, click **Upload thumbnail** and choose an image from your media library.
5. Click **Create**.

![The Create template window with the Template name, Description and Thumbnail fields](https://kelunecrm.com/images/docs/cloud/email-campaigns/email-templates/create-template.webp)

The template opens in the editor, starting in the visual editor.

## Build the design

The menu above the email switches between two editors:

| Editor | Best for |
| --- | --- |
| **Visual editor** | Designed emails with columns, images, buttons, and colors. Drag blocks onto the email and set their style |
| **Rich text editor** | Plain, letter-style emails. Your text goes into the default email layout, with its footer |

In the visual editor:

1. On the **Content** tab, drag a block such as **Heading**, **Paragraph**, **Image**, or **Button** onto the email.
2. Click a block on the email to change its text and style in the left panel.
3. To add a row with a column layout, open the **Blocks** tab and drag a layout onto the email.
4. On the **Body** tab, set the **Background color**, **Content width**, and **Font family** for the whole email.
5. Click **Save**.

![The template editor with the Content tab blocks on the left and the email on the right](https://kelunecrm.com/images/docs/cloud/email-campaigns/email-templates/visual-editor.webp)

| Block | What it adds |
| --- | --- |
| **Columns** | A row split into columns, each holding its own blocks |
| **Heading**, **Paragraph** | Text |
| **Image** | An image from your media library or a URL, with **Alternate text** |
| **Button** | A link styled as a button |
| **Divider** | A horizontal line |
| **Social** | Icons that link to your social profiles |
| **Menu** | A row of text links |
| **HTML** | Your own HTML code |

> **Caution:**
>
> Switching from the visual editor to the rich text editor keeps your text, headings, and button links, but removes the layout, images, and colors. You can switch back and get the design back only before you leave the page.

## Add merge tags

Merge tags fill in each contact's own details when the email is sent.

1. Click where the value should go.
2. Click **Merge tags** and choose one, such as **First name**.

The tag appears as `{{first_name}}`. Contact fields, your business name and address, and your [custom fields](https://kelunecrm.com/docs/cloud/contacts/custom-fields) (as `{{custom.your_field}}`) are all in the menu.

To show a fallback when a contact has no value, add it after a bar: `{{first_name|there}}` shows "there" for contacts without a first name.

## Set the footer

Every email ends with the workspace footer, which holds your business address and the unsubscribe link. You set it once in [Global email settings](https://kelunecrm.com/docs/cloud/email-campaigns/global-email-settings).

In the visual editor, the **Footer** tab controls it for this design:

| Option | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Show footer** | Turn it off to leave the footer out of this design |
| **Source**: **Global** | Uses the workspace footer from Settings. It is added when the email is sent |
| **Source**: **Custom** | Uses the footer you write here instead |

> **Caution:**
>
> A custom footer, or a design with **Show footer** off, must still give people a way to unsubscribe. Add `{{unsubscribe_url}}` as a link in your own footer.

## Preview and send a test

1. Click **Preview** to see the email at **Desktop**, **Tablet**, and **Mobile** widths.
2. Click **Send test** at the top of the page.
3. Enter an email address and click **Send test**.

The test goes out through your default email provider, with "[TEST]" before the template name as the subject. It is not sent to a contact, so contact merge tags such as `{{first_name}}` come out empty, or show their fallback.

## Use a template

In the content step of a campaign, a sequence email, or an automation email:

1. Click **Templates** above the email.
2. Choose a template on the **Custom** tab, or a ready-made design on the **Built-in** tab.
3. Click **Use**.

![The Select email template window with the Custom and Built-in tabs](https://kelunecrm.com/images/docs/cloud/email-campaigns/email-templates/select-template.webp)

The design is copied into the email. Later changes to the template do not change emails that already use it, and editing the email does not change the template.

## Manage templates

On **Email templates**, each row has these actions:

| Action | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Star | Marks the template as a favorite. Filter by **Favorite** to find favorites quickly |
| **Preview** | Shows the design without opening the editor |
| **Edit template** | Opens the editor |
| **Duplicate** (under **More actions**) | Makes a copy named with "(Copy)" at the end |
| **Delete** (under **More actions**) | Deletes the template. Emails that used it keep their copy |

![The Email templates page with each template, its editor type and its actions](https://kelunecrm.com/images/docs/cloud/email-campaigns/email-templates/email-templates.webp)

## Where to go next

- [How to use the media library](https://kelunecrm.com/docs/cloud/email-campaigns/media-library)
- [How to send your first campaign](https://kelunecrm.com/docs/cloud/getting-started/first-campaign)
- [How to set global email settings](https://kelunecrm.com/docs/cloud/email-campaigns/global-email-settings)