Newsletter templates are created under the Templates folder with a click on +New / eMailing template.
A newsletter template is the basis of every emailing and can be filled with static content - like the editorial or the imprint - in advance. With a newsletter template you define the presentation of an e-mailing. When you create an emailing, a copy of this template is created, which you can work with. The actual template remains untouched when the emailing is changed.
An e-mailing template is created in the Templates folder by clicking + New / e-mailing template.
Design
Under the navigation tab Design, you can define how the e-mailing is displayed. You can use the HTML editor or other HTML editors such as Dreamweaver for this.
The following display types are possible:
E-mail (HTML): The e-mailing is displayed in HTML format in the e-mail client.
E-mail (Text): For e-mail clients that display plain text instead of HTML.
Web/Mobile: The e-mail is displayed in a display optimized for smartphones. The source code is based on HTML.
Landingpage: The display of the extended content of an article on the landing page. The source code is based on HTML.
PDF: The e-mail is displayed in a print-optimized form as PDF.
Important!
At first glance, a separation of the HTML code between e-mail and the web presentations does not seem necessary. However, when creating templates, you should always make sure that the HTML code of the e-mailing in the different e-mail clients is not identical to that in a browser. Therefore, the system does not allow the two types of HTML code to be mixed. This also applies to the article template.
The internal HTML editor is available in the respective tabs for editing the output formats. Enabling "Can be changed in e-mail" allows you to modify the output format while still in the e-mail. Alternatively, an alternative template can be set for each display type, whose code is then used to display the e-mailing.
Warning!
Even if you allow editing in the eMailing, configuring slots is only possible in the newsletter template. You can, however, influence the positioning of slots in the eMailing via the source code.
Static text version (eMail Text tab): This function supports you in generating the text version of the mailing. Two different generation variants are available.
Configuration
Under the navigation tab Configuration you define the basic settings of the e-mailing. See also Create and configure eMailing.
You can edit the following areas:
Information
- Name: Here you enter a name for the template.
eMailing New Creation
- Preview image: Select the image to be shown when a new mailing is created.
- Show template: Displays the template that is displayed when a new direct mailing is to be created.
- Allow file attachments: Allows file attachements in eMailings.
Sender
- Sender name: Sender of the e-mailing, displayed in the mail client.
- Sender address: eMail address of the sender.
- Reply to: Name of the recipient for reply.
- Reply address: E-mail address of the recipient in case of reply.
Individualized salutation
- Individualized salutation: Here you can enter your own text to fill the placeholder or the replacement variable {$INDIVIDUAL_SALUTATION}. Depending on the form of address (Ms, Mr, Company, ...), the text for the individual form of address will be included in the mailing.
Domain
- Transmission domain: This domain is used for all internal links (link to the landing page of an article) and links from internal images. See also the topic Set up transmission domain.
Confirmation URLs
- Unsubscription / Revocation: Link to a confirmation page after the unsubscription link has been clicked.
- Registration / confirmation: Link to the confirmation page which is displayed after double opt-in registration. This link is required if the mailing is used as a registration confirmation mailing.
- Revocation Tracking: Link to a confirmation page that follows the revocation of the tracking consent. This link is only relevant if the mailing contains the link to revoke tracking consent.
Recipient filter for mailing
- Use blacklist: Check the group and client-wide blacklist. Profiles that are on the blacklist are not loaded.
- Use Robinson list (ECG list): Check the Robinson list resp. ECG list (currently only in Austria). Profiles on the Robinson list resp. ECG list are not loaded.
- Use duplicate check: Different profiles with the same e-mail address will not be sent more than once. Only one mail will be sent to the first profile with a certain eMail address.
Automatic copy
- Recipient address: Sends a copy of the mailing to the registered address.
Display
- eMailing format: Format in which the mailing is to be sent.
- Test mailing prefix: This text is placed in front of the subject line of all test mailings to identify a test mailing.
- Container Type: In addition to the standard contents, a container type can be selected in the configuration of the e-mailing template. The field configuration of the container type creates the navigation tab in eMailing: Contents/Settings. There you can fill in the contents.
Individualization & test transmission
- Target group: Here you can specify a target group for an individualized preview or test mailing.
Date
- Release date: The release date is displayed as a unique date in the calendar.
Deadline: The deadline is displayed as a unique date in the calendar.
External Tracking
- External Tracking: Possibility to specify the tracking code of an external tracking tool. This code is integrated into all URLs of the e-mailing.
- Campaign ID: The content of this field can be used by using the replacement variable {$CAMPAIGNID}.
External Content
- External content: Possibility to process external content in the e-mail. For example, an RSS feed could be added to the mailing. For details see Programming in Templates.
Article Templates
This view corresponds to the advanced editor in the tab Contents of the mailing. Here you can assign a name to the slots used and set the default article templates. In an e-mailing, only slots that have been previously configured in the e-mailing template used can be filled.
- Number of the slot: A newsletter can contain up to 100 slots.
- Name of the slot: Here you can edit the name of the slot.
- Default: Here you can define which article templates are taken as default.
- Minus: You can delete the slot by clicking on Minus.
- Plus: With a click on Plus you can add a slot.
If it is necessary to use different article types in a slot, you can define a separate set of article templates for each article type and slot. If unknown article types are used or if certain article templates are not set for an article type, the article templates are taken from the standard configuration.
Standard content
Under the Standard Content tab, insert the demo articles for the used slots and standard content for the used input fields such as HMTL Area and Text Areas. In this way, the mailings that were created on the basis of this template are displayed with dummy content.
- Change the order of the articles in the slot.
- Name of the slot.
- Name of the inserted article.
- Row group for the article.
- Display article with default templates.
- Select alternative article templates.
- Free input fields without fixed specifications.
Free input fields
An input field is a single-line text field without formatting. It offers many possibilities, such as displaying a preheader text, playing out containers and storing URLs.
A textarea offers the same possibilities as an Imputfield only that a multiline input possibility exists.
The HTML area is suitable for adding HTML attributes to texts or editing texts within an HTML editor.
Release process
Under the tab Release you can set whether the share management should be activated or not for e-mailings created with this template.
- Activate the release process.
- Determine user for release.
- Select role for the release.
All users who have the authorization and role for releasing the mailing in this client or global users in all clients of the group are available as users.
If the release process is activated, select the users or the users of specific roles that can release an e-mail before it is sent.
Important!
At local level, only local users or roles can be selected, at global level only global users or roles.
Rollout
Under the tab Rollout (only possible from global level), you can activate the rollout and store a configuration in which clients and with which objects the direct mailing should be rolled out. A rollout allows you to simply copy an e-mailing based on this template into several clients. Articles or articles and article pictures can also be copied.
- Allow Rollout: Activates the rollout for this e-mail template.
- Objects: Here you can select whether only the mailing or also the articles and pictures should be copied.
- Rolout targets: This defines the client and folder name to which the direct mailing is to be copied.
- Add client: Use Plus to add a client.
- Delete client: Use Minus to delete a client.
Important!
A rollout is only possible in templates and e-mailings which are in the global level.
Update
Changes to the template do not directly affect e-mailings that have already been created. You must first assign changes to an e-mail to make them effective for that e-mail. The following settings are transferred from the template to the e-mailing:
- Contents of the design tabs
- Test mailing prefix
- Permission to change the design tabs in the actual mailing object
- Mailing domain
- BCC recipient
- Acceptance user
- ContentContainer type
- Slot definitions
This protective measure prevents accidental or incorrect changes to e-mailings that may be sent at this time. In the upper area, you can see the e-mailings that have already been created using this template and are therefore the most likely targets of a comparison. Below this, you can also display all other e-mailings in the client, but not based on this template. Select the corresponding e-mailings with the checkbox in front of the object name and click on Save and assign at the end of the page.
- Select mailings that you want to update.
- Click on Save and assign.
Checks
In the preview you can directly view all output formats and check the newsletter for its appearance.
The CSS check checks the used CSS classes and style statements for their acceptance in common e-mail clients. It is a traffic light system that gives a rough indication of which of the functions used in the code cause problems in certain clients. An interpretation of the results must always be made with regard to the intended use of the emailing.
The W3C's HTML validation helps you to detect problems with the generated HTML code in general. Please note that the varying quality of email clients used may make it necessary to use unconventional HTML techniques. Therefore, not every error displayed may really pose a problem or risk for sending the actual emailing.
A detailed description of this topic can be found in the article, eMailing testing & sending.
Under the tab Check you will find the same test options as in an e-mail.
The following tests are available; for a description, see eMailing testing & sending.