Marketing Email Templates

Create reusable, professional email templates using the visual MJML editor. Templates can be used in marketing campaigns or when sending emails to partners.

Overview

Email templates are responsive, reusable email designs built with a drag-and-drop block system. Once created, templates can be:

• Used in marketing campaigns for bulk scheduled sends

• Selected when composing individual partner emails

• Shared with partners for preview in their portal

• Duplicated and customised for different purposes

Prerequisites

• The Marketing Module must be enabled for your account.

• You must have an Admin or Partnership Manager role to create templates.

Accessing Templates

1. Click Campaigns in the left sidebar navigation.

2. Click the Templates tab.

3. Click New Template to create a new template.

Creating a Template

Step 1: Create and Name Your Template

1. Click New Template on the Templates page.

2. A new template named "Untitled Template" is created.

3. Click on the template name in the editor to rename it. Use a descriptive name like "Q1 Partner Newsletter" or "Product Launch Announcement".

Step 2: Set Email Details

Configure the following in the top toolbar:

Step 3: Build Your Email with Blocks

The visual editor uses a block-based system. Each block type serves a specific purpose:

Adding Blocks

• Click the + button in the left sidebar

• Click the + button that appears between existing blocks

• Select the block type from the menu

Configuring Blocks

1. Click any block in the canvas to select it

2. The settings panel on the right shows available options:

   • Content tab: Text, images, links, button text

   • Style tab: Colors, padding, borders, alignment

3. Each block type has unique settings relevant to its function

Working with Text Blocks

Text blocks support:

• Rich formatting: Bold, italic, headings, lists

• Variables: Insert dynamic content like {{contact_first_name}}

• Links: Highlight text and add URLs

• Alignment: Left, center, right, justify

Available variables:

• {{contact_first_name}} - Contact's first name

• {{contact_last_name}} - Contact's last name

• {{contact_email}} - Contact's email address

• {{company_name}} - Your company name

• {{partner_company_name}} - Partner's company name

• {{partner_category}} - Partner's category

• {{partner_tier}} - Partner's tier

• {{physical_address}} - Your physical mailing address

• {{unsubscribe_url}} - Unsubscribe link (auto-included in footer)

Variable Behavior:

• Variables work in both email body and subject line

• If data is missing (e.g., contact has no first name), the variable is replaced with an empty string

• Variables are case-sensitive: {{contact_first_name}} works, {{Contact_First_Name}} does not

• Test variables before sending by using the template in a test campaign send

Example with missing data:

Template: Hi {{contact_first_name}}, welcome to our program!

If contact has no first name, email shows: Hi , welcome to our program!

Best practice: Use fallback wording like:

• Hi {{contact_first_name}} → becomes "Hi " (awkward)

• Hi there, {{contact_first_name}} → becomes "Hi there, " (better)

• Or: Hello{{contact_first_name}} there → "Hello there" or "Hello Sarah there"

Reordering and Deleting Blocks

• Reorder: Drag blocks up or down in the left sidebar

• Delete: Select a block and click the trash icon, or use the block menu

Step 4: Customize Canvas Settings

Click the Settings icon (gear) in the toolbar to configure overall email appearance:

Step 5: Preview Your Email

1. Click the Preview button in the toolbar

2. Toggle between Desktop and Mobile views

3. The preview shows the actual rendered HTML output

4. Variables are displayed with placeholder text in preview mode

Tip: Always preview on both desktop and mobile before publishing. Most email clients render differently, and the preview helps catch layout issues.

Step 6: Publish Your Template

Templates must be published before they can be used:

1. Toggle the Live switch in the top toolbar to ON

2. The template is now available in:

   • Campaign email template dropdowns

   • Partner email compose template selector

   • Partner portal (if partner visibility is enabled)

Important: Unpublishing a template does not affect emails already sent with that template. It only prevents the template from being selected for new sends.

Managing Templates

Duplicating Templates

1. Go to the Templates page

2. Find the template you want to duplicate

3. Click the ⋯ menu button

4. Select Duplicate

5. A copy is created with "(Copy)" appended to the name

Use case: Start with a proven template and customise it for a new campaign.

Archiving Templates

1. Open the template in the editor

2. Click the ⋯ menu in the toolbar

3. Select Archive

Archived templates:

• Are hidden from the default template list

• Can be shown using the Show Archived filter on the Templates page

• Cannot be selected for new email sends

• Do not affect previously sent emails

Tip: Archive old templates instead of deleting them to preserve your email history.

Editing Published Templates

You can edit a published template at any time. Changes do not affect emails that were already sent using the old version. Only new sends will use the updated template.

Partner Visibility

Making Templates Visible to Partners

Templates can be marked as "Partner Visible" to allow partners to preview them in their portal:

1. Open a campaign

2. Go to the Templates module

3. Find the template in the list

4. Toggle Partner Visible to ON

What partners see:

• Template name and subject line

• Full rendered preview of the email

• Send date and status (if used in a campaign email send)

What partners cannot do:

• Edit templates

• Send emails using templates

• See templates marked as not partner-visible

Use Cases for Partner Visibility

• Co-marketing campaigns: Show partners what email you'll send on their behalf

• Template library: Let partners browse and request specific templates

• Brand alignment: Give partners visibility into your marketing messaging

Troubleshooting

I cannot see the Templates tab

Problem: The Templates tab is not visible on the Campaigns page.

Solution: The Marketing Module must be enabled for your account. Contact your account administrator or Journeybee support.

My template preview looks broken

Problem: The email preview shows layout issues or broken formatting.

Solution:

1. Check that all image URLs are valid and accessible

2. Verify that custom HTML blocks contain valid HTML

3. Try simplifying the layout (remove complex nesting)

4. Preview on both desktop and mobile to isolate the issue

Variables are showing as plain text in sent emails

Problem: Recipients see {{contact_first_name}} instead of their actual name.

Solution: This usually means the contact record is missing that data field. Check that your partner contacts have the required information filled in.

I cannot publish my template

Problem: The Live toggle is not working or shows an error.

Solution:

1. Ensure you have saved recent changes (auto-save should handle this)

2. Verify that the template has at least one block

3. Check that required fields (template name, subject) are filled in

4. Try refreshing the page and toggling Live again

My template disappeared from campaign dropdowns

Problem: A template is not showing up when selecting templates in the Email module.

Solution: Make sure the template's Live toggle is ON. Only published templates appear in campaign email dropdowns.

Best Practices

1. Use descriptive names: Name templates clearly so you can find them later (e.g., "Q1-2024-Partner-Newsletter" instead of "Template 1")

2. Start with a footer block: Always include a footer block with unsubscribe link. This is required for compliance and automatically handled by the footer block.

3. Test with real data: Preview templates with actual partner data to see how variables resolve. Use the "Send Test" feature in campaigns to send yourself a real email.

4. Keep it simple: Avoid overly complex layouts. Simpler emails render more consistently across email clients.

5. Mobile-first design: Most emails are opened on mobile. Design for small screens first, then enhance for desktop.

6. Use columns sparingly: Columns stack on mobile. Make sure your content makes sense when vertical.

7. Optimize images: Large images slow down load times. Keep images under 1MB and use appropriate dimensions.

8. Brand consistency: Set canvas-level font and colours to match your brand. This ensures consistency across all blocks.

9. Call-to-action focus: Every marketing email should have a clear primary action. Use button blocks to make it prominent.

Related Articles

• Marketing Campaigns - Use templates in scheduled bulk email campaigns

• Sending Emails to Partners - Send one-off emails to individual partners

Need Help?

Contact Journeybee support through the in-app chat or email support@journeybee.io.