When creating emails, you can customize the content within individual layouts and elements. This allows for flexibility in your design. This article will detail how to use layout and element blocks in emails and provide information on the Block Editor's features.
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Creating Emails from System Templates
Creating marketing emails has never been quicker. Produce beautiful marketing emails in minutes. Launch campaigns on the fly with out-of-the-box, professionally designed templates. To create emails from a designer template, do the following:
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Important: Microsoft no longer supports Outlook 2007. As such, SharpSpring does not guarantee that email templates and emails created in the email designer will render correctly in Microsoft Outlook 2007. In addition, due to how Microsoft Outlook currently renders emails, two-column layout email templates with an image and text will flip the layout of their renders when sent to clients.
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Editing Created Emails
You can edit created emails as necessary. To edit emails, do the following:
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The Content and Layout Panel
The Once placed in the email, the content blocks can be customized as needed by using the available features found in the Content Editor. |
Important: Currently, due to how Microsoft Outlook renders emails, two-column layout email templates with an image and text will flip the layout of their renders when sent to clients.
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Themed Blocks
Layouts in the They can be dragged-and-dropped or reordered in emails. Themed blocks are available only in emails created from designer templates. |
Simple Blocks
Content blocks in the |
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Layout | Description | Image | |||
Pre-Header |
Small, centered text that normally precedes header content. Block contains text. |
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Header |
A block of information that normally contains a company logo, slogans, social links, and other introductory content. Best placed at the top of an email. Block contains an image and text. |
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Hero |
A way to present information in a compact and visually arresting way. Informational text is funneled down into a call-to-action button. Content is placed over a larger image. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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One Column |
A block of text that extends across the width of the entire email. Text is presented in a single, large column. Block contains text. |
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One Column + Image + Button |
A large-sized image that extends across the width of the entire email. A single column of text is placed below the image, and it also extends across the width of the entire email. A call-to-action button is placed below the text block. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Two Column + Image + Button |
Two medium-sized images sit atop blocks of text, which sit atop call-to-action buttons. Images, text, and buttons are separated into two equally sized columns. Block contains images, text, and buttons. |
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One Column Text + Two Column Image |
A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the left side of the email. A large-sized image sits on the right side of the email. The text and button take up one-third of the available email space, and the image takes up the other two-thirds. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Two Column Image + One Column Text |
A large-sized image sits on the left side of the email. A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the right side of the email. The text and button take up one-third of the available email space, and the image takes up the other two-thirds. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Full Width Image |
A single large-sized image that extends across the entire width of the email, including its margins. Block contains an image. |
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Three Column + Image + Button |
Three small-sized images sit atop blocks of text, which sit atop call-to-action buttons. Images, text, and buttons are separated into three equally sized columns. Block contains images, text, and buttons. |
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One Column Image + One Column Text |
A medium-sized image sits on the left side of the email. A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the right side of the email. The text and button take up half of the available email space, and the image takes up the other half. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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One Column Text + One Column Image |
A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the left side of the email. A medium-sized image sits on the right side of the email. The text and button take up half of the available email space, and the image takes up the other half. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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One Column Image + Two Column Text |
A small-sized image sits on the left side of the email. A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the right side of the email. The text and button take up two-thirds of the available email space, and the image takes up the other one-third. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Two Column Text + One Column Image |
A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the left side of the email. A small-sized image sits on the right side of the email. The text and button take up two-thirds of the available email space, and the image takes up the other one-third. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Full Width Image + Padding |
A single large-sized image that extends across the entire width of the email, stopping at its margins. Block contains an image. |
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One Column + Small Image + Button |
A small-sized image sits atop a single-column block of text, which sits atop a call-to-action button. Text is presented in a single, large column. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Two Column + Button |
Two blocks of text sit atop call-to-action buttons. Text and buttons are separated into two equally sized columns. Block contains images, text, and buttons. |
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Three Column + Button |
Three blocks of text sit atop call-to-action buttons. Text and buttons are separated into three equally sized columns. Block contains images, text, and buttons. |
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Two Column Feature List |
Two blocks of text sit atop call-to-action buttons. Text is presented as numbered lists. Text and buttons are separated into two equally sized columns. Block contains images, text, and buttons. |
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Two Column + Full Image Left |
A large-sized image sits on the left side of the email, extending into its top, bottom, and left margins. A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the right side of the email. The text and button take up half of the available email space, and the image takes up the other half. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Two Column + Full Image Right |
A block of text sits atop a call-to-action button on the left side of the email. A large-sized image sits on the right side of the email, extending into its top, bottom, and right margins. The text and button take up half of the available email space, and the image takes up the other half. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Two Column + One Column Button |
A block of text sits on the left side of the email. A call-to-action button sits on the right side of the email. The text takes up two-thirds of the available email space, and the button takes up the other one-third. Block contains an image, text, and a button. |
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Footer Links |
A collection of phone, email, and social media links. Contains space for a logo. Information is presented in three columns. Best placed at the bottom of an email. Block contains images and text. |
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Footer Social |
A compact collection of social media links, phone numbers, and addresses. Information is presented in one column. Best placed at the bottom of an email. Block contains images and text. |
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Text Area |
A block of text that extends across the width of the entire email. Text is presented in a single, large column. Block contains text. |
Element Blocks
Items in the |
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Element | Description | Image | |||
Image |
A single large-sized image that extends across the entire width of the email, stopping at its margins. Dimensions can be edited independent of one another. |
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Fixed-Size Image |
An image with editable dimensions. When the height or width is edited, the other will be automatically resized to have the same dimensions. |
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Text |
A block of text that extends across the width of the entire email. Text is presented in a single, large column. |
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Button |
An editable call-to-action button. |
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Spacer |
An editable block of empty space. |
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Divider |
An editable horizontal rule. |
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Social Follow |
An editable collection of social media service icons and other information. |
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Adding Layout Blocks
The email designer allows you to drag, drop, and reorder layout blocks into your email to further customize it. To add layout blocks, do the following: |
Using Elements with Layout Blocks
You can add elements to layout blocks. Elements are individual portions of layouts that you can add to preexisting layouts to enhance their design or compensate for something missing from your intended design. To add elements to layout blocks, do the following: |
Refer to the following help articles for more information on using different element blocks:
Reordering Layout and Element Blocks
After inserting a layout or element, you may want to reorder them and modify their placement in an email. To reorder layout blocks or elements, do the following:
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Clicking and dragging the Drag to Reorder option allows you to place the layout or element block anywhere in the email—provided there is a purple line. The purple lines serve as anchor points and keep layouts and elements in fixed locations within the email.
Editing Layout Blocks
Layouts do not need to be, in a thematic or design sense, the same throughout your email. You can edit individual layout blocks to meet your needs. To edit layout block formatting, do the following:
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Layout Editor Settings
The available Layout Editor settings are as follows:
Available Settings | Description | |||
Background Image |
Adds an image behind element content. The image can either come from image files uploaded to the File Manager or be entered as URLs from online image hosting websites. |
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Background Color | Fills the area with a solid color behind element content. | |||
Border Color | Sets the color of the border that surrounds a layout block. | |||
Border Size | Sets the size of the border that surrounds a layout block. | |||
Padding |
Sets the overall space between the content in a layout block and its surroundings in the email. |
Duplicating Layout and Element Blocks
If you like the overall look and feel of a customized layout block and would like to use it elsewhere in the email, you can copy the block. Doing so will create an identical duplicate of the original layout block. To duplicate a layout block or element, do the following:
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Making Layout and Element Blocks Dynamic
If you have dynamic content enabled in the email, you can set individual layout blocks to change what content they display. Layout blocks can display different content, depending on which dynamic rules or personas are set to the block. To make a layout block dynamic, do the following:
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Note: Only a single dynamic rule or persona set can be active at a time for a layout block or element.
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Note: Click
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Deleting Layout and Element Blocks
There may come a time when you no longer need to use a particular layout block in your email. To remove a layout block, do the following:
Be aware that deleting a layout block will remove all content within the layout from the email. |