Overview

Templates define the layout structure and default block arrays, while themes govern the visual branding elements like colours, logos, headers, footers, and page geometry. Establishing a well-structured template catalogue ensures enterprise design consistency and accelerates production pipelines.

Governance & access roles

Templates and visual themes belong to a global platform repository, they are visible to all users by default and carry no target-group or audience restrictions. Any user granted Newsletter Manager permissions by an App Manager can freely create, modify, or deploy them.

Prerequisites

Before building a template layout, verify the following configuration parameters:

• User permissions: your profile is provisioned with newsletter controls under Manage > Application > Privileges.

• System settings: an approved corporate sender domain has been validated via Manage > Application > Setup > Newsletter.

Step-by-step template creation workflow

Step 1: Initialise the layout workspace

Navigate to the central Newsletter list dashboard. Choose one of three entry paths to launch the editor canvas:

1. Go to Navigation menu > Newsletter.

2. Click on the Create button dropdown, choose Template, and click on it.

Step 2: Design the structural grid

Drag component choices out of the sidebar repository directly onto your canvas to establish where elements will sit:

• General blocks (static content): pre-populate placeholder sections for rich text formatting, local image assets, actionable CTA buttons, public URL embeds, horizontal layout dividers, and vertical whitespace pads. (Using the video block requires the Native Video add-on.)

• Smart blocks (dynamic feeds): set up slots for dynamic content feeds (pages, albums, events), directory people highlights (including milestone categories), featured site channels, peer shout-outs, or active platform forms. (Advanced smart integrations require respective suite licences.)

• Stock layout arrays: accelerate builds by dragging one of seven pre-arranged grid modules (such as side-by-side spotlight panels or alternating columns) directly onto your staging zone.

Step 3: Build and map a brand theme

A theme acts as the visual skin applied across your template framework. To configure a new theme directly within this environment, click Templates & themes > Themes > New theme.

Customise parameters across two functional property tabs:

1. Navigation tab: position company logos or custom header banners (recommended dimension: 800 × 100px minimum), map header colour fills, toggle navigation link visibility, embed corporate social media footers, and append native mobile application download store badges.

2. Settings tab: define primary click colours for CTA buttons, map overall background canvas shades, set absolute page layout widths, and calibrate default structural block padding ranges.

Save your configurations, return to the workspace panel, and link the new theme to your template.

Tip on branding: setting your colour selections to Match app branding forces the engine to dynamically pull the distinct segment colours of individual recipients at the exact millisecond of dispatch.

Save your configurations, return to the workspace panel, and link the new theme to your template.

Tip on Branding: Setting your color selections to Match app branding forces the engine to dynamically pull the distinct segment colors of individual recipients at the exact millisecond of dispatch.

Step 4: Save and deploy the asset

Review the overall architecture layout and click Save on the upper control bar. The finalised layout will instantly appear in the baseline picker interface whenever an author clicks New newsletter, pre-loading all your structured containers and custom colour metrics right away.

The minimal template

If you are preparing executive messages, sensitive internal adjustments, or critical organisational changes, select the built-in Minimal Template from the layout picker.

• This option strips out graphic headers, custom colour footers, background accents, and page borders.

• It mimics a standard direct plaintext email sent from desktop setups like Microsoft Outlook or Google Gmail to establish an intimate, professional tone.

• Note: the Minimal Template baseline framework is locked and cannot be adjusted or customised.

Optimisation constraints to remember

• Corporate fonts: blueprints automatically inherit the branding typography mapped within global platform controls. While this displays flawlessly across native intranets, external viewports (like older desktop email apps) may fall back to default typefaces if the custom web style fails to parse. Manually updating fonts inside the editor is not supported.

• Reusability rules: you do not need to create fresh frameworks for separate updates; blueprints can be modified and reused infinitely across multiple distinct distribution streams.

• File size caps: staging image placeholders support local file uploads up to a maximum size of 5MB. Optimise your assets before uploading for clean email loading speeds.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What's the difference between a template and a theme?

Ans: A template defines the layout structure and default block arrangement of a newsletter, while a theme controls the visual branding applied on top of it, such as colours, logos, headers, and footers.

Q: Can I reuse the same template for multiple newsletter sends?

Ans: Yes. Templates can be modified and reused infinitely across multiple distinct distribution streams, so you don't need to build a new one for each send.

Q: Who can create or edit templates and themes?

Ans: Any user granted Newsletter Manager permissions by an App Manager can freely create, modify, or deploy templates and themes, as they sit in a global repository visible to all users by default.

Q: Can I customise the Minimal Template?

Ans: No. The Minimal Template's baseline framework is locked and cannot be adjusted or customised, which helps preserve its plain, direct tone for sensitive or executive communications.

Q: What happens if I select "Match app branding" for my theme colours?

Ans: This setting dynamically pulls each recipient's individual segment colours at the moment the newsletter is dispatched, rather than applying one fixed colour scheme to everyone.

Q: Is there a limit on image file sizes I can upload?

Ans: Yes. Staging image placeholders support local file uploads up to a maximum of 5MB, so it's best to optimise your assets before uploading.

Q: Will my custom fonts display correctly for all recipients?

Ans: Fonts display flawlessly across native intranets, but external email viewports (such as older desktop email apps) may fall back to default typefaces if the custom web style fails to parse. Manual font updates inside the editor are not supported.