Save and Use an Email Template

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When you design a regular email that you’d like to reuse, you can save it as a template. Save as many templates as you’d like for your future marketing needs.

In this article, you'll learn how to save and use an email template, and how to organize them using folders.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

• By default, you’ll design your email in the new builder unless you’ve used the legacy builder previously. If you’d prefer to use the legacy builder, check out Switch Your Default Email Builder.
• When you save an email design as a template from the new builder, it can only be used in the new builder. One-column emails designed in the legacy builder can also be used in the new builder.
• If you'd like to create a template from scratch, check out our guide on how to Create a Template.

Save your email as a template in the new builder

To save a draft email design as a template in the new builder, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns.
2. If you have more than one audience, click the Audience drop-down and choose the one you want to work with.
3. Click the draft email you want to work with. To create a template from a sent email, replicate it and continue.
4. In the Content section of the email builder, click Edit Design or Resolve.
5. Click the Save and exit drop-down, then click Save as a template.
6. In the pop-up modal, enter a name for your new template and click Save.
7. Click Return to Campaign to continue working.

Great job! Your new template will appear on the Email templates page. You can also access it under Saved Templates when you create a new email.

Save your email as a template in the legacy builder

To save a draft email design as a template in the legacy builder, follow these steps.

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1. Click Campaigns.
2. If you have more than one audience, click the Audience drop-down and choose the one you want to work with.
3. Click the draft email you want to work with. To create a template from a sent email, replicate it and continue.
4. In the Content section of the email builder, click Edit Design or Resolve.
5. Click the Template drop-down and choose Save this design as a template.
6. In the pop-up modal, enter a name for your template and click Save.
7. Click Return To Campaign to continue working.

Your new template will appear on the Email templates page. You can also access it under Saved templates when you create a new email.

Create a new email with your template

After you save your template, you can use it to create a new email.

From the email builder

To use a saved template when creating a new email with the new or legacy builder, follow these steps.

1. In the Content section of the email builder, click Design Email.
2. On the Select a template page, click the Saved templates tab.
3. If you’re using the new builder, hover over the template you want and click Apply. If you’re using the legacy builder, click the template you want to use.

From the Email templates page

You can also choose a saved template from the Email templates page. Depending on which builder the email was originally designed in, you’ll create the email in the new builder or legacy builder.

To choose a saved template from the Email templates page, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click Email templates.
2. Click the Saved tab.
3. Hover over a template and click the magnifying glass icon to preview the template.
4. Once you find the template you want to use, click Create email. This will take you to the email builder with your chosen template.
5. In the Content section of the email checklist, click Edit Design or Resolve to make any necessary changes.

That's it! Now you can use your saved template to speed up your process and reach your audience.

Templates for transactional email

If you have the Mailchimp Transactional add-on, you can use one of our transactional templates or convert a draft marketing template to a transactional email. When your draft is ready, publish it to use in the Mailchimp Transactional platform.

Note: When converting to a transactional template, a transactional-only copy is created and your original marketing template will remain the same. The conversion is permanent. You cannot use the template for marketing campaigns after you convert it.

Use ‌Transactional Template

To use a transactional template, follow these steps.

1. Click Content, then click Email templates.
2. Click the Transactional tab.
3. Click Create template.
4. Select a starting point for your design.
5. Design your email using the content blocks.
6. Click Save and exit.

Publish a Transactional Template

You must publish a template before the API can send it.

1. Navigate to the Transactional tab.
2. Find the template you want to use.
3. Click the arrow to open the drop-down menu.
4. Select Publish.
5. Click Publish again in the confirmation modal.
6. Look for the Published badge next to your template.

Convert a Saved Template to Transactional

You can move a standard marketing template to the Transactional section.

1. Click the Saved tab in Email templates.
2. Find the template you want to move.
3. Click the arrow to open the drop-down menu.
4. Select Convert to Transactional.
5. The template now appears in the Transactional tab.
6. You must publish the template to use it.

For more help with transactional templates, check out Create an Email Template.

Nice! Your template will now be ready to use in the Mailchimp Transactional platform.

Edit your template

To edit your template, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click Templates.
2. Click the Saved tab.
3. Hover over a template and click the more options drop-down, then click Edit template. If your template was built with the legacy builder, you’ll see a pop-up modal explaining that template edits won’t be applied to draft or scheduled emails. Click I Understand, Continue to proceed.
4. Edit your template.
5. Optional: To rename your template in the new builder, click the pencil icon, rename your template, then click Save. To rename your template in the legacy builder, click Rename, to rename your template, then click Rename.
6. When you’re ready, click Save and Exit.

Preview your template

To preview your template, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click Email templates.
2. Click the Saved tab.
3. Hover over a template and click the magnifying glass icon to preview the template.
4. Click the Desktop or Mobile icons to see how your finished email design will look on these devices.
5. Click Close to close the preview mode.

Organize templates with folders

Use folders to organize your templates. Whether you've already used a template or you’re working on a draft, you can move it in and out of the folders you've created.

Create a template folder

To create a template folder, follow these steps.

1. On the Email templates page, click the Folder drop-down, then click Create Folder.
2. Enter a name for your folder, then click Save.

Move templates into a folder

To move your templates into a folder, follow these steps.

1. On the Email templates page, check the box on the template you want to move into a single folder. Select more than one template to move them to the same folder.
2. Click the Move To drop-down, then click the folder name for your templates.

Edit a folder name

To edit your folder name, follow these steps.

1. On the Email templates page, click the Folder drop-down.
2. Click the pencil icon next to the folder you want to edit.
3. Make your edits to the folder name, then click Save.

Delete a folder

To delete a folder, follow these steps.

1. On the Email templates page, click the Folder drop-down.
2. Click the trash icon to delete the folder.
3. In the Delete folder pop up, read the warning message, then click Delete.

Test your template

Contact-specific merge tags and dynamic content won't be activated in test emails. To test merge tags, we recommend that you first create an email from your template and preview the email with the Enable live merge tag info slider toggled on. You can also send a live email to a small test segment of your audience.

Test your template in the new builder

To send a test email with your template in the new builder, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click Email templates.
2. Click the Saved tab.
3. Hover over a template and click the more options drop-down, then click Edit template.
4. Click Send test.
5. Enter at least one email address in the Send a test to field.
6. Click Send Test.

Test your template in the legacy builder

To send a test email with your template in the legacy builder, follow these steps.

1. Click Campaigns, then click Email templates.
2. Click the Saved tab.
3. Hover over a template and click the more options drop-down, then click Edit template.
4. Click the Preview and Test drop-down, then click Send a test email.
5. Enter at least one email address in the Send a test to field. Optional: Click Also send to the following account users and checkmark additional users to send them a test email.
6. Click Send Test.

Next steps

After you’ve created your template, you can quickly share your template with other Mailchimp account holders without having to export or import the template's HTML code.

You may wish to replicate a template to create a new template with the same layout and content. This way, you can test new designs and keep the original copy.

You have the option to export your template HTML. Use the export file to edit the HTML code of the template, or upload the template to a different Mailchimp account.

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