Email Templates

Design professional emails using our visual Email Builder or import your own HTML.

Template Overview

Email templates are reusable designs that you can use across multiple campaigns. waveMail provides two approaches:

  • Template Gallery — pre-designed, professionally crafted templates you can customise (see Template Gallery)
  • Email Builder — our drag-and-drop visual editor for building templates from scratch

Email Builder

The waveMail Email Builder is a powerful visual editor that lets you create responsive email templates without writing code.

[Screenshot: Email Builder full interface]

Getting Started

  1. Go to Templates → Create New Template
  2. Enter a template name
  3. Choose Email Builder as the editor
  4. Select a starting layout (1-column, 2-column, or blank)
  5. The builder opens with a block palette on the left and your email canvas in the centre

How It Works

  1. Drag blocks from the left panel onto your email canvas
  2. Click any block to select it and edit its content in the right panel
  3. Rearrange blocks by dragging them up or down
  4. Delete blocks by selecting them and pressing Delete or using the trash icon
  5. Save regularly using the Save button

Block Types

The Email Builder includes these content blocks:

Block Description
Text Rich text content with formatting options (bold, italic, links, alignment)
Image Upload or link to images. Supports alt text, linking, and responsive sizing.
Button Call-to-action buttons with customisable text, colours, border radius, and link URL.
Divider Horizontal line separator with adjustable style, colour, and thickness.
Spacer Empty space block with adjustable height for layout control.
Social Links Social media icon row (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.) with customisable URLs.
Video Video thumbnail with play button. Links to YouTube or Vimeo. Automatically generates thumbnail from video URL.
HTML Raw HTML block for advanced users who need custom code.

Block Settings

Every block has configurable settings in the right panel:

  • Padding — space inside the block (top, right, bottom, left)
  • Margin — space outside the block
  • Border — border colour, width, and corner radius
  • Background colour — individual block background
  • Font settings — font family (21 web-safe fonts available), size, colour, line height

Merge Tags

Merge tags let you personalise each email with subscriber-specific data. They are replaced with actual values when the email is sent.

Tag Description
[FNAME] Subscriber's first name
[LNAME] Subscriber's last name
[EMAIL] Subscriber's email address
[COMPANY_NAME] Your company name
[CURRENT_YEAR] Current year (e.g. 2026)
[CURRENT_DATE] Today's date
[UNSUBSCRIBE_URL] Unsubscribe link (required in every email)
[COMPANY_FULL_ADDRESS] Your full company address (required for compliance)
[UPDATE_PROFILE_URL] Link for subscribers to update their preferences
[WEB_VERSION_URL] Link to view the email in a web browser
[CAMPAIGN_SUBJECT] The campaign subject line
[LIST_NAME] The name of the list

Plus any custom field tags you've defined (e.g. [COMPANY], [PHONE], etc.).

Styling & Branding

Keep your emails on-brand with these styling options:

  • Global colours — set primary and secondary brand colours that apply across all blocks
  • Font selection — choose from 21 email-safe fonts including Arial, Georgia, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, and more
  • Logo placement — add your logo as an Image block at the top of every template
  • Footer consistency — create a standard footer with company info, social links, and unsubscribe link

Testing Templates

Always test your templates before sending to your full list:

  • Preview — click the Preview button to see how your email renders on desktop and mobile
  • Send test email — send a test to your own email address to check rendering in real email clients
  • Check all links — ensure every button and text link points to the correct URL
  • Verify merge tags — make sure merge tags are spelled correctly and match your list fields

HTML Import

If you prefer to code your own emails or use externally designed templates:

  1. Go to Templates → Create New Template
  2. Choose HTML Editor instead of Email Builder
  3. Paste your HTML code into the editor
  4. waveMail will inline your CSS automatically (if enabled)
  5. Test thoroughly across email clients, as custom HTML may render differently