Overview
Templates are messages you write once and reuse in campaigns, sequences, the Inbox, and join links. Find them under Marketing → Campaigns → Templates in the sidebar (/templates). The page has
four tabs, each with its own URL.
Time to complete: ~15 minutes · Difficulty: Beginner (SMS) to Intermediate (email builder) · Each tab
shows only if your role lets you view that template type. Opening
/templates lands you on the Library tab when you can see it, otherwise SMS.Templates moved out of Settings. Old bookmarks to
/settings/templates or
/settings/sms-templates redirect to the new location.Before you start
- To send test emails from the builder you need a verified sender (an email address you’ve proven you own) — see Email senders.
- You can draft WhatsApp templates any time, but submitting them for approval needs a connected WhatsApp channel — see WhatsApp.
- Built-in System templates can’t be changed directly. Editing one saves an editable copy to your workspace and leaves the original untouched.
Create an SMS template
Open the SMS tab
Go to Templates → SMS and click Create template.
Fill in the details
Personalize with merge tags
Click Insert variable to add a tag such as
{{first_name}}. The footer shows
N variable(s) · N characters · N segment(s), and Preview shows the
message with sample values, so you see what a recipient sees.Save
Click Create template. Your template appears in the grid, where you can search
it or filter by Category, Status, and Favorites only.
Available merge tags
Templates support 12 contact merge tags and 4 organization merge tags:- Contact:
first_name,last_name,full_name,phone,email,street_address,address_line_2,city,state,postal_code,country,full_address - Organization:
organization_name,organization_phone,organization_email,organization_website
How the character and segment counter works
The counter knows how your text will be encoded (the technical format carriers use). Plain text sends as GSM-7, which fits 160 characters in one segment, or 153 per segment when a longer message is split. One emoji or other special character switches the whole message to UCS-2, which fits only 70 per segment (67 when split). So a “short” message with an emoji can cost two segments.Manage SMS templates
From a template card’s menu: Edit, Duplicate, Preview, Use in campaign, Use in Inbox, Archive or Restore, and Delete. Templates are Active or Archived. Deleting a template doesn’t change campaigns that already use it. Click the star to add a template to favorites.Create an email template
Start a template
Go to Templates → Email and click New template. Enter a Template name
and pick a Category (Marketing, Newsletter, Promotional, Announcement,
Transactional, Welcome, Event, General). Then choose Start from: Blank,
Template (a starter gallery of system and active templates), Copy
existing, or From Library (see Template Library).
Design in the builder
The builder opens at
/email-templates/:id/builder. Add a layout first
(1 column, 2 columns, or 3 columns). Then drag blocks from the
Blocks panel: Text, Heading, Image, Button, Divider,
Spacer, Social, Header, Footer, Menu, Columns, and
Custom HTML (for web code your designer supplies). Presets (Hero,
Image + Text, 3 Features) drop in a ready-made section. Double-click
text to edit it in place and use Merge tags to personalize. The Theme
panel sets colors, font family, container width, and button style; the
Layers tab shows the structure.Preview and test
Click Preview to check Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile views, with
a Dark mode toggle. Click Send test, choose Send from (a verified
sender) and Send to, then Send test to email a copy to yourself or a
teammate.
Publish
Changes save automatically about 1.5 seconds after you stop editing (the top
bar shows Saved, Unsaved changes, or Saving…). Click Done to
return. New templates are Draft; choose Publish from the template’s
menu to make it Active — only Active templates appear in campaign pickers.
The email builder needs a wide window. On small screens you can still manage
templates from the list, but the canvas doesn’t open.
WhatsApp templates
The WhatsApp tab lists your WhatsApp templates by status (All, Approved, Pending, Rejected, Draft). Click Create template to walk through Purpose → Editor → Review, then Save draft or Submit for review. Use Sync status to pull the latest review decisions. Personalize inserts the 12 contact merge tags in the message body only — the header, footer, and buttons must be fixed text. Only Draft and Rejected templates can be edited. See WhatsApp for setup, approval, and sending rules.Use templates elsewhere
- Campaigns — click Use in campaign on an SMS template, or choose a designed email under My templates in the campaign composer. See Campaigns and Sequences.
- Inbox — click Use in Inbox on a card, or open Templates in the reply composer. For short, plain replies use quick messages.
- Join links — the SMS Template people send and the Welcome Template they receive. See Join links.
- Workflows — send-message steps. See Workflow builder.
Media library
Images and attachments live in a workspace media library that you reach from the places that use them — there’s no separate media page.Add an image to an email
In the builder, double-click an Image block (or click Replace in its
settings, or set a Header logo). The Media library dialog opens with
Browse and Upload tabs. Search images by file name or drag a file onto
Drag an image here, or click to browse. PNG, JPEG, GIF, or WEBP up to 5 MB.
Attach files to a text message
In SMS composers (campaigns, sequences, workflows, polls, Inbox) click Attach
file. Attachments turn the message into MMS (a text with a picture or file
attached). Each file must be under 600 KB — the size every phone carrier
accepts — and a message carries at most 10 attachments. Images (JPEG, PNG,
GIF), short MP4 or 3GP clips, MP3 or AMR audio, PDFs, and calendar files are
accepted. Attach contact card adds your organization’s vCard (a digital
business card) from Settings → Organization.
Uploads can’t be deleted from the app today, and there’s no alt-text or folder
organization in the library — set Alt text on the email Image block itself.
FAQ
Can I edit a System template?
Can I edit a System template?
Not directly. Open it and click Save as copy (SMS) or make your first edit in
the builder (email). A copy named ”… (copy)” is added to your library and the
original stays unchanged.
Why doesn't my email template show up in the campaign composer?
Why doesn't my email template show up in the campaign composer?
Only Active templates are listed. Publish the draft from its menu, or restore
it if it’s archived.
Can I use custom fields in a template?
Can I use custom fields in a template?
No — only the 16 merge tags above. See Custom fields.
Why did WEBP work in email but not as an attachment?
Why did WEBP work in email but not as an attachment?
WEBP is accepted in the email image library but carriers don’t deliver it over
MMS. Convert to PNG or JPEG for text messages.
Troubleshooting
Why is Send test greyed out or showing 'No verified email senders'?
Why is Send test greyed out or showing 'No verified email senders'?
Add and verify a sender first. See Email senders.
Why does the builder say 'Template changed elsewhere'?
Why does the builder say 'Template changed elsewhere'?
Someone else saved this template while you had it open. Click Reload to
continue from the latest version.
Why was my upload rejected when the file looked fine?
Why was my upload rejected when the file looked fine?
We check the file’s actual contents, not just its name ending (such as .png).
Re-export the file in a supported format and confirm it’s under the size limit
shown in the dialog.
Browse the Template Library
Start from curated campaign, email, sequence, form, and automation templates.