Design an Email with the New Builder

Mailchimp’s new email builder gives you the tools to quickly design beautiful campaigns. Start with one of our stylish templates, then customize it with your own images, text, and branding. Mix and match different content blocks, and make changes directly in the template.

In this article, you’ll learn how to design an email with the new builder.

Before you start

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

• The new email builder is a beta feature. It is available for regular email and single abandoned cart emails at this time.
• If you want to design a regular email with our classic builder instead, you can set it as the default builder in your account details.
• If you have a Mailchimp Store, a supported e-commerce store, or custom API 3.0 integration, you can use product content blocks and abandoned cart blocks with the new email builder.
• For best results, you should only promote products from the store that's connected to the audience that will receive your email.

Choose a template

To help you get started, we’ll provide you with a basic template in the Prebuilt tab. You can begin to add content, or switch to a different template. Choose from the Saved tab to work with your saved templates.

To preview and switch templates, follow these steps.

1. In the new email builder, click Templates. Then, choose the Prebuilt or Saved tab.
   
2. Hover over the template you want to work with and click Preview to see the layout.
   
3. When you’re ready to switch, click Apply.
   
4. In the Change Template pop-up modal, you can choose to Continue with your existing content or Start with a clean template.

Nice work! Next you’ll choose a background color, then add and design your email’s content.

Edit background color

To edit the background color of your entire email, follow these steps.

1. Click the background area next to any content block.
   
2. In the Background menu, click Canvas to choose or add a color for the area behind your content.
3. Click Backdrop to choose or add a second background color to the margins of your email.

Add content

You’ll use content blocks to add different types of content to your email. The available content blocks are Heading, Paragraph, Image, Logo, Button, Divider, Spacer, Video, Product, Social, Cart (abandoned cart emails only), Product Recommendation (abandoned cart emails only), Apps, and Layout. Every Mailchimp template also includes a required Footer content block at the bottom of the email.

To add a new content block, hover over your email and click the plus (+) icon where you’d like to place the block.

You’ll see the content block menu, where you can choose the type of block to add.

After you add a block, use the editing menu and toolbar to customize it to fit your design. You can also click an existing block to access its editing options.

Heading

Use a Heading content block to add header text to your email. After you add or click a Heading block, you can enter your text directly in the email.

To use a Heading content block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Heading content block or add one to your email.

2. Add or edit your text, and use the editing toolbar to format it as needed.
   

   In the toolbar, select the heading size, font attributes, and alignment. You can also choose to create a bulleted or numbered list, insert a link, or add merge tags.

3. In the Heading menu, use the Font drop-down menu to change the font type. Then, choose Type Size and Colors for the block text, links, and background.
   
4. If you want to apply these styles to all Heading blocks in your content, click Apply style to all headings.
   

Paragraph

Use a Paragraph content block to add paragraph text to your email. After you add or click a Paragraph block, you can enter your text directly in the email.

To use a Paragraph content block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Paragraph content block or add one to your email.

2. Add or edit your text, and use the editing toolbar to format as needed.
   

   In the toolbar, select the font attributes and alignment. You can also choose to create a bulleted or numbered list, insert a link, or add merge tags.

3. In the Paragraph menu, use the Font drop-down menu to change the font type. Then, choose Type Size and Colors for the block text, links, and background.
   
4. If you want to apply these styles to all Paragraph blocks in your content, click Apply style to all paragraphs.
   

Image

Use an Image content block to add an image from the content studio to your email.

To use an image content block, follow these steps.

1. Click an Image content block or add one to your layout.
2. Choose an image from the content studio. If you’re working with a placeholder block, you’ll first need to click Replace in the Image menu.
3. Click and drag the borders or corners of the image to crop or resize it as needed.
   
4. In the Image menu, set the image Alignment as left, center, or right.
5. If you want the image to link to a page or profile on the web, add a URL to the Link to field.
6. In the Alt Text field, add descriptive text to make your email more accessible.

Logo

If you’ve set a default logo in the content studio, the Logo block automatically pulls it into your layout. You can also add or replace your default logo from this block.

To use a Logo content block, follow these steps.

1. Click the Logo block or add one to your email.
2. In the Logo menu, click Set Logo. If you’re updating your logo, you’ll first need to click Replace Logo.
3. In the content studio, click the image you want to use as your logo.
4. To choose a logo for this email only, click Insert. To set a new default logo, you’ll first need to click the drop-down next to View Details and choose Set My Logo.
5. Click and drag the borders or corners of the image to crop or resize it as needed.
6. In the Logo menu, set the image Alignment as left, center, or right.
7. If you want the logo to link to a page or profile on the web, add a URL to the Link to field.
8. In the Alt Text field, add descriptive text to make your email more accessible.

Button

Use a Button block to add a button to your email. Buttons are a great way to include a prominent call to action, like a “Buy now” link to a product in your store.

To use a Button block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Button block or add one to your email.
2. Add or edit your button text, and use the editing toolbar to format it as needed.
   
3. In the Button menu, insert a link and choose your button’s Link to URL, Alignment, Shape, Style, and Colors.
   
4. If you want to apply these styles to all Button blocks in your content, click Apply style to all buttons.
   

Divider

Use a Divider block to add a divider line to your email. Dividers help you create distinct sections in your email.

To use a Divider block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Divider block or add one to your email.
   
2. In the Divider sidebar, choose your divider’s Thickness, Style, Padding, and Colors.
   
3. If you want to apply these styles to all Divider blocks in your content, click Apply style to all dividers.
   

Spacer

Use a Spacer block to add padding in between other content blocks in your layout.

To use a Spacer block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Spacer content block or add one to your email.
2. In the Spacer menu, choose your pixel Height and Background Color.

Video

Use a Video block to add a video link to your email. We’ll automatically pull in a thumbnail, or preview image, when you add the link to the video's URL.

To use a video block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Video block or add one to your email.
2. In the Video sidebar, add a URL to the Source field.
   
3. In the Alt Text field, add descriptive text to make your email more accessible.
   

Product

Use Product content blocks to add items from your connected online store. Each block is designed to contain a product name, custom description, price, and call-to-action button. And if you turn on e-commerce tracking in your email settings, your report will show purchase revenue.

To use a Product block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Product block or add one to your email. If you’re working with an existing block, skip to step 4.
2. In the Select a store modal, choose the store you want to add products from. If you haven’t yet connected a store, you’ll be prompted to do so.
3. Click the product you want to add.
4. In the Products menu, edit the Title, Button, and Link to URL as needed. You can also click the edit icon to choose a different product, or click the settings icon to check your store connection.

Social

Use a Social content block to add social icons that you can link to your social media accounts, so recipients can quickly find and follow you on different platforms.

To use a Social content block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Social content block or add one to your email.
2. In the Social sidebar, toggle on the slider for each social network you want to include.
   
3. Edit the URLs to make sure each icon links to your specific profile.
   
4. Edit your icons’ Alignment and Color.
   

Cart

If you’re working with an Abandoned Cart email, you’ll use a Cart block to pull in dynamic information about the item your customer left behind. After you click a Cart content block or add one to your email, you can edit the content and styles that will be used to display your products.

To use a Cart content block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Cart content block or add one to your email.
2. On the Content tab of the Abandoned Cart menu, use the Maximum number of products in email drop-down to choose how many abandoned items the cart can include. You can also toggle the Details slider to include or exclude a product price, or click the Color selector to change the block background color.
   
3. On the Style tab, use the Font drop-down menus for Product Title and Product Price to change the font type.
   
   You can Format, Align, or Color as needed.

Product Recommendation

If you’re working with an Abandoned Cart email, use a Product Recommendation block to pull in personalized product suggestions for each of your contacts. To learn more about this feature, check out our article About Personalized Product Recommendations.

To use a Product Recommendation block, follow these steps.

1. Click a Product Recommendation block or add one to your email.
2. In the Product Recommendation menu, choose Personalized Recommendations, Best Sellers, or New Arrivals.
   
3. On the Content tab, use the Number of Recommendations drop-down to choose how many products to include.
   
4. Click the Range to display drop-down to choose which products to show in the content block.
   
5. Choose the Layout of your product images. You can also toggle the Details slider to include or exclude a product Title, Price, and Button. Click the Color selector to change the block background color.
   
6. On the Style tab, Use the Font drop-down menus for Product Title and Product Price to change the font types.
   You can Format, Align, or Color as needed.

Layout

Use a Layout content block to add a section that includes multiple text or image blocks. For example, you can add an image with a caption and button, or you can add a row of images.

To use a Layout content block, follow these steps.

1. Hover over your email design and click the plus (+) icon where you’d like to add a Layout section.
2. In the content block menu, click Layout.
3. In the Add Layout menu, click the Layout drop-down to choose Text, Text & Image, or Image Gallery.
   
4. Click an option to add it to your email.
5. Click the individual text or image blocks in the Layout to access their editing options.

Apps

Use an App content block to add information from connected accounts outside of your Mailchimp account.

To use an App content block, follow these steps.

1. Click an App content block or add one to your email.
2. In the App sidebar, select the app you want to use.
   

We’ll walk you through the connection process and you can see exactly what’s being added to your email design. With some apps, you’ll be able to choose what information to add.

Footer

Every Mailchimp template comes with a Footer content block at the bottom of the email. The Footer block uses merge tags to pull in the required address and unsubscribe link, along with other content your recipients might find useful. The Footer cannot be moved or removed, but you can make some changes to its content and appearance.

In the Footer menu, toggle on the slider for each recommended component you want to include.

These are the available components.

• Copyright
  Inserts the current year and the name of your company or organization that's listed in the required email footer content for your audience.
• List Description
  Inserts your audience's permission reminder.
• Update Preferences
  Inserts a link to the contact's Update Profile form.
• Referral badge
  Inserts the Referral badge. This is required for Free accounts.

You can also edit your footer’s link text, font, alignment, and colors.

Review suggestions

As you add content to your email, we’ll suggest ways to help you improve your message. If we find any issues, like a broken link or merge tag, we’ll mark them with an exclamation point icon.

Click the Suggestions panel to see the types of issues, as well as the total number of issues of each type.

These numbers update as you resolve each issue. Toggle the sliders on or off to control which types of suggestions to show.

Enable dynamic content

When you design an email, you can turn any content block into Dynamic Content that displays only for certain recipients. This helps you target different types of contacts at the same time with a single email.

To learn more about Dynamic Content and how to enable it in your content block, check out About Dynamic Content.

Move, remove, or duplicate blocks

You can move content blocks anywhere in your template, or remove them as needed. You can also duplicate a block to create an exact copy. Note: These actions don't apply to Footer or Layout content.

Move content

To move a content block, follow these steps.

1. Click the block you want to move.
2. Click and hold the drag icon.
   
3. Move the content block to a new place in your design.

Remove content

To delete a content block, click it, then click the trash can icon.

If you change your mind, you can undo the action to recover deleted content.

Duplicate content

To duplicate a content block, follow these steps.

1. Click the block you want to duplicate.
2. Click the duplicate icon.
   

Undo and redo changes

While you’re working on your email’s design and content, you can undo and redo any changes you’ve made.

To undo a change, click the undo arrow icon.

To redo a change that you’ve undone, click the redo arrow icon.

Preview and test your email

When you’ve finished designing your email, preview and test it to make sure everything looks like you expect.

To preview your email, follow these steps.

1. Click Preview.
   
2. Click the desktop or mobile icons to see how your finished email design looks on those devices.
   
3. Click Send a Test Email.
   
4. Type the email address you want to send the test to. You can include optional instructions and a personal message.
5. When you're ready, click Send Test.
   
6. When you're done, click Exit Preview.
   

Save your email design

When you’re finished designing your email, click Continue.

Nice! You’ll be taken back to the campaign checklist, where you can continue to set up your email as needed.