In Mailchimp, click Campaigns, then Email templates, and start from scratch, from a recently sent email, or from a pre-designed template. Click Create template, edit the images, fonts and colours, drag in content blocks, preview it, then click Save and exit. If you still use the legacy builder, choose Create a legacy template instead.
A template saves an email design you use often, so each new newsletter or promotion starts with your layout, logo and colours already in place. When you create an email from a saved template, you only add the new content. This page covers the steps; the options you see depend on your plan.
Five ways to start, all on one page
Every template option lives on the Email templates page, under Campaigns. There are five tabs:
- Saved: templates you've already saved. Hover over one to create an email from it.
- Mailchimp templates: pre-designed layouts you can search and filter by template type, style and industry, and preview with the magnifying glass icon.
- Recently sent: turn an email you've already sent into a template.
- Create from scratch: start with a blank layout.
- Code your own: import a custom HTML template, described as an advanced option.
If you've sent an email you were happy with, Recently sent is the fastest route, because the design and structure are already proven with your list.
Building it in the new builder
By default you'll design in the new builder, unless you've used the legacy builder before.
1. Open Email templates
Click Campaigns, then Email templates.
2. Choose your starting point
Pick Create from scratch, a design from the Recently sent tab, or one of the pre-designed templates. Hover and click the magnifying glass icon to preview a design before you commit.
3. Click Create template
Once you've found the one you want, click Create template to open it in the builder.
4. Make it yours
Edit the images, fonts and colours to match your brand, and drag and drop content blocks into the layout. Set this up carefully once and every future email inherits it.
5. Add the standing content
Add and format text, products, images and files. Keep this to what appears in every send, such as your header, footer and sign-off, and leave placeholders for the parts that change.
6. Preview, check inboxes and save
Click Preview to see desktop and mobile versions, and click Inbox to see how the email looks in different email clients. When it looks right everywhere, click Save and exit.
If you're on the legacy builder
The path is different. Click Create a legacy template, then choose a tab: Layouts, Themes or Code your own. The idea is the same, a reusable starting design, but the options and editing tools aren't identical, so follow the steps for whichever builder your account uses.
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Editing a coded template touches old emails
The Mailchimp Help article on creating an email template carries two cautions. Template options depend on your plan, so you may not see every tab. And a custom-coded template is shared: editing it can change existing emails that already use it. If you've built a coded template for a client or a regular send, duplicate it before you make changes, so emails already built from it stay as they were.
Getting the most from a template
A good template does the boring parts for you. Lock in your logo, brand colours, footer and social links, and choose a layout that works on a phone first, because the mobile preview is where most problems show. Keep one template per job, such as a weekly newsletter, a product launch and a re-engagement email, rather than one template that tries to do everything.
For the words that go into it, these prompts for newsletters people open help with subject lines and intros. If you're comparing platforms, my MailerLite and Mailchimp comparison covers how their editors differ.
My advice for your first template
Start from the best email you've already sent, using the Recently sent tab. Tidy the branding, strip out the one-off content, and leave clear placeholders. Check it in Preview and Inbox before you save. If you ever code your own, make a copy before every edit.
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Frequently asked questions
Where do I create a template in Mailchimp?
Click Campaigns, then Email templates.
Can I turn a sent email into a template?
Yes. Use the Recently sent tab.
Can I use my own HTML?
Yes. Code your own imports a custom HTML template, described as an advanced option.
How do I check the template before saving?
Click Preview for desktop and mobile and Inbox for email clients, then Save and exit.
Is the legacy builder different?
Yes. You click Create a legacy template and pick Layouts, Themes or Code your own.
