Create campaign templates

With ActiveCampaign, you can create templates for direct and automated campaigns. Doing so helps you maintain email consistency, establish brand recognition with your contacts, and save time.

This article covers creating a template from the Manage Templates page in your ActiveCampaign account. However, there are other ways to create and save email templates:

• You can import a template created in ActiveCampaign with a share link
• You can save a campaign as a template
• You can save an automation email as a template

To learn how to share an email template with other ActiveCampaign users, see this "How to share a template" help article.

To learn more about our email templates, see this "ActiveCampaign email templates" help article. 

To learn how to use a template you created with a campaign, see this "How do I use my template with a campaign?" help article. 

Take note

Templates are only compatible with the designer it was created on. For example, Email Designer templates will only work with campaigns created with the Email Designer. Classic Designer or HTML templates will not work when using the Email Designer and vice versa.

Use AI Brand kit to create AI templates

With ActiveCampaign AI Brand kit, you can import colors, fonts, and logos directly from your website to generate email templates, content, and images that are perfectly on-brand.

Learn more about AI Brand kit.

Create a template with the drag-and-drop template designer

In this section, you'll learn how to create a template with the template designer.

1. Click "Campaigns" in the left menu.
2. Click "Campaign Templates."
3. Click the "Create a Template" button.
   • Choose the template you wish to work with and click "Continue." You can choose a template from:
     • • Any of the themes on the left side of the screen
       • The Layouts, Inspiration, or Past Campaigns tab
4. Click "Start from scratch" to create a standard or custom HTML template
5. Drag and drop content blocks into your template layout. For example, you can use content blocks that will allow you to add images, add or edit text, call-to-action buttons, and more.
6. Click the "Save & exit" button.

The newly created template will appear on the "All Custom Templates" page with "(copy)" next to the template's name.

You can now use this template as a starting point for your campaigns and automation emails.

Create a template with custom HTML

In this section, you'll learn how to create a template using your custom HTML. This option is great if you or your team is comfortable editing HTML.

1. Click "Campaigns" in the left menu.
2. Click "Campaign Templates."
3. Click the "Create a Template" button.
4. Click the "Start From Scratch" button. 
5. A modal window will open.
   • Click the "Custom HTML" option
   • Click the "Continue" button
6. Compose the HTML into the code editor. The pane on the right will preview how the template will look.
7. Click the "New Template" button at the top and type a new name for the template.
8. When finished, click the "Save and exit" button.

The new template will appear at the top of the "Manage Templates" page. You can now use this template as a starting point for your campaigns and automation emails.

Email template settings

Each template has its settings. With template settings, you can email a test, preview the template in different email clients, view the spam check score, and more.  

To access the settings for a template, click the template, then click the gear icon on the top right of the template. 

The "Settings" modal will open:

Here you will be able to:

1. Rename the template. You can click the "Personalize" icon to personalize the template name.
2. Apply one or more categories to the template.
3. Toggle mobile responsiveness on or off. (available in Settings with the Classic Designer only. Learn how to adjust mobile formatting on the Email Designer.)
4. Send a test email of the template.
5. Preview the template in different email clients or on desktop.
6. View your spam check score.