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Edit Email Content

Updated this week

After you create an email or an email template, you can edit the content.

Don't see this in Bloomerang CRM? Contact us to upgrade your free account to start creating emails.

Note: Emails created before November 11, 2019, use Bloomerang CRM’s legacy editor. Read more about how to edit emails created in the legacy editor.

Before You Begin

Get Started

To get started, create or open an email or email template:

Important: Once an email message is sent to recipients, it is locked to preserve a record of the message, settings, and recipients and cannot be edited further.

Note: Make sure you save your work periodically while you are drafting your email.

Tip: You can search, filter, or sort the email list to locate the email you'd like to edit.

Add, Delete, and Duplicate Content

Add different types of content, such as paragraphs, lists, links, videos, GIFs, and buttons to customize your email or email template.

Note: Your email subject line and body cannot contain emojis. If you try to preview an email that contains an emoji in its subject line or body, the preview will not work and you might receive an error message.

To add content, drag content blocks and drop them at the desired location on your design. Every content block has its own editable properties, such as text color, padding, alignment, line height, and the option to hide blocks on desktop or mobile versions. When a content block is selected, these properties appear automatically in the Content Properties area:

Screenshot of the email builder with an email open in the design area and an arrow pointing to the Content Properties area.

To delete or duplicate a content block:

  1. Click on the block you want to remove.

  2. Click the Delete Block icon to delete the block or click the Clone Block icon to clone the block.

Insert and Edit Copy

There are three types of blocks for entering copy into your email:

  • Title

  • Paragraph

  • List

To enter copy into your email or template, click and drag the content block type that best matches your content into the Design area. Choose Title for headings, Paragraph for prose, and List for bullet points or numbered lists. When working with Title, Paragraph, and List blocks:

  • Click Write with AI to use the AI content assistant to help compose or refine copy within that block. See Use the AI Content Assistant for more information.

  • Keep headings and titles in a Title block, separate from Paragraph blocks. This is better for recipients who use assistive technology such as screen readers and allows you to use different font types or sizes for Titles and Paragraphs.

  • Font and font size apply to the entire block. If you need to use a different font or font size, separate your content into multiple blocks.

Tip: You can use merge fields in copy blocks to personalize your message for the recipient, tailoring the message for their information and what is relevant to them.

Insert Images

Add your logo or promotional image to emails to add visual interest:

  1. Drag and drop an Image block onto your email. Or, click an existing Image block to edit an existing image.

  2. Follow these instructions to upload and edit the image.

Insert GIFs or Stickers

You can also add GIFs or stickers to your emails and email templates:

  1. Drag and drop a GIF or Sticker content block into your design. Or, click an existing GIF or Sticker block to edit.

  2. Click Search for GIFs/stickers with Giphy.

  3. Search for an image.

  4. Click an image to add to your content block.

Tip:

  • To edit or replace the GIF or sticker, click the block and select Serach for gifs/stickers with Giphy to use a different image.

  • Stickers are a special type of GIF that have at least 20% transparency around the edges in the first frame. GIFs are often opaque. If you need an image with transparent edges to better blend into your design, use a Sticker block.

Create Links or Anchor Links

To create anchor links so readers can jump to a specific section of the message, see Add Anchor Links to Your Email.

Create links to content on your website:

  1. Drag and drop a Paragraph or List block onto your email. Or, click an existing Paragraph or List block to edit.

  2. Highlight the text you want to link.

  3. Click the Insert/Edit Link icon.
    ​This opens the link editor.

  4. In the link editor, set these options:

    • Link type. In most cases, use URL to link to a website. Other options include: E-MAIL, File Manager, SMS, and Tel.

    • Paste or type in the URL or website address. Always include http:// or https://.

    • Enter text to display in the body of the email.
      ​If you highlighted text before you clicked Insert/Edit Link, the highlighted text is already entered for you.

    • Enter a title.
      ​The recipient sees the information in the Title field if they hover over the link. Screen readers announce the Title.

    • Links open in a new window, which is standard. In most cases, leave New window selected as the Target.

  5. Click OK.
    ​

    Screenshot of the Insert Link window showing all link options for a URL Link Type.

  6. You may be prompted to add the http:// prefix, click Yes.

To edit the link, click the linked text, then click the Insert/Edit Link icon. To remove the link, click the linked text, then click the Remove Link icon.

Tips:

  • You can link to documents that are stored in your File Manager. Supported file types include PDF, Word, Excel and Text documents. Set the Link Type to File Manager to link to a document.

  • Turn on the Website Visits feature so clicks on links in emails count toward constituent engagement scores.

Insert Buttons

Insert buttons for calls-to-action like make a donation, send an email, make a phone call, send a text message, or download an attachment.

  1. Drag and drop a button block onto your email. Or, click an existing button block to edit.

  2. Change the text of the button and use the toolbar to apply an action and formatting.

  3. Set the action of the button by choosing the link type and filling out the appropriate information.

    Tip: Set the link type to Open web page and click Link File to attach a PDF, Word, Excel, or text document from the file manager.

  4. Edit the button options, to apply your own styles, in the content properties panel.

Tip: Click Write with AI to use the AI content assistant to help craft the button's call-to-action text.

Insert Divider

Insert dividers to provide a visual break between sections of your template:

  1. Drag and drop a divider block onto your template.

  2. Click the newly added block.

  3. Edit the divider properties in the content properties panel as needed.

Insert Social Media Icons

Add icons that link to your organization's social media pages:

  1. Drag and drop a social block onto your template.

  2. Click the newly added block.

  3. (Optional) Select an icon collection to choose a different icon theme.

  4. Edit social properties and insert your organization's social media URLs in the content properties panel.

  5. (Optional) You can change the order in which the social icons appear with drag and drop if you'd like emphasize certain platforms over others.

Tip: Icons for Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn are added automatically, with image alternative text populated. If you'd like to link to other platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Soundcloud, Medium, What's App, Vimeo, and more, click Add New Icon. You can also add a custom icon if there isn't an icon available for your desired platform.

Insert Videos

Most email providers bounce or reject emails with actual video files attached. Instead, insert a link to a YouTube or Vimeo video. The link appears as an image in the email and if a recipient clicks the image, the video page opens in a new window.

To add a video:

  1. Drag and drop a video block onto your template.

  2. Click Add a Video URL. Always include the http:// or https:// prefix.

  3. In the content properties panel, add the video URL and edit the padding as needed.

Tip: To include a video from a service other than YouTube or Vimeo, upload a thumbnail of the video as an image in Bloomerang CRM, then hyperlink the image to the video URL.

Insert Merge Fields

To personalize your emails, insert descriptive merge fields that add data for each recipient. For example, the First Name merge field adds the constituent's first name to the email.

Tip: Most report columns are available as merge fields. View a list of all report columns and filters.

Note: You can't insert the built-in Volunteer Activity and Volunteer Hours interaction fields as merge fields.

To insert a merge field:

  1. Drag and drop a Paragraph, List, or Title block to your email. Or, click an existing Paragraph, List, or Title block to edit.

  2. Click the block where you want to insert the merge field. The editing toolbar appears.

  3. Click Insert Merge Field.

  4. Search for and select the merge field.

  5. Click Insert Field.
    ​

    Screenshot of email body with the First Name merge field displayed, outlined with a square dashed green line.

To preview merge fields populated with recipient data, click Save And and select Preview.

Add and Edit Data Tables

Data tables show a list of details for transactions or interactions. To insert a data table, the email Type must be Transaction or Interaction.

To add a data table:

  1. Drag and drop a text block onto your template. Or, click an existing text block to edit.

  2. Click the block where you want to add the data table. The editing toolbar appears.

  3. Click Insert Merge Field.

  4. Click Switch to Data Table.

  5. Click Add Column, select a merge field, then click Add Column.

  6. Use the arrows next to each merge field to rearrange the order.

  7. Click the alignment button on each column to change the text alignment.

  8. To remove a merge field, click Delete.

  9. To verify the column alignment, view the Table Preview section.

  10. Click Insert.
    ​

    Screenshot of the Insert Data Table dialog with a few rows of data selected

To edit a data table:

  1. Select and delete the existing table in the email editor.

  2. On the editing toolbar, click Insert Merge Field.

  3. Click Switch to Data Table.

  4. Edit the table and then click Insert.

Edit Contact Information

By default, emails include merge fields with your organization's contact information in the footer of the email. There may be some cases where it makes sense to use different contact information that what is included by default. You can edit the contact information just like a regular Paragraph block that uses merge fields.

Note: A physical address and unsubscribe link are required for email sender compliance. When you save the email, Bloomerang CRM checks for those fields. If it looks like those fields aren't included, you'll receive a warning message.

Undo/Redo Changes and Review History

You can undo or redo within the email builder. Click (back arrow) and (forward arrow) to move back and forth between changes.

You can also restore your template to a previous state. Click (history icon) to see details for recent changes. Up to 15 of your most recent changes during your current session are displayed. Click an entry to restore your template to a previous version.

Screenshot of the History, Undo, and Redo buttons with the history open and four edits in the history.

Insert and Edit Text Blocks

Note: The Text block is a legacy content block that cannot use the AI content assistant. Use Title, Paragraph, or List instead. The AI content assistant is available when editing these specific content block types and they are more accessible than Text blocks for email recipients who use assistive technology.

To add and edit a text content block:

  1. Drag and drop a text block onto your template.

  2. Click on the text block to bring up the editing toolbar.

  3. Change the contents in the block or apply formatting.

After changing your email's text, click Test Readability to make sure your email is easy to read and conveys the right message to the user.

Preview and Test Emails

If you edit the content of an existing email, preview and test the email before you send it. You can:

Delete Emails

Emails that have not been sent may be deleted. To delete an email:

  1. Open the email.

  2. Click Delete.

  3. Click Yes.

Insert HTML Blocks

HTML blocks allow you to edit the raw HTML of their content. This lets you create customized formatting and layout in your emails.

When you click inside of an HTML block, the editing toolbar does not appear. However, you can still use merge fields in HTML blocks. To do so, enclose the mere field content in double curly braces and asterisks *{{like this}}*.

Note: Helping with HTML code is outside the scope of Bloomerang Support. You are responsible for troubleshooting your own HTML code.

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