Create an email

Select an email template and customize it with your branding and content

Design tip: Before you get started, give our BrandKit a try! You can scan your website to import your logo and brand colors and create a theme that's applied to a collection of templates for you.

Ready to create a new email? It's as easy as choosing an email template and customizing it with your content and branding! We have hundreds of mobile-responsive templates to choose from, designed to look great on smartphones and tablets, as well as traditional desktop and laptop computers.

Desktop instructions:

• Create a new email and select a template
• Use the Build tab to customize your layout
• Add and edit images using the Images tab
• Make your branding consistent using the Design tab
• Get ready to send your email

Mobile web instructions:

• Create and edit an email (mobile web)

Not sure where to start with marketing? Check out our free Getting Started webinar series!

Create a new email and select a template

1. Click Channels > Emails.
2. Click the + Create an email button.
   
    
    
3. You have lots of template options to choose from. To get a closer look before making a selection, simply hover over the thumbnail and click Preview. When you find one you want to use, click Select to start customizing. 
   Tip: Use the Search field or filters to help you find a template based on a keyword, purpose of the email, season or holiday, or the industry you're in. 
   
   
    

4. Click on the name of the email in the upper left-hand corner of the editor to change the name of your email.
5. Enter a unique name in the Campaign Name field that you’ll easily recognize in your account later. Your contacts don't ever see this name.
6. Click the Save button to return to the email editor.
   
   

7. Click on the email header to edit your email settings.
8. Customize your subject line, preheader, and "From name," and select your "From" and "Reply-to" email addresses. Then click the Save button to return to the email editor.
   
   
    

Use the Build tab to customize your email

Design tip: Sending shorter emails with a clear call to action to a targeted audience can improve overall email engagement. Our AI content generator can help you, too!

The Build tab is where you'll find all the blocks, layouts, and sections you can use to customize the look of your template. Blocks and layouts can be used on their own, or you can group them together within sections. You can also move individual blocks anywhere in your template (in and out of layouts and sections), while layouts and sections can be moved above and below other blocks, layouts, or sections.

1. Click the Build tab. 
2. Use the Blocks section to add individual elements to your email.

• Add a text block
• Add an image placeholder
• Add a button
• Add a horizontal or vertical divider
• Add a spacer
• Add a Social share or Social follow block
• Add a video
• Add a Read more block
• Add a table
• Add an Event block
• Add a Feedback block
• Add an RSVP block
• Add a Product block

3. Use the Layouts section to add pre-built groups of blocks to your email. Layouts with a highlight color indicate that a background color is applied to certain areas of the layout.

• Create columns
• Add a navigation bar
• Change the background color behind a block or layout
• Copy a layout
• Use dynamic content

4. Use Sections to create a container that groups blocks and layouts together into a single unit.

• Group blocks together in a section
• Add, move, and customize sections
  
  
   

5. Click anywhere on a block to open its editing options, which open at the top of the editor or on the left-hand side. You can change the alignment, add links, or make other customizations unique to the block.

• Use AI to help you write your content
• Add a text link
• Link a document from your Library
• Link to a landing page
• Add a greeting tag
• Add contact details to personalize your email
• Add your organization information
• Add a mailto link
• Add a "click to call" link
• Add a "View as webpage" link
• Link to a Nift gift card
  
  
   

Add and edit images using the Images tab

Design tip: Want to make your pictures pop out of your email? Check out these tips for giving your images visual impact.

The Images tab is where you can find all the images in your Library, access editing tools to crop images or add filters, access your Canva account, find free stock images, or purchase stock images through Shutterstock, and import images from Facebook.

1. Click the Images tab. From here you can:

• Insert an image into your email or upload a new image
• Create and insert images from Canva
• Find a free stock image or purchase a stock image
• Import images from your Facebook account
  
  
   

2. Place your cursor in the lower-right corner of any image in your layout to expose the resize tool. 
3. Click on any image to expand the Image panel and:

• Replace an existing image
• Adjust image padding
• Turn an image into a clickable image link
• Make edits to an image using our editing tools
  
  
   

Make your branding consistent using the Design tab

The Design tab is where you can apply branding colors, font styles, link colors, and button styles across your entire template to keep everything uniform. Placing your cursor over a font or color option lets you preview what it will look like throughout the entire template before you click to select it.

Design tip: If you style text, choose a button color, or select the background color for an individual block, that block gets ignored when you apply global styles through the Design tab. We recommend making selections from the Design tab first, then fine-tuning individual blocks afterward to save time by avoiding manual adjustments to multiple blocks.

1. Click the Design tab.
2. Click Backgrounds & Borders to expand the menu to:

• Select the colors for your entire email template
• Change the background color for your template and for blocks within the template
• Add a background pattern
• Add a border around your entire template
• Apply styles to all the dividers in your template
  
  
   

3. Click Fonts to expand the menu to apply styles to all the text in your template:

• Choose the font, text size, and colors
• Choose link colors and emphasis styles (bold, underline, italic)
  
  
  
  

4. Click Buttons to expand the menu to apply styles to all the buttons in your template:

• Select a button color.
• Select the font, text size, and color for the button text.
• Choose a radius to give your buttons a rounded or square look.
• Select a border color.
  Note: If you apply a border color and it isn't visible in your template, make sure the border is enabled for each button in your template.
  
  
  
  

Get ready to send your email

Join the conversation: First time designing an email? Our Community can help! Just submit your email to the "Campaign Feedback" forum for some honest feedback before you send it out to your contacts.

Now that your email content is complete, we recommend taking a little time before you send to make sure your content is error-free and has a lower chance of ending up in the spam folder:

1. Click Preview & Test to expand the drop-down menu and select:

• Check your email for errors
• Preview your email
• Send a test email for proofreading

2. Once you're ready to schedule your email to send to your contacts, click the Continue button.
   
   
    

Create and edit an email (mobile web)

If you’re using Constant Contact on your mobile device's web browser (versus your desktop computer or Constant Contact's mobile app), it’s easy to create, edit, and schedule an email:

1. From the menu, tap Email.
   
   
   
   
2. Tap Create email to start with a generic Weekly Newsletter template, or scroll through our template options.
   
   
   
   
3. Tap the paintbrush icon to customize the template background, font, and button styles. 
   Tip: You can also customize the colors of individual text blocks and buttons (see steps 9 and 10).
4. Tap the plus symbol to add an element to the template, such as a text block, image, or button.
   
   
   
   
5. From the menu at the bottom, select the element you want to add, then tap the plus symbol to choose where you want to insert it in the template. 
   Note: The blocks you’re able to insert are limited compared to the desktop email editor. Scroll to the right to see all available options for mobile web.
   
   
   
   
6. Tap anywhere on the template to expand the different elements.
   
   
   
   
7. Tap on an element to edit it.
   Note: Some blocks are not editable in mobile web browsers and will need to be edited on a desktop.
   
   
   
   
8. For Image blocks, select an image from your Constant Contact Library, or click the plus symbol to take a new photo or select a photo from your device’s photo library or files.
   
   
   
   
9. For Text blocks, tap on the text to update the content, and use the design options to customize the text color, size, font weight, and alignment.
   
   
   
   
10. For Button blocks, tap to update the text displayed on the button, enter the URL you want to direct your contacts to, and customize the text color, button color, button size, font weight, and button alignment.
11. (Optional) Click the trash can icon to delete the element.
12. When you’re finished editing an element, click the back arrow to return to editing your email.
    
    
    
    
13. Click and drag the set of dots on the left to move an element up or down in your template.
14. Click Collapse to return to the email preview.
    
    
    
    
15. If you’re not ready to schedule your email to send, click Save to save your email draft. You can then navigate away from the email editor, and your draft will be available in your campaigns list to finish editing and schedule later.
16. When you’re finished designing and ready to send, click Continue to select your contact lists, update your subject line and preheader, and schedule your email.
    
    
    
    

If you want to customize your email design even further, you can edit it on a desktop.

Tip: If mobile is your preferred way to work, install the Constant Contact mobile app to easily create emails, share social posts, and manage your contacts all on the go!

Want to learn more about creating an email? Watch our webinar:

Learn more about marketing and Constant Contact through our free live webinars.

Questions?