Building and using HTML Styling Templates

Styling Templates apply your company's branding to any ChurnZero email. Admins build a template by copying an email's HTML into ChurnZero. Once a template is saved, any user can apply it in Playbooks and in bulk sends from segments.

There are two ways to use Styling Templates:

1. Add styling around content you write later. For example, build a template with just a company-branded header and footer that any user can add to messages sent to customers.
2. Build your entire email in HTML, so the branding and content live together in your template. Customer marketing and product marketing teams typically use this for monthly newsletters or feature release announcements with images and links.

Use case 1: Style around content you add later

This use case adds only styling and branding around your message. You still write the email content separately, in the ChurnZero message editor.

Here's what this might look like:

How to build a use case 1 template

1. In the ChurnZero Admin space, go to General > Styling Templates.
2. Click Create in the top right.
3. Copy your template's HTML and paste it into the Content box.
4. Add the {{messageContent}} snippet where you want the message editor's content to appear. ChurnZero replaces this snippet with what you write in the message editor when it generates the email.
5. Use Merge Field Lookup to find the code for any fields you want to populate automatically in the branded parts of your template. Most merge fields belong in the body copy you write in the message editor, so you don't need to add them twice.
6. Click Send Test Email to preview the template and adjust the HTML as needed.
7. Click Save.

Use case 2: Build the full email in HTML

This use case puts the entire email, styling, branding, header, footer, and content, into your HTML. Teams usually build these emails outside ChurnZero, then send them through Plays or Bulk Send.

Here's what this might look like:

How to build a use case 2 template

1. In the ChurnZero Admin space, go to General > Styling Templates.
2. Click Create in the top right.
3. Copy your template's HTML and paste it into the Content box.

4. Add this snippet just above the closing </body> tag:

   <!--[if !mso]><!-->
   <div style="display:none !important;">{{messageContent}}</div>
   <!--<![endif]-->

   This snippet differs from the one used in use case 1. Instead of pulling content from the message editor, it tells the email to ignore the message editor and use only what's in your template. Anything typed in the message editor stays invisible in the final email.

5. Use Merge Field Lookup to find and insert the codes for any fields you want to populate. These merge field snippets look different from the ones in the message editor, but they work the same way.
6. Click Send Test Email to preview the template and adjust the HTML as needed.
7. Click Save.

Using Styling Templates in your emails

Once a template is saved, a Styling Template dropdown appears in the Playbook, Survey, and Bulk Send editors so you can apply it. Building a template requires the Admin > System Settings permission. Using a saved template doesn't require any extra permission.

ChurnZero still requires body content in the message editor for every email, regardless of which use case you're building.

• For use case 1 emails, add your body content in the message editor as usual. It replaces the {{messageContent}} snippet in your template.
• For use case 2 emails, still add at least one character to the message editor. (A period works.) Your template's snippet keeps that text hidden in the final email.

For both use cases, use Send Test Email in the message editor to preview the full email before sending.

Pro tip: To test merge fields, build a segment with just your test contact, then use Bulk Send with your new Styling Template.