# Email templates and merge fields

> Marketing templates, email stencils, the editors they are built in, and the merge fields that fill them in per contact.

Source: https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/email-templates
Last updated: 2026-09-28

There are two kinds of email template. Both are used to send a bulk email shot, and both support
merge fields.

| Type | Where | Built with |
|---|---|---|
| **Marketing templates** | **Marketing → Marketing Templates** | The template editor, from blocks called modules |
| **Email stencils** | **Marketing → Email Stencils** | A rich text editor, like writing an email |

## Marketing templates

**Marketing → Marketing Templates** shows one card per template, with its name, its subject and a
preview image. Hovering over the picture of the user on a card shows who last updated it and when.
The search box filters the cards.

![The marketing template gallery, one card per template](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/marketing/marketing-templates.png?v=911359c7)

The **⋮** menu on each card has:

| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Preview** | Opens the finished email in a new tab |
| **Create Campaign** | Starts a new bulk email shot with this template already chosen. See [Bulk email shots](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/bulk-email) |
| **Copy** | Makes a copy of the template, named after the original with "Copy" and the date and time added |
| **Edit** | Opens the template in the editor. Double-clicking the card does the same |
| **Delete** | Deletes the template |

### Creating a marketing template

1. Go to **Marketing → Marketing Templates** and select **Add template**.
2. Choose **From scratch** for an empty template, or **From a template** to start from a ready-made
   design. **From a template** opens a gallery you can search and filter. Select a design to
   preview it, then **Select** to use it.
3. Build the email in the editor.
4. Select **Save**.

### The template editor

The editor has a panel on the left and the email itself on the right. Clicking a part of the email
selects it, and the panel shows what can be changed about it.

![The marketing template editor: settings on the left, the email being built on the right](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/marketing/template-editor.png?v=4e2ca02b)

The panel has three tabs: **Settings**, **Modules** and **Merge Fields**. At the bottom of the panel:

| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Save** | Saves the template |
| **Save & Preview** | Saves the template, then opens the finished email in a new tab |

The bar above the email acts on the selected module:

| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Copy** | Adds a copy of the selected module. Columns cannot be copied |
| **Delete** | Deletes the selected module |

Right-clicking a module in the email opens the same **Copy** and **Delete** actions.

### Settings

The **Settings** tab holds the settings for the whole email.

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Name** | The template's name, up to 255 characters. Only you and your colleagues see it |
| **Subject** | The subject line of the email, up to 80 characters. It can contain merge fields |
| **Preview Line** | The preview text, up to 100 characters. Many email clients show it under the sender's name and subject |

Below these are expandable sections.

**Text Properties** sets the default look of text. Choose the block style to change with the
buttons at the top: **P** for normal paragraphs, or a heading level. Text modules use these settings
unless you change them in the module itself.

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Font Family** | The typeface. Type a name or pick one from the list |
| **Font Size** | The size. Type a size, such as `14px`, or pick one from the list. A number on its own is treated as pixels |
| **Letter Spacing** | The space between letters, such as `0.5px` |
| **Line Height** | The space between lines, such as `1.5` |
| Alignment buttons | Left, centre, right or justified |
| **B** and **I** | Bold and italic |
| **Text Colour** | The colour of the text |
| **Margin** | Space around the text block: **Left**, **Top**, **Bottom** and **Right**, such as `15px` |

**Body Properties** sets the email's background and links.

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Background Colour** | The colour behind the email content |
| **Link Colour** | The colour of links |
| **Underline links** | Underlines links when on |

**Container Properties** sets the box the content sits in.

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Container Background Colour** | The colour of the content box |
| **Container Width** | The width of the content box, such as `800px`. New templates start at 800px |
| **Container Padding** | Space inside the box: **Left**, **Top**, **Bottom** and **Right** |
| **Container Margin** | Space outside the box: **Left**, **Top**, **Bottom** and **Right**. It acts as the page margin and shows when the email is previewed |

A new template starts with a grey background (#e0e0e0), a white container, blue links (#0969da) and
14px Arial text.

**Advanced** holds **Header Content**: HTML added to the head of the email, such as a link to import
a web font.

**Template Permissions** sets which **Users** and **Teams** can see the template. A new template
starts with you and the Everyone team. The template cannot be saved unless at least one user or
team has access.

**Testing Your Email** sends a test. See [Sending a test email](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/email-templates#sending-a-test-email).

### Modules

The **Modules** tab holds the blocks an email is built from. Drag a module onto the email to add it.
When a module is selected, its settings appear under the list of modules.

![The Modules tab, showing the blocks an email can be built from](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/marketing/template-editor-modules.png?v=24c3f61a)

| Module | What it adds |
|---|---|
| **Text** | A block of text |
| **Image** | An image, which can link somewhere |
| **Columns** | A row split into columns, to put other modules side by side |
| **Button** | A button with a link |
| **Divider** | A horizontal line |
| **Spacer** | Empty space |
| **Social** | Icons that link to your social media accounts |
| **Unsubscribe** | The unsubscribe footer. See [The unsubscribe module](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/email-templates#the-unsubscribe-module) |
| **Item Library** | A saved item from the item library. It only appears once items have been saved to the library from a landing page |

Most modules have a **Section Properties** or **Section Padding** group, which sets the background
colour and padding of the strip the module sits in. The settings for each module are below.

#### Text

Type straight onto the email. The toolbar at the top of the editing area formats the text you are
working on, and includes three AI tools: **AI Text Generator** writes new text, and **Explain
this…** and **Rewrite this…** work on the text you have selected.

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Padding** | Space around the text |
| **Line Height** | The space between lines |
| **Text Colour** | The colour of the text |
| **Link Colour** | The colour of links in the text |
| **Background Colour** | The colour behind the text |

#### Image

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Image Source** | The web address of the image |
| **Choose an Image...** | Picks an image **From your computer**, **From the file browser**, **From AI image generation** or **From free image search** |
| **Image Format** and **Image Quality (5-100)** | Shown after you choose an image. Sets PNG or JPEG and the quality. Lower quality gives a smaller file |
| **Resize Options** | **Thumbnail (300)**, **Small (400)**, **Medium (800)** or **Large (1200)** pixels wide, or turn on **Use custom width** and enter a width from 100 to 2,000 pixels. The shape of the image is kept |
| **Reset** | Clears the chosen image |
| **Width** and **Height** | The size the image is shown at, in pixels or `auto`, such as `400px` |
| **Border Radius** | Rounds the corners |
| **Image Link** | A web address the image opens when clicked. The link does not work inside the editor |
| **Alt Text** | Text shown if the image cannot be displayed, and read out by screen readers |
| **Alignment** | Left, centre or right |
| **Section Background Colour** and **Padding** | The strip behind the image |

Images taken from the file browser become publicly accessible on the internet. Do not use
confidential images.

#### Columns

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Column Type** | The layout: one, two, three or four equal columns, or **1:2**, **2:1**, **1:3** or **3:1** |
| **Stack columns on mobile** | Puts the columns one above the other on small screens |
| **Vertical Content Alignment** | Lines the contents of the columns up at the top, middle or bottom |
| **Background Colour** | The colour behind the row |
| Background image | **Background Image Source**, **Background Image Sizing** (**Auto**, **Contain** or **Cover**), **Background Position** and **Background Repeat** |
| **Padding** | Space inside the row |

Drag other modules into a column to place them.

#### Button

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Button Text** | The words on the button |
| **Button Link** | The web address the button opens. The button does not work inside the editor |
| **Border** | **Border Width**, style, **Border Radius** and **Border Colour** |
| **Font & Font Style** | **Font Weight**, **Font Size**, **Line Height**, **Letter Spacing** and **Font Family** |
| **Button Text Colour** | The colour of the words |
| **Button Background Colour** | The colour of the button |
| **Section Background Colour** | The colour of the strip behind the button |
| **Button Padding** | Space inside the button |
| **Section Padding** | Space around the button: **Left**, **Top**, **Bottom** and **Right** |
| **Alignment** | Left, centre or right |
| **Copy styles to all other buttons** | Copies this button's look to every other button in the template. The text and link of the other buttons are kept |

#### Divider

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Width** | How wide the line is |
| **Border Width** | How thick the line is |
| **Border Colour** | The colour of the line |
| **Section Background Color** and **Padding** | The strip behind the line |

#### Spacer

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Width** and **Height** | The size of the space |
| **Background Colour** | The colour of the space |

#### Social

Enter the address of each account you want to show: LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram,
Pinterest and YouTube. Drag the rows to change the order the icons appear in.

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Border** | A border around each icon |
| **Text Colour** | The colour of all the icons. When it is not set, each icon uses its network's own colour |
| **Alignment** | Left, centre or right |
| **Padding** | Space inside each icon: **Left**, **Top**, **Bottom** and **Right** |
| **Spacing** | Space between the icons: **Left**, **Top**, **Bottom** and **Right** |
| **Background Colour** and **Padding** under **Section Properties** | The strip behind the icons |

#### The unsubscribe module

The **Unsubscribe** module adds two lines: "This email was sent to" followed by the recipient's
email address, and a link, **updating your preferences**, to the page where they manage their
subscriptions. See [Mailing lists](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/mailing-lists#unsubscribes).

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Font Size** | The size of the text |
| **Text Colour** | The colour of the text |
| **Alignment** | Left, centre or right |
| **Background Colour** and **Padding** | The strip behind the text |

The unsubscribe link only appears in an email that contains this module.

### Merge Fields tab

The **Merge Fields** tab lists every merge field, in **Company Merge Fields** and **Person Merge
Fields**, grouped by field. Hover over one to see its description. Clicking a merge field copies it,
ready to paste into a text module or the subject. See [Merge fields](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/email-templates#merge-fields).

### Sending a test email

**Testing Your Email** on the **Settings** tab sends the template to you before it goes to your
recipients.

1. In **Send to...**, enter the address to send to. Separate several addresses with commas.
2. Under **Contact**, choose a person or company. The merge fields are filled in with that contact's
   details.
3. Select **Send Test Email**.

A test email is sent from Clockwork CRM's own address, not from your sending address. Save the
template first: the test uses the last saved version.

## Email stencils

**Marketing → Email Stencils** holds emails written in a rich text editor rather than built from
modules.

The **Email Stencil List** shows each stencil's **Name**, **Subject**, **Last Modified**, **Last
Modified By** and **Created By**. The search box filters the list. To delete several stencils at
once, tick them and select **Bulk Delete**.

The **Actions** menu on each stencil has **Create Campaign**, **Copy**, **Edit** and **Delete**.
These work in the same way as for marketing templates.

### Creating a stencil

1. Go to **Marketing → Email Stencils** and select **Add Stencil**.
2. Fill in the settings on the left.
3. Write the email in the editor on the right.
4. Select **Save**.

![The email stencil editor: settings on the left, the rich text editor on the right](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/marketing/email-stencil-editor.png?v=b8be9afa)

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Stencil Name** | The stencil's name, up to 100 characters. Required |
| **Email Subject** | The subject line. Required. It can contain merge fields |
| **Include Sender Signature?** | **Include** adds the signature of the sending address to the end of the email. **Exclude** leaves it off |
| **Permissions** | The **Users** and **Teams** who can see and use the stencil. At least one user or team is required |
| **Attachments** | **Add Attachments** picks files from the file browser to send with every email. Select the **×** on a file to remove it |

The **Company**, **Person** and **Booking** menus above the editor insert a merge field at the
cursor. Hover over a merge field in the menu to see its description.

The signature is set against each sending address by an administrator. See
[Sender and tracking domains](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/domains).

## Merge fields

A merge field is a placeholder that is replaced with each contact's own details when the email is
sent, such as `$person_first_name$`. One template then produces a personal email for every
recipient.

**Marketing → Merge Fields** lists the merge fields available.

![The merge field list: the merge field, the field it fills in, a description and the contact type](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/marketing/merge-fields.png?v=6488ce30)

| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| **Merge Field** | The text to put in the template |
| **Field Name** | The field it fills in. Built-in fields show the system field name, custom fields show the property group and field |
| **Description** | What the merge field is for |
| **Contact Type** | **Person** or **Company** |
| **Actions** | **Edit** and **Delete** |

To delete several merge fields at once, tick them and select **Bulk Delete**. A template that still
uses a deleted merge field will not fill it in.

### Adding a merge field

1. Select **Add Merge Field**.
2. Fill in the form and select **Save**.

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Merge Field** | The text to put in templates, from 3 to 100 characters. It cannot contain `<` or `>` |
| **Description** | What the merge field is for. Required |
| **Contact Type** | **Person** or **Company** |
| **Field** | The person or company field the merge field fills in, including your custom properties |
| **Replacement Strategy** | What happens when the contact has no value in the field. See below |
| **Replacement Value** | The text to use instead. Shown when the strategy is **Replace With Value** |

### Replacement strategies

| Strategy | What happens when the field is empty |
|---|---|
| **Highlight Unreplaced Merge Field** | The merge field is left in the email, highlighted in yellow |
| **Remove Trailing Space** | The merge field and the space after it are removed |
| **Remove Preceding Space** | The merge field and the space before it are removed |
| **Remove Trailing And Preceding Space** | The merge field and the spaces either side are removed |
| **Remove Line** | The line or paragraph holding the merge field is removed |
| **Replace With Nothing** | The merge field is removed |
| **Replace With Value** | The merge field is replaced with the **Replacement Value** |
| **Do Nothing** | The merge field is left in the email as it is |

## Related

- [Bulk email shots](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/bulk-email), sending a template to a mailing list
- [Document templates](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/document-templates), templates for documents rather than email
- [Sender and tracking domains](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/domains), sending addresses and signatures