Get started with the Email builder

The Email builder is Flexmail's drag-and-drop builder. You use it to create mobile-friendly emails, it requires no coding knowledge, and it gives you full control over layout, styling, and personalisation. It is the recommended builder for most email marketing purposes.

This article explains how the Email builder is organised and guides you step by step through creating your first message.

Before you begin

• You have a Flexmail account with access to Campaigns > Messages.
• Do you want your brand colours, fonts, and logo to apply automatically? Set up your Brand kit first via Settings > Brand kit.
• Make sure your message content is ready: text, images, and the URL or destination of your call to action.

How the Email builder is organised

The Email builder has three areas:

• Left panel: add content. Here you will find the Structures and Elements panels.
• Canvas (centre): your email as it appears when received. Drag structures and elements here, click them to edit, and organise them by dragging.
• Right panel: configure. If you click a structure or element on the canvas, its settings appear here. This is also where you find the Email style settings.

Structures determine the column layout of each row in your email. Before you can add content, you must first place a structure on the canvas. Elements are the actual content: text, images, buttons, dividers, and more, which you drag into the columns of a structure. The Email style panel determines the global appearance of your message.

Create a new message

1. Go to Campaigns > Messages.
2. Click Create new message.

3. Click Start building in the Email builder section.

   

4. Choose a template to start with, or click No template to start with a blank canvas. You can preview each template before selecting it.
5. Name your message, choose a category, and click Start building.

Step 1: Set up email style

Open the Email style panel before adding content by clicking the Email style icon in the right panel when nothing is selected. Check the global settings: these are pre-filled from your Brand kit if you have set one up. Check that your colours, fonts, and content width are correct. Everything you add to the canvas afterwards automatically inherits these settings.

Step 2: Add structures

Open the Structures panel on the left. Find the desired column layout and drag it onto the canvas. A blue indicator line shows where it lands.

Start with the most common layout for your email: typically one column for your header and footer, and a two-column layout for article rows. You can freely combine structures.

Step 3: Add content elements

With structures in place, open the Elements panel and drag content into the columns. A blue indicator shows where each element lands. Click an element on the canvas to open its settings in the right panel. For text elements, a rich text toolbar appears directly on the canvas.

Step 4: Add personalisation

Do you want to personalise your message with contact data? Place your cursor in a text element where you want the personalised content to appear. Click the placeholder icon in the text toolbar and select the field you want to insert, such as first name, company name, or another Custom field. Placeholders look like #firstname# in the builder. When sending, each placeholder is replaced with the actual value from the contact record.

Step 5: Check desktop and mobile

Use the desktop/mobile toggle at the top of the canvas to check how your email looks on both devices. Some elements can be configured to show or hide on specific device sizes via their settings panel.

Step 6: Preview and Message Check

Click Preview for a full preview of your message with the test profile data applied. When you are satisfied with the design, click Message Check via the cogwheel in the Messages overview for a spam analysis and rendering previews in popular email clients.

Step 7: Save

Your changes are tracked automatically while you work. Use the Save button regularly for an explicit save point. When you are finished, close the builder and your message appears in your message list, ready for use in a campaign.

Do you want to use this message as a starting point for future messages? Use the arrow on the Save button and choose Save as template.

Useful tips

• Duplicate structures to build layouts for multi-article newsletters quickly. Build one article row, duplicate it, and replace the content.
• Use spacer elements instead of empty paragraphs for vertical space between elements. Spacer elements are more reliable across different email clients.
• Give your messages and categories consistent names from the start. Once you have dozens of messages, a clear naming convention saves a lot of time.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the Email style and formatting elements individually. This causes inconsistency and makes future template changes much more difficult.
• Not checking the mobile view before sending. A two-column layout that looks good on desktop can stack awkwardly on mobile if structures are not configured correctly.
• Closing the Email builder without saving. Although changes are tracked during your session, it is best to create an explicit save point before closing the builder so nothing is lost.
• Adding content without a structure. Elements can only be placed inside structures: you cannot drag content directly onto the canvas without a structure in place.

Next steps

• See 'Email builder: structures' for a more detailed explanation of how structures determine your layout and mobile behaviour.
• See 'Email builder: content elements' for an overview of all available element types and their settings.
• See 'Email builder: email style settings' for full documentation of the global style panel.
• Is your message ready? Create a campaign via Campaigns > Manage campaigns.

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