Edit a reusable template

[SaratogaUganda]

Hi Community! I'm trying to make the transition from how CC handles templates compared to my former email tool. I understand how the process starts out by creating an email - generically, no real content - and then saving that as a template. Got it. When I wanted to update my template, here's what I did: 1. Create a new email from the saved template 2. Edit the "email" 3. Save the "email" 4. Use the "Save as Template" to get it into the list of (my) saved templates 5. Find the previous version of the now updated template 6. Delete the previous version of the template Is that how you manage template updates in CC?

[SaratogaUganda]

edited for clarification on process

You'd need to edit the master template from the campaigns screen in order to actually edit it. Once your edit has been made, you'd need to re-save it as a template. You'd want to alter its name slightly - something like "Master Template - Updated March 31, 2023" so you can keep track of these differences. If you're absolutely sure you do not want one of the previous iterations, you can delete the older version from your saved templates: Create > Email > Saved Templates > three dots menu for the older version > Delete.

If you're selecting it as part of the Create > Email > Select Template process - you're making a new email from your saved template.

[William_A]

Hello @SaratogaUganda ,

If you have a Reusable / Master Template, and you're needing to make lasting edits to it - updating the physical address of your organization, updating the links to your website or social media, updating logo, etc. - you can just edit the template on its own.

If you're planning to send something to your contacts - thus requiring you to replace default / filler elements with actual content - that's when you'd need to regularly copy your master template.

[SaratogaUganda]

Hi William,

Would you please expound upon your statement "you can just edit the template on its own."? What exactly do you. mean by that? Is there a menu option to navigate to Templates > Edit that I'm not seeing?

[William_A]

Your master template should be left in Draft status, meaning you can just click its name in your Campaigns, or click More > Edit to be able to edit it.

For more info, please see our main article on creating / editing emails, which will contain links to more specific functionalities that go into editing templates.

See also:

Creating reusable / master templates

Saving reusable templates in your available templates

[SaratogaUganda]

Hi again,

Let me recap my steps to see if I'm not doing something that you are assuming I'm doing.

1. Campaigns > Create (with the intent of creating a reusable template)

2. Edit, design, test, SAVE

3. Click the ... menu and select "Save as Template" (the template is in DRAFT mode)

Now I'll create an email on the template

4. Campaigns > Create > Email > Saved Templates tab > Select my template

5. Edit, design, test, SAVE

Now I want to update my template

1. Campaigns > Select the template from the list

2. Edit, SAVE

I am NOT doing the "Save as Template" step again because that will create a new copy of the template. Based on your previous reply, I'm thinking that I shouldn't have to do the "Save as Template" again.

Now i want to create a new email using the updated template

1. Campaigns > Create > Email > Saved Templates tab > Select my updated template

** PROBLEM **

I am seeing the original version of the template, not the updated one.

[William_A]

edited for clarification on process

You'd need to edit the master template from the campaigns screen in order to actually edit it. Once your edit has been made, you'd need to re-save it as a template. You'd want to alter its name slightly - something like "Master Template - Updated March 31, 2023" so you can keep track of these differences. If you're absolutely sure you do not want one of the previous iterations, you can delete the older version from your saved templates: Create > Email > Saved Templates > three dots menu for the older version > Delete.

If you're selecting it as part of the Create > Email > Select Template process - you're making a new email from your saved template.

[SaratogaUganda]

William -

Please reread the steps that I carefully outlined for you.

I am editing the template from the Campaigns list.

Based on your previous reply, my expectation was that by simply editing the template and saving the change, any subsequent emails that I create from that saved template will have the most recent updates. That's not what I'm seeing.

If I do the "Save as Template" step after editing the template, I then have a second copy of the template - which I'd prefer not to have because then I have to do version control.

Believe me, I want to believe that you are correct in that I only have to edit a campaign that's set as a template in order to see the most recent updates. However, that's not what I'm seeing.

Am I explaining myself clearly?

[William_A]

If you make an edit to your master template, you'd need to re-save it as a master template, and get rid of the old one. 

[SaratogaUganda]

Ok, that's what I was trying to find out. 

I really hope that Constant Contact evolves its view on the idea of having templates. This is not a very mature implementation of what should be a very important feature.

[CatalystInc]

I agree with Saratoga. The fact that we can't update an existing template and need to re-save a new version each time it's edited renders the whole custom template function not useful. At that point, why not just copy your last email and go from there?

For my organization, templates need to be updated often to include new sponsor information in the footer. It makes more sense to simply copy the last email we sent out that includes the updated footer, rather than having to save that email as a new template.

Please evolve your thinking here to make this a more useful feature!

[MaryJoC83]

We have an email that goes out each week with that week's store special. I simply copy over the last email and edit the text. So much quicker than the whole template process.

[JonathanP00]

This is ridiculously hard and not intuitive. I am not a happy customer. Constant Contact created a template for us but we have no way to edit it. There should be a very easily identifiable way to edit an existing template. I go to create, email and I all I see are the emails that were created before. There is absolutely no indication anywhere of a master template. 

[William_A]

Hello @JonathanP00 ,

If we created a template for you, it would simply exist in your Campaigns as a draft, and would include "Created By Constant Contact" in the name, unless you explicitly changed it to something else. We also keep a backup copy for restoration and copying in case you overwrite the original.

If you need to edit a Draft status campaign, you can simply click it's name or select the Edit option from its menu, or simply click the big Edit button on the side. If you need to copy a Draft status email, simply select the Copy option from its menu. If the email is in Sent status, then Copy will be the button on the side.

Additionally, you need to explicitly save a template that's been created in your account - whether that's from us creating one or you creating one - as a reusable template. It won't show on your template selection screen when creating a new email, until you've done so. Please see our articles on reusable templates for step-by-step instructions and visual guidance on using them:

• Tutorial Video on creating reusable templates
• Downloadable guide on creating reusable templates
• Instructions for creating reusable templates
• Instructions for saving and accessing reusable templates