Hello Community users!
Constant Contact has supported two different email editors over the past few years – the Third-Generation Editor (3GE) and the Cross-Device Editor (CPE). Since CPE launched in 2019, we have continued to improve on its capabilities, including adding additional features not available in 3GE – such as being able to edit emails on both the desktop website and mobile app.
We are now ready to retire the 3GE experience. Starting in October 2024, users will no longer be able to create new 3GE campaigns or copy from existing 3GE campaigns. Instead, our developers have made it possible to convert 3GE emails into CPE emails, to smooth the transition for users to the current editing experience.
This article will cover expectations and frequently asked questions regarding the retirement of 3GE and migration to CPE. We will also provide workarounds where certain 3GE elements might not translate 1:1 to CPE.
Table of Contents
- How do I know if I am still using 3GE and can I just switch before October?
- What happens to my old email campaigns, including those I’ve sent or have already scheduled?
- What are the anticipated structural differences that might occur when 3GE converts to CPE?
- How can I familiarize myself with the Cross Device Editor?
- If I still need assistance with using CPE, who can I contact?
- I have some feedback regarding CPE. Where should I share it?
How do I know if I am still using 3GE and can I just switch before October?
If your account was created prior to April 2022, and you’ve continued to make copies of older campaigns, then it’s possible you are still using 3GE.
You can identify which editor you are using in a few ways, such as by the block and top menus.
Related: Switching from the third-generation email editor to the Cross Device Editor
If you want to create a new email with the CPE experience, simply follow the steps for creating a new email here. Clicking Create will automatically take you to the current editor. If it is time for an email makeover, you might want to consider using the Brandkit Feature to create and save your brand, and then easily apply it to one of our many optimized, pre-built templates.
What happens to my old email campaigns, including those I’ve sent or have already scheduled?
Reporting data for 3GE campaigns will be maintained, as well as their permanent URL (i.e. webpage version). You will not be able to copy previously sent 3GE, and are currently expected to become labeled as “Legacy Email” for their campaign type by the end of October.
There are possible structural differences that might occur during the conversion process, so we strongly recommend you unschedule the campaign, review the email template, make any necessary changes, and then reschedule.
What are the anticipated structural differences that might occur when 3GE converts to CPE?
Certain blocks do not exist in CPE, and will no longer be available when 3GE is retired. If your converted email includes the following blocks, they will change to spacer blocks:
- Coupon blocks
- Donation blocks
- Going forward, the platform you use to collect donations will need to be hyperlinked in your emails, landing pages, or event invites manually. If donations are collected directly from the payment processor (e.g. some PayPal business accounts), we recommend reaching out to their support to make sure you are using the right information to insert in your email campaigns.
- Eventbrite blocks
- Going forward, you will have to manually hyperlink your Eventbrite events in your email campaign.
- SurveyMonkey blocks
- Going forward, you will have to manually hyperlink your SurveyMonkey surveys in your email campaign.
Related:
Insert, style, or remove text links in an email
Clickable image links in an email
Insert and customize a button in an email
The Cross Device Editor has expanded formatting options not available in 3GE. If you notice any differences, you can quickly and easily resolve the formatting issues in CPE.
- Use the Section editor to manually widen emails.
- Background colors for specific blocks can be readjusted using the Section editor or Design tab.
- Custom dividers only available in certain 3GE email templates will have to be inserted as images with transparent backgrounds, or they will be left as invisible spacers in CPE.
- Change fonts using the Design tab, or manually format the text with the editing toolbar.
- Insert, adjust, or remove columns with the available column options under Layouts.
- Image sizes can be adjusted manually.
- Some buttons will appear rounded, but can be changed back to square, if preferred.
If you notice any other differences not mentioned already, please let us know and we will make sure it gets in front of our developers and update the list accordingly.
How can I familiarize myself with the Cross Device Editor?
We recommend reviewing the following articles:
- Switching from the third-generation email editor to the Cross Device Editor
- Get to know the Cross Device Email Editor
- Blocks available in the Third-Generation and Cross Device email editors
Once you feel confident with the changes, you can now create a new email in CPE.
If I still need assistance with using CPE, who can I contact?
Constant Contact provides a ton of different channels to support you in your marketing endeavors. You are welcome to ask questions here on the Community, or you can check our Help Center for more options, including phone support – where you can share your Constant Contact browser tab with a live agent for a more direct, 1:1 learning experience.
For some additional resources on crafting and tweaking your email, consider some of the following guides:
- How to create the perfect email (downloadable PDF)
- Make a great-looking email (Help article)
- Fill a newsletter-style email with engaging content (Help article)
- Best practices for designing emails for mobile (Help article)
- Edit an email in the Constant Contact mobile app (Help article)
- Use the Content Generator to write email, landing page, social, and SMS content for you (Help article)
- Creating your first email (Community New Customer Hub)
- Create a reusable email template (Help article)
I have some feedback regarding CPE. Where should I share it?
Our developers love getting insight from our customers! Please feel free to leave feedback with any of our support channels, or visit the Product Ideas board here on the Community. Please keep our Community Guidelines in mind and include as much information as possible; including specific use cases, so our developers have a clear vision on how the requested feature might improve the Constant Contact experience.
If your feedback includes sensitive account information, please send an email to social_support(at)constantcontact(dot)com and include your account username, so we can identify your account and track the feedback accordingly.
