How to Build an Email Template with AI

Why This Matters

The AI Email Template Builder turns a description into a designed, reusable email template. Instead of dragging blocks around an editor, you say what you want, watch it appear, and adjust it by talking to it.

The result is a real template that lives in your template library and works in blasts and autoresponders just like any other.

Before You Begin

Have an idea of what the email needs to accomplish and what sections it should contain. The more specific you are, the closer the first version lands.

You also need available AI credits. Your balance is shown in the top right corner of the Builder.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Open the Builder

Go to AI, then AI Builders, then AI Email Template Builder. You can also click Build with AI on the Email Templates list page.

If you have worked in the Builder before, click Continue a recent template session to pick up where you left off, or start fresh.

Step 2: Describe Your Email

Click one of the example prompts, or type your own description in the message box.

Say what the email is for, what sections it should have, and what you want the reader to do. Something like "Create an event invitation email with date, details, and an RSVP button" gives the AI enough to work with. "Make an email" does not.

The AI builds your template and shows it in the preview panel, along with a note about what it made and anything you still need to supply.

Step 3: Refine It

Keep talking to the Builder. Tell it to add a section, reorder things, change the colors, or make the headline bolder. Each message reworks the current version rather than starting over.

After each round, the Builder suggests follow-up ideas you can click, things like adding a map image, including a speaker bio, or adding a testimonial. Use them or ignore them.

Toggle between Desktop and Mobile above the preview to check how the email looks on a phone. Use Undo to step back a change, or Clear to abandon everything and start again.

Focus on the shape of the email here: the sections, their order, and the overall look. Leave the fine wording and the real photos for the editor.

Step 4: Save and Open in the Editor

When the structure is right, click Save & Open in Editor. Name your template, choose a folder, and save.

Your template opens in the full email editor. This is where you swap the placeholder images for your real photos, tighten the copy, add merge fields, and get it ready to send.

💡 Saving is a one way door. Once your template is in the editor, you cannot return to the AI Builder for it. Do all your structural changes with the AI first.

Step 5: Use It

Your template now sits in your template library like any other. Send it as a blast, drop it into an autoresponder, or use it as a step in a workflow.

The unsubscribe link and your mailing address are added automatically when the email is sent, so you do not need to build them into the template.

Questions and Answers

Q: The preview has grey boxes where the images should be. Why?

A: Those are placeholders. The Builder is working out the layout, not choosing your photos. Replace them with your real images once the template opens in the editor.

Q: Can I get back into the Builder after I save?

A: No. Saving hands the template over to the editor, and that is where you finish it. Anything structural should be settled before you save.

Q: The preview does not look exactly like the final email. Is that normal?

A: Yes. The preview is close but approximate. Save the template to see exactly how it will look.

Q: I want a written email, not a designed template. Am I in the right place?

A: Probably not. The Builder produces a designed template with layout and styling. If you just want the words, use the AI Writer instead. It is faster and costs fewer credits.

Q: Can I keep working on something I started yesterday?

A: Yes. Click Recent to see your last ten template sessions and open any of them to continue.

Q: Does the template include merge fields?

A: The Builder adds common ones like the contact's first name. Any custom merge fields you need are best added in the editor.

Guide Type: How-To Guide

Estimated Time: 5 minutes