Act-On's new Email Composer offers more advanced styling and building options, mobile-focused formatting, and enhanced usability, as well as features for targeted email delivery and automated personalization of messages.
Legacy Emails
New emails or templates use the new composer. Emails created before the new composer was available use the legacy composer to edit & are indicated "Legacy":New Message
- Go to Outbound > New Message. A new browser tab opens:
- Click the Blank message tile (not the menu at the bottom).
A blank email opens in the new Email Composer with three tabs on the left: Settings, Design, & Send Details. You can customize your blank message.
You can also:
- Create a Plain Text Only Email or Upload HTML Code to Create an Email.
- Create a message with the legacy email composer (menu at the bottom). See the Legacy Email Composer User Guide.
Settings
Begin building your new email in the Settings tab of the Email Composer:
| Feature (*required) | Description |
| Internal email title* | This is for your own reference in Act-On, displaying in email listing pages and reports, and is not visible in the email sent to contacts. |
| Subject line* | The subject line that contacts will see in their inbox. This can include personalization and emojis. Also, see Tips for Email Subject Lines for suggestions. |
| Preview text | Shows in the recipient's inbox next to the subject line. This can include personalization. For help creating effective preview text, check out Litmus' Ultimate Guide to Preview Text. |
| Sender* | Identify the person sending the message. This will appear in the From field of your email message and can be personalized based on the contact's information. |
| Reply to* | Identify the email address for replies to your message. This list is identical to the Sender list, but the selection does not have to match. Tip: Specify a no-reply@ address if you do not manage replies. To do this, add the no-reply address to your account's From addresses. |
| Internal Tracking > Subscription category |
Enables email contacts to opt in or out of specific email categories. The Subscription Management feature must be enabled for this option to appear. |
| Internal Tracking > Act-On campaign |
Select an Act-On Campaign from the dropdown menu to add your email message for consolidated reporting. The Campaigns feature allows you to group multiple emails, Forms, Landing Pages, and media into a single report. |
| Analytics Tracking | Append custom query string data (parameters and values) to the clickthrough links in your message for enhanced custom analytics and functions. Learn more |
| Transactional Email | If applicable, confirm that the email does not contain any marketing or advertising material. Use of this feature has implications for your CAN-SPAM compliance. Learn more |
Design
Use the Email Composer to create your email. Set Global Styles for the initial layout, drag and drop Rows and Content Blocks to the stage from the sidebar, and then fine-tune your design elements like colors, fonts, and more. Options available in the sidebar reflect what is selected in the stage.
Global Styles
The Global styles tab is your starting point for any design, allowing you to establish global design elements that both Rows and Content Blocks will inherit.
Here, you can manage the following:
- Content area width and alignment
- Background colors
- A background image
- Default font and link colors
These settings bring cohesion to your design, ensuring elements like font families are consistent throughout unless overridden by custom settings in Rows or Content Blocks. Learn more
Rows
Rows serve as the foundational layout elements, defining the horizontal arrangement of sections within your design. Features include:
- Up to six columns, accommodating various content elements side by side. See Column Management.
- Ability to choose different column configurations.
- Customizable features like background color, border, and mobile behavior for each row or specific columns within a row. See Row Properties.
- "+Add new" button to add new columns and a separator icon for resizing existing columns.
- Individual column settings like background color, padding, and border are accessible by clicking on the column in the sidebar.
- Dynamic content: Choose whether to display a Row in the email depending on the conditions you define. See Dynamic Content.
- Save Rows: Save a Row design to use again.
Content Blocks
Content Blocks are your go-to for adding specific elements to your design.
Essentials
| Content Block | Description |
| Title | Implement header tags, creating a structured hierarchy within your design. This is beneficial for both web accessibility and SEO, without the need for custom HTML. Learn more |
| Paragraph | Optimized for long-form text, offering greater control over styles and spacing. Learn more |
|
Button |
Add a Call to Action button to open a web page, link to Landing Pages & assets such as media files, etc. Learn more |
| Image | Creatively incorporate images into your email messages. Learn more |
| Divider | Insert a physical line into your design, segmenting different parts visually. Learn more |
| List | Create ordered or unordered lists, including customizable styles and spacing options. Learn more |
| Table | Add a table with many options for rows, columns, borders, backgrounds & cell contents. Learn more |
Branding
| Content Block | Description |
| Header |
Email headers are standard practice for email marketing, so select the header you want from a default or available custom headers. |
| Footer | Email footers can include your branding, personalization, and options to view-in-browser, opt-out, etc. Select from the default or available custom footers. |
| Signature | Use email signatures for consistent message branding, personalized to individuals, or for account-wide use. Select from the available signatures. |
Additional Content
| Content Block | Description |
| AI Create | Use the technology of OpenAI to create new content for your emails with Act-On AI Create. Learn more |
| HTML | Customize your emails further with HTML code. Learn more Tip: Use these to add anchor links. Learn more |
| Icons | Icons use text and images together & can replace traditional bullet points, making the layout more interactive and visually appealing. Learn more |
| Social | Provide your recipients with links to your social channels. The social media icon collection features are similar to the icon Content Block. |
| Event | Add details of either in-person or online events to your email design. Learn more |
| Video | Add links to video content to engage your audience. Learn more |
| Poll | Send out single-question polls in your email design. Learn more |
Other Design Features
- Content Blocks auto-adjust to the column width when dragged into a Row. See Content Block Selection.
- Individual settings for each Content Block, like custom Padding & Hide on desktop or mobile, are accessible via Block options at the bottom of the sidebar once the block is selected. Learn more
- Popup formatting options are available for selected text in Title, Paragraph, Button, List, Table, & AI Create blocks. Learn more
- Copy & delete options are available at the bottom right of any selected Content Block.
- To move a Content Block, use at the right of the block.
- Undo, Redo, and History are available at the bottom left. Learn more
Autosave
All your changes are autosaved in the email composer, showing the saved status at the top right:
Send Details
Recipients
Select lists, segments, or individual contacts to send your message to. Options will vary depending on your user privileges.
- In the Recipients area, click Select contacts.
- Select either Choose entire lists or segments or Choose specific contacts from a list or segment.
- Using the drop-down box in the upper left corner, choose from your Accounts List, Marketing List, Form Submissions, Webinar Lists, or Act-On Contacts.
- Search for & select the list(s) or segment(s) you would like added to your mailing (only one if choosing specific contacts):
- Once you have selected your list, click Submit.
If Choosing specific contacts, click Next, select the contacts you want from the list, and click Add recipients.
The Recipients area shows your selections. To remove any, hover over and click Remove on the right.
Suppression
Select lists and segments to suppress your message against. Any contacts present in both a sending list and a suppression list will not be sent to. Duplicates found when you send to multiple lists at once will automatically receive just one message. See the article Creating a Segment for further information.
- In the Suppression area, click Select contacts.
- Using the drop-down box in the upper left corner, choose from your Accounts List, Marketing List, Form Submissions, Webinar Lists, or Act-On Contacts.
- Select the lists or segments you would like to suppress against.
- Once you have selected your list, click Submit.
- To prevent email addresses from receiving this email more than once select Suppress duplicates.
- Select Use suppression fatigue rules to prevent contacts from receiving too many emails, using a set of rules limiting the number of marketing emails a recipient can send over a specified period. Learn more
Send Method
Choose to either send the message immediately or schedule it to be sent at a later time. See Choosing an Email Send Method.
Preview Mode
At the top right of the Email Composer, click Preview to see what your email will look like when delivered. When you have finished, click Done at the top right to close.
Desktop/Mobile
At the top center, switch between an approximation of how your email will look on a Desktop or Mobile client. Learn more
Inbox preview
Generate representations of how your email will look on different email clients, operating systems, and devices. Features include:
- Download images of the emails
- Switch on image-blocking
Other Preview Features
Along the bottom of the preview window:
- Dark mode: Simulate how your email looks on devices with dark mode activated. Learn more
- Plain text: See the plain text version of your email. Learn more
- View HTML code: View, download, or copy HTML code for your email. Learn more
- Email size: See the size of your email, with an indicator & best practice advice. For example, Gmail clips emails that are larger than 102KB in size. When Gmail clips the message, it also clips the tracking code that accounts for opens, which can affect the accuracy of your tracking results.
In the Details tab:
- Preview personalization: See the personalization that will be applied to the email for the email recipients. Learn more
- Preview dynamic content: See the content that will appear in the email for recipients who meet the defined conditions. Learn more
- Email setting details are also shown.
In the Check for errors tab:
- Email validation: Validate email content and review required fields and issues that may impact deliverability or prevent you from sending your email. Learn more
At the top right:
- Download an HTML or PDF version of your email. Learn more
- Send test email: Click to send a test email. Learn more
- The menu has options to:
- Edit plain text: Edit the plain text version of your email. Learn more
- View HTML code: View, download, or copy the HTML code for your email.
- Print: a copy of your email design with your browser's print options.
- Click Done to close Preview Mode.
Review, Send & Resend
See:
- How to Validate an Email Message for Sending.
- Add Recipients & Resend
- Microsoft Outlook Email Rendering and Troubleshooting Guide