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How to Create an Email with the Email Builder

Creating a custom email with your own branding and layout is simple with the ContactMonkey Email Builder. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to build a new email from scratch.

Accessing the Email Builder

You can get to your dashboard and the Builder in one of two ways:

From Your Web Browser

  1. Log in to ContactMonkey based on the region your organisation's data is stored in
  2. Click Emails
  3. Click Create New Email
  4. Select either a pre-made template or start from scratch
  5. Add a name, tag(s), and toggle on the Dynamic Content/Multi-Language features if applicable
  6. Click Create
Image 2025-09-23 at 8.32.13 AM

From the Outlook 365 Add-in:

  1. Open a new message in Outlook
  2. In the top ribbon, click Apps → ContactMonkey → Dashboard to launch it in your browser
  3. Click Emails
  4. Click Create New Email
  5. Select either a pre-made template or start from scratch
  6. Add a name, tag(s), and toggle on the Dynamic Content/Multi-Language features if applicable
  7. Click Create
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Step 1: Configure General Email Settings

Click the Settings tab in the right-hand menu to configure the overall look and feel of your email.

  • Content area width: This sets the maximum width of your email content. We recommend a width between 600px and 800px for optimal readability on most devices.
  • Content area alignment: This controls whether your content is aligned to the left or centered.
  • Background color: This is the color of the outermost edges of your email, visible on wider screens.
  • Content area background color: This is the color directly behind your text, images, and other content.
    • Tip: For a classic look, set the Background color to a light grey and leave the Content area background color as white or transparent.
  • Default font: Choose a default font for your email. You can still change the font for specific text blocks later.
  • Link color: Customize the color of all hyperlinks in your email to match your brand.
  • Metadata: Enter or generate a subject line and preheader text that will automatically be applied to your email before you send - learn more here.

You can also set Default Colors for your brand in the top ribbon. Add your company's hex codes here to make them easily accessible when designing your content. More information on custom branding can be found here.

ContactMonkey _ Templates - Google Chrome 2025-09-23 at 9.50.43 AM

Step 2: Build Your Layout with Rows

Before you can add content like text or images, you must first create the structure of your email using rows.

Important: Always drag a Row into your email before dragging in a Content block. This ensures your email displays correctly across all email clients and devices.

From the Rows tab on the right, drag and drop different row layouts into the email canvas. You can choose from single-column rows or multi-column layouts to organize your content.

To reorder rows, simply click and hold the four-pointed arrow icon that appears to the left of the row and drag it to a new position.

Screen Recording 2025-09-23 at 09.55.12.15 AM

Step 3: Add Your Content

Once your rows are in place, navigate to the Content tab on the right. From here, you can drag and drop different content blocks (like Text, Image, Button, etc.) into the empty columns you created.

Click on any content block to open its specific properties menu on the right.

Screen Recording 2025-09-23 at 10.01.06.05 AM

Step 4: Saving Your Work

The Email Builder includes an auto-save feature to protect your work as you go. However, to ensure all changes are securely stored, we strongly recommend manually saving your progress.

Note: Always click the Save and Exit button in the top right corner before closing the window or if you plan to be away from your computer for an extended period.

See Also

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