Email Templates Setup

This guide walks you through creating your first reusable email template in GoHighLevel. Templates save time, ensure brand consistency, and serve as starting points for campaigns and workflow emails.

Prerequisites

Before building your first template, gather these assets:

Brand logo and header images stored in the platform’s media library or accessible via URL
Brand colors (hex codes for primary and secondary colors)
Standard fonts (web-safe or Google Fonts you want to use consistently)
Sample body copy or content structure you plan to use repeatedly
Unsubscribe link requirements and legal footer text

Access the Templates Section

Navigate to your Sub-account and click Marketing in the left sidebar. Select Emails from the submenu, then click the Templates tab at the top of the screen.

You will see a list of all existing templates. If this is a new sub-account, the list will be empty. Click New in the top-right corner to begin creating your first template.

Choose Your Creation Method

The platform offers three paths for creating templates. Choose the method that fits your skill level and needs:

Design Builder: Drag-and-drop visual editor for no-code template creation. Best for most users
Code Editor: Write or paste custom HTML and CSS for pixel-perfect control. Best for developers
Import: Bring in templates from Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, or other platforms by sending a test email

For your first template, select Design Builder to use the visual editor. You can always switch to the Code Editor later or import existing templates from other platforms.

Set Global Appearance Defaults

Before adding content, define your brand styling. Click the Appearance icon in the top toolbar (it looks like a paintbrush or palette). Set these global defaults:

Default Font Family: Choose from web-safe fonts (Arial, Helvetica, Georgia) or Google Fonts
Default Font Size: Set base text size (14px to 16px works well for body text)
Default Font Color: Enter your brand’s primary text color hex code
Link Color: Set the color for all hyperlinks (should contrast well with your background)
Background Color: Set the email body background (white or light gray are standard)
Content Width: Keep at 600px for maximum email client compatibility

These settings ensure every element starts with your brand styling. Individual elements can override these defaults when needed.

Build Your Template Structure

Templates are built from stacked sections. Each section contains one or more columns, and each column holds content elements.

Click the Add Elements icon (plus sign) in the toolbar. Browse the layout blocks and drag your chosen layout onto the canvas:

Full-width section: One column spanning the entire email width
Two-column section: Side-by-side columns for image-text layouts
Three-column section: For feature grids or product showcases
Sidebar layout: Main content area with a narrow side column

Arrange sections vertically by dragging them above or below each other. Most email templates follow this structure:

Header section: Logo and optional navigation menu
Hero section: Large banner image or headline
Body sections: Text, images, buttons arranged in your preferred layout
Footer section: Contact info, social links, unsubscribe link

Add Content Elements

Drag elements from the left panel onto your sections. Start with these core blocks:

Visual Elements:

Logo: Upload your brand logo or link to an image URL
Image: Product photos, graphics, icons, or illustrations
Divider: Horizontal lines to separate content sections visually

Text and CTAs:

Heading: Large bold text for section titles (use H1 for primary heading, H2 for subheadings)
Text Block: Body paragraphs for descriptions and details
Button: Call-to-action buttons with customizable text, colors, and link destinations

Engagement Elements:

Social Links: Icon row linking to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter
Video Thumbnail: Clickable image linking to hosted video content
Product Grid: Display multiple products with images and descriptions

Required Element:

Footer: Pre-formatted footer with unsubscribe link, company address, and legal text (this is required for compliance)

Click directly on any text element to edit it inline. Use the formatting toolbar to apply bold, italic, alignment, and hyperlinks.

Configure Personalization Tokens

Insert dynamic contact data into your template using custom values. Click into any text block or subject line field and click the Custom Values icon (or type {{ to trigger the picker).

Common tokens to add:

{{contact.first_name}} for personalized greetings
{{contact.company_name}} for B2B communications
{{contact.email}} for account-related messages
Any custom field you created under Settings > Custom Fields

Tokens render as placeholder text in the editor but display real contact data when the email is sent. Use fallback text for contacts missing data: Hi {{contact.first_name | there}} displays “Hi there” if the first name is blank.

Style Individual Elements

Click any element to open its property panel on the right side. Customize styling:

Text Styling:

Font family, size, weight, color
Line height and letter spacing
Text alignment (left, center, right, justify)

Button Styling:

Button text and link URL
Background color and border
Corner radius (square, rounded, or pill-shaped)
Padding and button size

Section Styling:

Background color or background image
Padding and margins for spacing
Border styles and colors
Visibility toggles (show/hide on desktop or mobile)

Preview and Test on Multiple Devices

Click the Mobile Preview icon in the toolbar to toggle between Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile views. Check that:

Text is readable without zooming
Images scale proportionally and do not overflow
Buttons are large enough to tap easily (minimum 44px height recommended)
Spacing looks balanced on smaller screens

Use the Visibility setting on sections or elements to hide specific content on mobile if needed. For example, you might hide a large hero image on mobile and show a smaller version instead.

Save Your Template

Click Save Template in the top-right corner. Enter a descriptive name that indicates the template’s purpose and audience (for example, “Monthly Newsletter - Residential” or “Abandoned Cart - Ecommerce”). Add optional notes describing when to use this template.

Your template now appears in the Templates list under the My Templates section. You can use it in campaigns and workflows immediately.

Test Your Setup

Verify your template works correctly before using it in live campaigns:

Open the template from the Templates list and click Create Campaign from the three-dot menu
Add test content to the campaign using the template
Send a test email to yourself and at least one team member
Check rendering in Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail if possible
Verify all personalization tokens display placeholder text in the editor
Confirm the unsubscribe link appears in the footer
Check mobile rendering on an actual mobile device or responsive preview tool

Next Steps

Now that your first template is saved, expand your template library:

Create additional templates for different campaign types (newsletters, promotions, welcome sequences, event invitations)
Explore the Templates Library to browse pre-built templates by category and customize them for your brand
Duplicate your template to create variations for A/B testing different layouts
Import templates from other platforms using the Import feature if you are migrating from another email tool
Learn about Email Campaigns to use your templates in one-time broadcast sends
Set up Workflows to use templates in automated email sequences
Review Deliverability Tools to ensure your emails reach the inbox instead of spam folders