If you create and send emails and newsletters, that process is about to get a whole lot easier. As a result of your valuable feedback, this fall we’re going to launch a brand-new version of the WildApricot email editor.
This page is your guide to getting started with the new editor. You'll learn:
For a quick demo of the most commonly used features of the new email editor, you can watch this video where Kate, our Product Content Manager, shows you how to builds an email using the new email editor.
For detailed notes on what's changing in the new editor and exactly what you can do with the features, we suggest you take a look at these pages on our Help Site:
To skip ahead to a specific section or question, you can click the links below.
When will I be able to use the new email editor?
Does this apply to automatic emails like event emails?
Are these improvements going to be applied to the website editor too?
Formatting emails
Can I add anchor links into emails, so people can jump to sections of content?
Can I show column borders, rather than the divide being invisible?
Can I adjust column widths?
What is padding?
Will the color palette include my site default colors?
Can I control the transparency of the background image?
Can I put a border around the whole email?
Can I use custom fonts? Or will you be adding any more fonts to the selection?
Can I format buttons?
Can the HTML of the email be exported to other systems?
Will an ‘unsubscribe’ option be automatically included? Can you edit this?
Can you add social media links to emails?
Gadgets
Can I add more than one gadget into each column?
Can you insert an image into text gadgets?
How do I wrap text around an image?
Can you use a button to attach a document?
Can I add event widgets into my emails?
How can I include location maps?
Templates
Will my old emails and templates still be available?
Will you add new predesigned templates?
Should I convert the tables in my existing templates into multicolumn layouts?
Sending emails
Does the new email editor include options for AB testing?
Can I still send a test email?
Can I attach a file to an email?
The new email editor will be launched in Version 7.6 of WildApricot, which we are planning to release in the first half of November. However, this is still in the process of being tested, so we can’t give a definite date yet.
When the new email editor is launched in Version 7.6, it will only apply to manual emails created and sent from the Email module – it will not apply to automatic emails like invoices, membership reminders and event confirmation. We are planning to transfer these emails to the new email editor in the future, and we will keep you updated on when this will be available.
We are currently working on improvements to the website builder that will make it easier to use, but these will be different to the email editor updates.
Yes. In the text gadget, click the link button to view the anchor link options. For a guide to adding anchor links, see this page on our Help Site.
Yes, you can add and edit borders on each column in the Layout settings panel.
You can add 1-column, 2-column, and 3-column layouts of equal widths, and left sidebar and right sidebar layouts with one column half the width of the other. However, you can’t adjust the width of each column.
Padding is the blank space around the top, bottom and sides of elements such as buttons and images. You can edit the amount of padding around each element in the settings panel.
No, your website color palette will not be reflected in the email editor color palette. However, you can use the exact same colors as your website in your emails by entering the hex code or RGB value for a color.
No, you cannot control the transparency of a background image within the email editor. You can, however, add and replace background images, and set whether the image should repeat or tile. You can also add a background color that will be visible for recipients whose email clients don’t support background images.
The new email editor doesn’t include an option to add a border for the email as a whole. However, you can add a border around your whole email by using an image that includes a border as the background image for the email.
You can’t upload custom fonts to use in the email editor, and we don’t currently have plans to add more fonts to the existing selection. However, if you are looking to upload custom fonts to use in your website, this Help Site article will show you how.
Yes. In the Button settings panel on the right, you can edit the text, font, text color, size, roundness, padding, orientation and more.
No - you can’t access the HTML of the entire email, only any HTML entered in custom HTML gadgets.
For manual email blasts, WildApricot automatically includes an {Unsubscribe_Url} macro in your email.
Alternatively, you can manually add a unsubscribe macro by using the Macro button in a text gadget. You can then also add your own custom text.
The new email editor does not include a gadget specifically for adding social media links, but you can include these by using either the image gadget, the button gadget or the text gadget.
You can insert the icon of a social media platform using the image gadget, and then link this icon to your social media profile using the Image settings panel. When someone clicks on the icon, they will be taken to your profile.
You can insert a button with a call to action, e.g. Follow us on Facebook. Drag and drop a button gadget into your layout, add your text and format the button as necessary, and add a link to your social media profile using the Button settings panel.
You can also insert a text link. To do this, drag and drop a text gadget into your layout, add the text you want turn into a link, then highlight it and click the link icon in the tool bar. You can paste a link to your social media profile in the box that appears.
Yes, you can drag and drop multiple of the same or different gadgets into each column.
You can copy and paste images into text gadgets. However, we strongly recommend using the image gadget to add images as this gives you more control over how the image looks.
We recommend arranging text gadgets above, below, and beside an image gadget to approximate text wrapping. See the video below for an example of how to do this.
Alternatively, you can copy and paste content with text wrapping, or insert an HTML gadget and add code to wrap text around an image.
You can’t link a button directly to a file, but you can still insert a link to a file within a text gadget. Click the File option in the tool bar and select your file from the list to insert a link.
Alternatively, to use a button to access a file, you could add the file to a page on your website and link the button to this page.
No, you can’t add an event widget into your emails. If you’re looking to include your event calendar, you could include an image of the calendar and a button that links to the event calendar on your website.
You can insert an image of a map using the image gadget and add a link to your website or an online map service.
Alternatively, if you’re comfortable using HTML you can use the custom HTML gadget to insert an iframe of an interactive map.
Yes, you will still be able to access and edit your existing emails and templates.
Once the new email editor has launched, these emails and templates will be converted to the new editor on the first occasion that you open them. There may be some minor formatting changes after this conversion has taken place – you will be able to make any edits using the new email editor. In the unlikely occasion that there are substantial changes, please contact Support.
If you don’t open existing emails after the new email editor is launched, they will remain in the old editor and you will be able to send them as usual.
We don’t currently have plans to add any more templates to the existing selection.
Any tables in existing templates will remain as tables when they are converted to the new email editor, however you won’t be able to adjust any of the table properties. If you were using tables to structure your layout, the formatting may look different to how you intended once the template has been converted. We recommend rebuilding the template using the new layout system, as this gives you more control over how your email looks.
The update to the email editor does not include adding the option to AB test.
Yes, you will still be able to send a test email to yourself by clicking the Send a test button in the top right corner.
You cannot attach files (like PDF files) to an email, but you can include a link to a file stored on your WildApricot account. To do this, click the File option in the tool bar of a text gadget. You can then select your file from the list to insert a link.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch with our Support team.
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