HTML email template option

David Taylor 2 · June 2015

Hi there - my organisation is currently considering using Online Express. From what I've read - you can't use your own HTML for emails (ie - there's no code tab to add your own existing HTML templates). Is that correct? If so - would you consider including that option in the future?

David Taylor 2 · June 2015

Hi Matt - thanks for the quick reply. That's a shame, as the interface for Online Express looks in general to be much better than Netcommunity. Though I guess Netcommunity is our only option if we want to use our own templates. Personally, I think not giving customers the choice to add their own HTML is a bit of a mistake. A lot of the most popular email marketing services - MailChimp, Campaign monitor etc promote their template builders, but still give customers the option of using their own code.

Jennifer Chase 2 · June 2015

I agree with you, David. I understand the desire to have templates and the reasons for them, but having the option for a fully custom email would be great too.

David Taylor 2 · June 2015

Thanks for the support Jennifer. I've had a good read through the comments on this forum - and it does seem bugs are encountered with the pre-made templates from time to time (Image stretching on mobile, some alignment problems, some Outlook 7 issues). If we were able to use our own HTML, we'd be able to sort any issues - or at least be responsible for them ourselves - rather than waiting for a fix or workaround from the Online Express team.

Matthew Garbarino · June 2015

Hi David. You are correct, Online Express does not let you directly edit the HTML of an email. Some customers like yourself may have the expertise to create the complicated markup that goes into a responsive email, but most do not. Online Express handles the markup for you, automatically creating responsive emails without any code.

The ability to edit the entire HTML is probably not something that will be added to Online Express in the foreseeable future. We have discussed the ability to add a custom HTML widget that would occupy a contained area of the email, but this is something we are still discussing and it isn't on our short term list.

Nate Laning 2 · September 2015

I would also like to see Online Express incorporate an HTML editor option. We switched from NetCommunity to OLX for the easier email designer, but we've already encountered bugs with the "stock" code it uses. Some of those bugs were things that could easily be fixed with a small change to the HTML code.

For our organization, the email editor in OLX would be used to build the bulk of the email, while small tweaks would be made by accessing the HTML. NetCommunity was basically HTML or nothing, because the editor was junk. Providing customers with HTML access would definitely make OLX better.

Danielle Allen 2 · September 2015

Matt Garbarino:

Hi David. You are correct, Online Express does not let you directly edit the HTML of an email. Some customers like yourself may have the expertise to create the complicated markup that goes into a responsive email, but most do not. Online Express handles the markup for you, automatically creating responsive emails without any code.

The ability to edit the entire HTML is probably not something that will be added to Online Express in the foreseeable future. We have discussed the ability to add a custom HTML widget that would occupy a contained area of the email, but this is something we are still discussing and it isn't on our short term list.

I have definitely found that the HTML templates are not great and could easily be fixed if I could access the code. I don't see why this isn't even an option - a lot of people using email marketing tools have been forced to learn basic HTML.. or in my case, are web developers. We should at least have the option.

Karl Hinze · November 2015

Hear, hear -- an HTML option would be huge. So much time gets wasted wrestling with the highly limited Online Express tools on things that could be fixed with a line of HTML. It's also frustrating to have to say "no" to so many email design requests from people who are accustomed to seeing campaigns done in Mailchimp and the like. Please consider adding this feature!

Nate Laning 2 · November 2015

Since my last post, we have encountered multiple instances where actual HTML code bleeds through into our emails. That has caused me to distrust the editor even more. If I could access the code directly, I may be able to avoid some of these issues. There's nothing like reading an email about an upcoming 5K race only to be interrupted by a tag and some font styling in line CSS code! We've already begun to look at alternative email editors because of our disappointment with the product.

Patty Cline · December 2015

Agree - html access should be an option. Those who know it can access it, and those who don't can ignore it. Even without html training, most tech savvy folks can scroll the internet and find reasonable html fixes to email issues.

Mary Weaver · December 2015

Here's what's funny. When we post to the [free] online community, we can choose to view and/or mess with the source code.

Yet in our paid product we have no such access.

Ironic, huh?

I have some very nice tools that allow me to create custom html emails . . . but since I can't import source to OLX, I can only use the tools when I create messages for GetResponse.

Really, OLX--I recommend you get a GetResponse account, study its tools, and then make them available in OLX.

;-)

Danielle Allen 2 · December 2015

and MailChimp too - really missing my options in MailChimp and we're debating about going back to it.

Mary Weaver · December 2015

Amen. This is just one of the reasons why I have not closed my GetResponse account and continue to use it for certain messages.

Patty Cline · June 2016

Sent out an email yesterday that does not display properly for users who use MS Outlook. There are html code fixes to this problem, but since we don't have access to the code, we can't fix the problem. It's embarassing to send emails that show html code instead of OLX social media icons, and to have links that go nowhere. Blackbaud, can you at least tell us WHY you don't want to give your paying customers access to the code?

Roxann Campbell 2 · November 2016

Matt Garbarino:

Hi David. You are correct, Online Express does not let you directly edit the HTML of an email. Some customers like yourself may have the expertise to create the complicated markup that goes into a responsive email, but most do not. Online Express handles the markup for you, automatically creating responsive emails without any code.

The ability to edit the entire HTML is probably not something that will be added to Online Express in the foreseeable future. We have discussed the ability to add a custom HTML widget that would occupy a contained area of the email, but this is something we are still discussing and it isn't on our short term list.

Roxann Campbell 2 · November 2016

Matt Garbarino:

Hi David. You are correct, Online Express does not let you directly edit the HTML of an email. Some customers like yourself may have the expertise to create the complicated markup that goes into a responsive email, but most do not. Online Express handles the markup for you, automatically creating responsive emails without any code.

The ability to edit the entire HTML is probably not something that will be added to Online Express in the foreseeable future. We have discussed the ability to add a custom HTML widget that would occupy a contained area of the email, but this is something we are still discussing and it isn't on our short term list.

Curious to know if BB is moving forward with the ability to edit the HTML code? I agree with the many comments where it would be very helpful to be able to fix spacing, bullets and other simple fixes that create a finished marketing piece.

Michele Stender · November 2016

Roxann Campbell:

Matt Garbarino:

Hi David. You are correct, Online Express does not let you directly edit the HTML of an email. Some customers like yourself may have the expertise to create the complicated markup that goes into a responsive email, but most do not. Online Express handles the markup for you, automatically creating responsive emails without any code.

The ability to edit the entire HTML is probably not something that will be added to Online Express in the foreseeable future. We have discussed the ability to add a custom HTML widget that would occupy a contained area of the email, but this is something we are still discussing and it isn't on our short term list.

Curious to know if BB is moving forward with the ability to edit the HTML code? I agree with the many comments where it would be very helpful to be able to fix spacing, bullets and other simple fixes that create a finished marketing piece.

Hi, As most of you know, we built Online Express to be a simple yet effective tool for those organziatios who don't have time or ability to work with HTML which is how the current gen of Online Express will remain. We do understand that the ability to add more customization to your emails is a market need which is why we do have products available that give you access to the HTML. We are also in the process of building our next generation of email which will give you a diverse range of editing options for your email design which will include some drag and drop tiles like you experience today in Online Express but with lots more options like an HTML widget. We look forward to releasing more information about this in 2017!

~Michele Stender

Katie Marquardt · March 2017

I just want to weigh in here by saying I wish html editing was an option. Not only do I enjoy working in the html setting at times, we sometimes have partners who ask us to send emails to our constituents on their behalf and send us the html code. With BBNC it was very easy to copy and paste the html into the html editor. Now I have to create the email from scratch. Very time-consuming....

Having an html editor option obviously would not inconvenience people who don't know html, as they would NEVER be forced to click on it and attempt editing the html on their own. But for the thousands of nonprofits out there who have email marketing professionals (like myself) this is sort of a no-brainer option to give them. I'm wondering what the motive behind not offereing it is...?

Matthew Whitenack 2 · April 2017

David Taylor:

Hi there - my organisation is currently considering using Online Express. From what I've read - you can't use your own HTML for emails (ie - there's no code tab to add your own existing HTML templates). Is that correct? If so - would you consider including that option in the future?

I Also want to very strongly suggest that you give us the ability to directly edit the HTML of email messages created in Online Express. This is a basic option in most commonly used email marketing solutions.

Charles Goldberg · August 2017

David Taylor:

Hi there - my organisation is currently considering using Online Express. From what I've read - you can't use your own HTML for emails (ie - there's no code tab to add your own existing HTML templates). Is that correct? If so - would you consider including that option in the future?

I am a new user of Online Express having moved over from NetCommunity this week. I am dismayed that there is no HTML editing available. That feature really needs to be added.

Megan Luebke · October 2017

David Taylor:

Hi there - my organisation is currently considering using Online Express. From what I've read - you can't use your own HTML for emails (ie - there's no code tab to add your own existing HTML templates). Is that correct? If so - would you consider including that option in the future?

I agree - even if organizations don't have someone with HTML knowledge, you need to provide this option for those of us who do. This is a terrible disservice to your paying clients. Most of the popular email platform offers this. I find that HTML is easy to learn and if you're going into the field of email marketing, you must learn it anyway. Please add this option.

Charles Goldberg · October 2017

The email templates available are mostly good and meet most of my needs. However, they don't do everything I would like to do and I become frustrated about not being able to tweak things with some simple HTML coding, It sounds like Blackbaud is committed to adding the HTML editing feature and I hope they move quickly on this feature that is available in every other email tool I have used -- inclduing Blackbaud's own NetCommunity.

Rachel Bailey · October 2017

You can vote to enable html editing in the Idea Bank here:

HTML email template option

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please enable html option in Online Express e-mail creator

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