Create and configure an email in Webmecanik Automation

Step 1: Start creating the email

1. Go to the left sidebar menu and click Channels > Emails.
2. Click the New + button in the upper-right corner of the screen.
3. Choose the desired email type:
   • Segment email: Ideal for newsletters or one-time communications to specific lists.
   • Automated email: Intended to be triggered automatically by actions in your campaigns or through form submissions.

Step 2: Configure general settings

• Subject: The subject displayed directly in your recipients' inboxes. You can use the Suggest a subject with AI button to optimize your wording and make it more compelling.
• Internal name: The administrative name that identifies this email in your Webmecanik Automation interface (not visible to contacts).
• Preheader text: The header or subtitle displayed immediately after the subject in most email clients, ideal for encouraging opens.
• Contact segment (specific to segment emails): The contact segment or segments targeted by the distribution.
• Exclude segment: The segments whose contacts should automatically be excluded from the send, even if they are included in the targeted segment.
• Category: Used to classify and organize your campaigns within your instance.
• Language & Translation: Set the language of the message or link it to a parent version if it is a language variant.
• Publication status: An email must be set to Published: Yes to be sent or activated in a campaign.
• Published on / Unpublished on: Lets you define a strict distribution period (the general "Published" option must remain set to "Yes").
• Unsubscribe form & Preference Center: Associate a specific form or redirect contacts to your preference center so they can manage their subscriptions.
• UTM parameters: Enter your tracking tags (campaign, source, medium) to automatically tag all hyperlinks in the content.

Step 3: Choose the design mode and secure your work

• Pre-designed or custom themes: Browse the templates available in your instance and click Select under the model of your choice. To save time when creating content, you can also create your own theme from an existing email. 🎨
• Code Mode: To import or directly develop a custom HTML/CSS structure. 💻

💾 How autosave works

• Required trigger: For autosave to start, the email must first be saved manually. Enter at least the subject, internal name (and a segment, if applicable), then click Save.
• Restore: If your page is closed unexpectedly, reopen the email from the list and select Unsaved version detected in the dialog box to recover your recent changes.
  
• Warning: Using the "Cancel" button abandons changes made since the last save.

Step 4: Design the message in the Email Builder

💡 Need to master the builder in detail?

Find a complete step-by-step learning path in Webmecanik Academy in the dedicated course: “The software's main features of Webmecanik Automation”.

 

1. General options (Options tab)

• Width: Adjust the total width of the email body (a setting between 580 px and 600 px is recommended for universal rendering).
• Background color: Set the email's background color.
• Link color: Apply a color consistent with your brand guidelines to all text hyperlinks.
• Font family: Determine the default typography applied to your text blocks.

2. Adding components and columns (Components tab)

• Structure: Choose between 1-column, 2-column, or 3-column layouts to divide your sections.
• Basic blocks:
  • Text: Write content with a complete formatting bar (bold, italics, bullets, links, colors).
  • Image: Add hosted or uploaded visuals, define dimensions, and add alternative text (alt text).
  • Button: Customizable call to action (links, margins, rounded corners).
  • Divider & Spacer: Manage spacing and give content room to breathe.
  • Social: Integrate links to your social networks.
  • Code & Video: Add specific HTML snippets or dynamic video thumbnails.

3. Advanced customization (Styles tab)

• Typography & margins: Precisely adjust the font size, weight, line height, letter spacing, and internal margins (padding) at the top, right, bottom, and left.
• “Default for future...” button: Save the style of a block (e.g., a specific heading or button) to apply it by default to all future similar blocks.
• Section styles: By clicking the outer frame of a section, set a global background color or borders, or adjust the proportion occupied by each column.

4. Dynamic customization and productivity

• Contact merge fields: Dynamically personalize your content using tags such as {contactfield=alias} (e.g., {contactfield=firstname}) or select the desired attributes directly from the Variables drop-down menu in the text editor.
• Content variants: Show or hide certain blocks according to specific audience criteria within the same email using dynamic content.
• Block management: Use the contextual action icons above each block or section to duplicate, rearrange, or delete a component.
• Undo / Redo: The arrow icons in the upper-left corner let you instantly undo an action if you make a mistake.
• Responsive preview: The icons in the top bar let you check how your layout appears on Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile. 📱

Step 5: Customize advanced sending settings

• Sender: The sender name visible to your recipients (e.g., Webmecanik First Name).
• From address: The email address used to send the message. ⚠️ Important: The domain name of this address must have been validated and authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) in your Webmecanik Automation instance. Any send from an uncertified domain will be blocked. To validate a new sending domain, submit your request to support@webmecanik.com.
• Reply-to address: The address where direct replies from your contacts will be received.