How do I create an email? – Webmecanik

Emails are at the core of the Webmecanik Automation software. That's why it is important to create them carefully to maximize both deliverability and open rate.

How to create an email?

Click on "Channels" then "Emails".
Click on "New" to create a new email.
Choose between an "Triggered Email" (email that can be sent via a campaign or a form) or a "Manual Email" (segment email sent manually).
Fill out the right-hand side:
The Subject corresponds to the email subject that appears directly in the inboxes.
The Internal Name is the name given to the email, which you find in the list of created emails.
The Contact Segment(s) to choose for sending the email (this option is only available for a segment email).
Preview (Subheading): To add a pre-header to your email. The pre-header will display after the subject line in your contacts' inboxes.
It is possible to add a Category to the email.
It is possible to define a language for the email or specify if it is a translation of an existing email.
Publishing the email is important, as an email cannot be sent if it is not published.
Manual emails can be sent automatically via this option. Consult the article on scheduling segment emails for more information : https://support.webmecanik.com/hc/en-us/articles/10659583310236-How-to-schedule-my-emails
It is possible to assign an unsubscribe form to an email. In this case, the contact who clicks on the unsubscribe link will be redirected to the chosen form.
Another option is to assign a preference center to the email. When the contact clicks on the unsubscribe link, they are redirected to the preference center to indicate their preferences or unsubscribe.
Finally, it is possible to add UTMs to the emails. The specified UTM tags will be added to all links in your email.
The second step is to choose a Theme to create the email.
There are default themes in the instance. It is also possible to develop your own theme and import it into Automation. (For this, consult the article on [theme creation]). Webmecanik can handle this development, talk to your Account Manager!)
The other option is Code Mode. This involves creating the email directly in HTML/CSS.

Email via a Theme

Selecting a Theme

To select a theme, click on "Select" beneath the chosen theme.

Auto-Save

The email builder includes an automatic save feature.
For it to work, your email must have been saved once beforehand.
When you start creating your email, remember to save it as soon as you have defined a subject, an internal name (and a segment if necessary).
To check that your email has been correctly saved, and therefore that auto-save will work, the URL of your page should end with a number, not with "new".

❌ Not Functional

✅ Functional

Auto-save allows you to recover the content of your email if you accidentally close the tab, close the window, or go back.
Upon returning to your email's editing page, Webmecanik will display this message:

Click on "Open it" to reopen your email in its most recent version.
Attention: if you click on "Builder," or if you previously clicked on "Cancel," auto-save will not work.
The Cancel button cancels all your modifications since the last save.
When you are ready to start editing your email, click on "Builder" (Générateur).

Interface

The email builder is composed of 2 parts:
The left part for settings / styling / adding blocks / adding sections.
The right part for previewing / writing / undo / saving.

General Email Options

To start, you can adjust the general email options via the Options tab:
Width: To set the width of the email in pixels. It is recommended to select between 580 and 600 pixels.
Background color: to change the background color of your email (does not appear on mobile).
Link color: Applies the color to all links in the email (placed in a text area). The color does not apply in the visualization but rather upon sending the email.

Block Layout

In the builder, the goal is drag-and-drop. This consists of dragging blocks from the left to position them in the right-hand part.
Here are the different types of blocks:
Layout blocks allow you to divide the body of your email into one, two, or three columns depending on the information you want to display. Each column can then host its own content blocks.

Styles of Blocks and Sections

Block Styles

When a block is inserted, you will automatically switch to its customization options in the left-hand part via the block's "Style" tab.
The style of a block is modifiable when you click on it, and the possibilities change depending on the block:
A Text block allows you to modify the font, font size, letter spacing, alignment, color, and margins.
An Image block allows you to modify the image (or its link), add a subtitle (alt text), and modify its dimensions and margins.
A Button block allows you to configure its text, color, borders, margins, and alignment etc.

If you wish to reuse the style of a block for your future additions, you can use the **"Default for future **" button. Thus, your text block in Roboto 12pt red will serve as a "template" for your next text blocks.

Section Styles

Sections are a way to build your email in "zones"; sections are in the background of the blocks they contain.
It is also possible to modify a section. To do this, click "next to" your email:

A section's style allows for:

Adding a background image (not recommended for Outlook display).
Choosing a background color.
Border(s) of columns.
Margins.
Alignment.
Finally, section styles allow you to manage the columns they contain, notably the background color, margins, or even the space they take up relative to each other.
This is where you modify the text, font, etc. The options will depend on the type of block inserted.

Contact Field Variables

Contact fields can be used in emails; for this, you must use the variable {contactfield=alias}. The alias is replaced by the actual alias of the contact field. For more information, consult this article on [using variables in emails]. You can also use the quick menu by clicking directly into the text block, then the "Variables" dropdown list to see a list of usable variables in the email:

Variants

The email builder allows you to create "variants" of the same block.

For example, to present different elements to your prospects, your contacts, or even members of your company.

https://support.webmecanik.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005266185-How-to-create-a-dynamic-content-in-an-email

Duplication and Deletion of Blocks / Sections

It is possible to duplicate a block or a section by selecting the element in question and then clicking on this icon in the upper right:

It is possible to delete blocks and sections by clicking on them and then clicking on the trash can icon in the upper right: [Icon example].

Undo/Redo

You can also go back in case of an error via the "Undo" and "Redo" buttons located at the top of the page. This way, you don't need to start over in case of a mistake!

Preview

You can directly preview your email in the builder via the dedicated button:

This preview allows you to switch with one click from a mobile view to a desktop view.

The preview is one of the tools allowing you to create responsive emails with the email builder.

The Advanced Tab

This tab allows you to customize the sender name, sender address, and add a reply-to address for a single email.
If these fields are left empty (blank), the default configuration (configuration > email settings) will be used
Sender corresponds to the sending name.
From address corresponds to the sending address. ⚠️ BE CAREFUL when modifying the address. It is possible to indicate a real or fake address as long as the sending domain name is validated. If the domain name is changed, but it is not validated on your instance, the emails will not be sent.
If you wish to add a new domain name, you must make the request to support@webmecanik.com, specifying the domain name.
Reply-to address allows you to indicate an address where contacts can reply.

The Dynamic Content Tab

Please make sure to check out the dedicated article: https://support.webmecanik.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005266185-How-to-create-a-dynamic-content-in-an-email
Once the email is finished (via a theme or code mode), close the builder by clicking on the "Next" button in the upper right, then "Save & Close".
A new window appears. This is the email page, which will display the statistics.
It is possible to preview the email by clicking on the dedicated icon. You must be logged into Webmecanik Automation to access this private page. The toggle on the left indicates the status of the preview page. If it is red, the page is private (you must be authenticated to Webmecanik Automation); if it is green, everyone can access this URL.
An example email can also be sent. Be careful, the contact field tokens, as well as the online viewing links and unsubscribe links, do not work (because they are generated during the actual email sending). An example email will include the mention "TEST" in its title so that you can distinguish it from a real send.
If a segment email was chosen, there will be a "Send" option, as it is from this window that a segment email is manually sent.