Writing emails

The editor works like a clean, open document. You write on the page, and the design controls appear where you’re working.

Create a new email

There are two ways to start:

• Fresh draft: on the Emails page, select A blank page…. The draft starts with a header and footer, and carries over the page design from your last email.
• Duplicate: find an email you’d like to reuse, open its actions menu, and select Duplicate. The copy opens as a new draft.

The Emails page lists every email with its status, from draft to sent. To find one, use Find by subject at the top of the list.

Compose an email

Drafts save automatically, so you can focus on the message.

1. Open a draft.
2. Select the page and start writing.
3. Hover between two blocks and select the add button to insert a Heading, Text, Image, Button, Divider, or Links block.
4. Select text to open the formatting toolbar for bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, and links.
5. In a text block, use the block’s toolbar for bulleted lists, numbered lists, and quotes.

To reuse a block, select it and copy it. You can paste it into this draft, another email, or a form. Block paste only works inside XOXO’s editors.

Personalize an email

Variables are subscriber details that XOXO fills in when you send: the email address, plus any fields you’ve created.

1. In a text or heading block, type @ and choose the detail you want. You can also select Personalize in the block’s toolbar.
2. For a field, select the variable in your draft to add fallback text for subscribers who don’t have a value.

Design an email

Each block carries its own styling, so the controls live in its toolbar.

1. Select a block to open its toolbar.
2. Start with Preset, the toolbar’s first control, to step through the styles that block ships with.
3. Use the rest of the toolbar for the block’s colors, fonts, alignment, or layout. The controls depend on the block.
4. Select an image to replace or remove it, or drag its edges to resize it.
5. Select the design button in the upper left for the page background, text color, and header and body fonts. Layout puts the email Flush to the page or On a background, with its own color, roundness, and margin.
6. If the email has no header, select Add header at the top of the page.

The footer is part of every email. It carries your physical address, privacy policy, and unsubscribe link. Select it to change its layout and colors. The Like button and Referral badge switches are in the Design sidebar. To add footer links, insert a Links block above it with the add button.

Add a subject and preview

The subject is required before sending. The preview is optional text that inboxes show beside the subject.

1. Select the audience and subject button at the top of the email.
2. Choose Everyone or a group.
3. Enter a Subject and an optional Preview.

Delete a draft

1. Open the draft, or find it on the Emails page.
2. Select its actions menu.
3. Select Delete, then confirm.