Getting started with the Post Builder: Creating newsletter templates

Creating newsletters in beehiiv is simple and intuitive. Using the Post Builder’s Style panel, you can design multiple unique email templates for the same publication.

For example, if you send newsletters on both weekdays and weekends, you can create two different templates to reuse. You can also style a specific newsletter post that begins as a blank draft, and save your post as a template.

1. From your account dashboard, click Start writing.
    
2. The Post template library will open where you’ll have the option to use our Quick start templates, a Blank draft, or any of your previously saved newsletter templates.
   
   To create a post from scratch, click My templates in the left panel.
   
   
   
3. If you’ve saved post templates before, they will be listed on this page. Click New template to create a new email post design.
   
   
   
4. The Newsletter template builder will open with a prompt that shows you the Write and Design options at the top and the Basic vs Advanced options on the right. After reviewing, click Finish and the popup will disappear.
   
   
   
5. Switch over to the Write tab. Create your post template as desired. Use the Preview options to make sure the template looks good on both desktop and mobile.
   
   All changes are automatically saved, as indicated by the Synced tag near the exit.
   
   To exit the builder, click the arrow in the top left corner.
   
   
   
6. Upon exiting the Post Builder, you’ll return to My templates where the most recent template will be listed as New template. To avoid confusion, it’s best to rename the newly added template to something more specific.
   
   Click the 3 dots menu and select Rename template.
   
   
   
7. A popup will appear for you to enter a name (required) and a description (optional). Enter the details and click Save.
   
   
   

8. To edit a template’s styling, open it up and click on the Design tab at the top. This will display a live preview of your template on the left and styling options on the right.
   
   The Design panel is divided into two categories:

• Basic: Quickly adjust the overall colors, typography, spacing, and borders for the template.
• Advanced: Further customize specific elements like links, images, buttons, and even the email header and footer.
  
  
  

9. Basic setting options include:

• Colors: Set different colors for the outside background, post background, text on background, primary, text on primary, secondary, and links. (Colors are expanded in the image above.)
• Typography: Adjust the heading and paragraph text, plus the font family and font weight for each.
• Spacing: Adjust the margins and padding for the post in pixels.
• Borders: Set the corner radius and border thickness.
  
  
  

10. The Advanced tab offers more granular customization. All changes are automatically saved. Click Advanced to gain access to:

• Background: Adjust the background color for the canvas, post, and post border. Or control the margins, padding, corner radius, and border thickness.
• Email Header: Set how the email header will look by adjusting the title, subtitle, image, byline, date, padding, and code.
• Body: Control the look of the paragraph text, 6 header options (H1-H6), and spacing. For the fonts, you can also adjust the family, weight, size, line height, color, and gap. 
• Widgets: Granular settings for all aspects of the widgets including: links, images, buttons, breaks, lists, quotes, embeds, and tables.
• Email Footer: Control how the email footer will look by adjusting the colors, text, social links, border, margin, and padding. Or select Custom to add additional footer content.

11. Once you've finished styling your template, use the options in the top right to Preview how it looks on desktop and mobile.
    
    
    
12. When you’re ready to exit, click the arrow next to Post template library to be brought back there where you will see your saved template as one of your My template options.
    
    
    

1. From the Compose page of an open post, while on the Write panel, go to the icons at the top and click on the Save as template icon. 
   
   
   
2. Give the template a name and click on Save template.
   
   
   
3. Once you’ve saved your template, it will be available at any time on the My Templates page of your Post template library.
   
   
   

1. From your account dashboard, click Start writing.
    
2. The Post template library will open where you’ll have the option to use our Quick start templates, a Blank draft, or any of your previously saved newsletter templates.
    
3. Scroll down to the Quick start templates section. Click the 3 dots menu on any of the templates to choose from Use template, Preview, or Edit quick start template.
   
   
   

1. From your account dashboard, click Start writing.
    
2. The Post template library will open where you’ll have the option to use our Quick start templates, a Blank draft, or any of your previously saved newsletter templates.
   
   To access your saved templates or to create a new one, click My templates.
    
3. You’ll see your saved templates listed along with the option for a New template. Click the 3 dots menu on any of the templates to choose from Use template, Edit template, Preview, Rename template, Set as default post style, Duplicate, or Delete template.
   
   
   

After selecting to use or edit a template, the Post Builder will open on the Compose page where you can start drafting your newsletter content. The Post Builder is organized into 5 tabs (Compose, Audience, Email, Web, Review) found at the top of the page.

These 5 stages of the post creation flow are designed to guide you step-by-step through crafting and publishing a newsletter post, using the ‘Next’ button to move between pages. If you prefer to navigate out of order, you can use the 5 tabs to jump directly to any stage in the process of creating your post.