Creating and using newsletter templates

Newsletter templates help streamline your workflow and keep your branding consistent across every send. beehiiv provides an expanding library of quick start templates, and you can also design your own reusable templates, perfect for publications that use multiple formats, like weekday roundups and weekend deep dives.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

• Use and preview beehiiv’s quick start templates.
• Manage your existing post templates.
• Create a template from scratch.
• Style templates using Basic and Advanced options.
• Save a post as a reusable template.
• Apply best practices for building effective post templates.

There are several pre-built post templates you can use as a starting point. 

1. From your account dashboard, click Start writing.
    
2. The Post template library will open where you’ll have the option to start from a Blank draft, use a Quick start template, or any of your previously saved newsletter templates. 
   
   
   
3. Scroll down to the Quick start templates section to browse available designs. Clicking a template selects it and immediately opens it in the Post Builder.
   
   For additional options, open the 3 dots menu on any template and choose from:

• Use template: Opens the Post Builder so you can customize and begin writing. 
• Preview: Shows a full-page preview of what the template looks like.
• Edit: Opens the Post Builder to adjust the template’s design.
  
  
  

4. The template preview shows how the full newsletter appears, down to the footer.
   
   At the top of the preview you can click: 

• Back to all templates: Returns to the Post template library. 
• Edit: Opens the template in the Post Builder where you can make changes. 
• Use this template: Selects the template and opens the Post Builder. 

5. After selecting to use or edit a template, the Post Builder opens on the Compose page.
   
   Refer to this guide for more details on post customization options. All template changes are automatically synced.
   
   To exit the builder, click the back arrow in the upper-left corner.
   
   
   

You can revisit your saved templates at any time.

1. From your account dashboard, go to Posts.
    
2. Click the arrow next to Start writing, then select Use template. 
   
   
   
3. Your Post template library will open, showing your Recently used templates first.
   
   
   
   
   Click the 3 dots menu on any of your templates to:

• Use template: Open the template in the Post Builder to start drafting. 
• Edit template: Open the Newsletter template builder where you can modify it. 
• Preview: View the full template design.
• Rename template: Change the template name.
• Set as default post style: Apply its styling automatically to new posts.
• Duplicate: Make a copy of the template.
• Duplicate to publications: Copy the template to another publication in your workspace. 
• Delete template: Remove the template permanently.

1. From your account dashboard, click Start writing.
    
2. Your Post template library will open. Navigate to the left panel and click My templates. 
   
   
   
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. At the top, you’ll see two tabs:

• Write: Where you add the content structure (copy) of your template. 
• Design: Opens the panel on the right, where you can switch between the Basic vs Advanced options to customize the look of the template (more on these below). 
  
  
  

5. Switch over to the Write tab to create your post template as desired. Use the Preview options to make sure the template looks good on both desktop and mobile. Refer to this article for guidance on creating a post.
   
   
   
6. All changes save automatically (look for the Synced label). To exit the builder, click the back arrow in the upper-left corner.
   
   
   
7. 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.
   
   
   
8. A popup will appear for you to enter a name (required) and a description (optional). Enter the details and click Save. 
   
   
   

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 canvas and styling options in the Design panel 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 the email header and footer.
  
  
  

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.
  
  
  

The Advanced tab offers more granular customization, including:

• 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 and 6 header options (H1-H6). For the fonts, you can also adjust the family, weight, size, line height, color, and gap.  
• Widgets: Settings for all aspects of the different 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, border, margin, social links, copyright text, and address. Or select Custom to add additional footer content. 

You can turn any post (draft or published) into a reusable template.

1. Open the post, then be sure you are on the Compose page with the Write panel accessed.  
    
2. From the icons at the top, click the Save as template icon.  
   
   
   
3. Enter a template name and click Save template.
   
   
   
4. Once you’ve saved your template, it will be available at any time under My templates in your template library.
   
   
   

Well-structured templates help you move faster, stay consistent, and reduce repetitive design work. Here are some recommended practices and real-world ways creators use templates to streamline their workflow.

• Keep layout structure simple: Use consistent spacing, header styles, and section formatting so each post feels familiar to your audience.
• Use placeholders thoughtfully: Insert placeholder titles, images, and sections (e.g., ‘Top story here’, ‘CTA goes here’) to speed up drafting.
• Lean on global styling: Set recurring typography, colors, and spacing in the Design panel so you don’t need to update them each time.
• Save reusable components: If you frequently use reuse blocks or elements, like your promoting your Top 4 or always featuring an ad, then save them (or placeholders) with your template.
• Name templates clearly: Use descriptive names like ‘Weekend Edition’, ‘Premium Only’, or ‘Sponsor-heavy layout’ so your team can instantly find the right one.
• Set a default post style: Choose the template you use most often as your default to avoid styling inconsistencies.
• Review on mobile: Most readers open emails on mobile, so be sure to use the preview toggle for mobile to ensure everything scales well.