How to Create and Manage HubSpot Email Templates

A comprehensive guide to mastering the HubSpot drag-and-drop editor and template management.

In the world of inbound marketing, your email design is often the first impression a lead has of your brand's professionalism. HubSpot’s robust email editing tools allow marketers to create stunning, responsive, and high-converting emails without needing to write a single line of code. Whether you are building a simple newsletter or a complex promotional blast, understanding how to manage modules, save sections, and style your templates is essential for scaling your marketing efforts.

To begin, navigate to Marketing > Email in your HubSpot account. From here, you can either create a new email or click on the name of an existing draft. The heart of the HubSpot email experience is the module system. Modules are the building blocks of your email—think of them as digital Lego bricks that you can stack, move, and customize.

To add a new element, simply click and drag a module (like Text, Image, or Button) from the left sidebar into your email layout. You can create columns by dragging a module to the left or right of an existing one. If you want to replicate a specific design, hover over the module and click the duplicate/clone icon. Conversely, use the trash icon to remove unwanted elements.

The editing panel appears when you hover over a module, allowing for cloning or deletion.

One of the most powerful features for efficiency is the ability to save entire sections. If you’ve designed a perfect footer or a specific "New Product" showcase layout, you don't need to rebuild it every time. In the preview window, hover over a specific section (a group of modules) and look for the save icon. This stores the layout and content for future use in any other marketing email.

The save icon appears when you hover over a section boundaries in the email preview.

Over time, your library of saved sections may become cluttered. To maintain an organized template workflow, click the Sections tab in the sidebar editor. Under the Saved sections category, click Manage. This menu allows you to rename sections for better clarity or delete outdated designs that no longer fit your brand guidelines.

Use the "Manage" button to curate your saved layout library.

Consistency is key to brand recognition. Instead of styling every text box individually, use the Design icon in the left sidebar to set global rules. Here you can choose between "Default," "Boxed," or "Simple" formats. From this panel, you can control background colors, border widths, and pattern fills. Specifically, the "Text styles" section allows you to define fonts and colors for paragraphs, H1, and H2 headers across the entire document.

Use the color picker to input HEX or RGB values for exact brand matching.

Before hitting send, always review your template using HubSpot's built-in testing tools. If you are new to the platform, HubSpot provides a variety of curated guides and certification courses to help you master the nuances of lead nurturing and email deliverability. Leveraging these resources ensures that your technical execution matches your strategic goals.

HubSpot offers extensive training modules for users at every skill level.