Free HTML Email Templates
Starter templates for your HTML email campaigns
These four universal HTML email layouts are infinitely customizable, and are the basic layouts used by just about any email marketing campaign you can find. You can download these templates and tweak them to perfectly match your brand (be sure to check out how some MailChimp customers have used them below).
Instructions:
Download the files below, or use MailChimp's free HTML email template design tool to customize these templates to match your brand:
 Click here to download all the templates in one .ZIP file. Edit the code in your favorite text editor.
Infinitely Customizable
The only limit is your imagination. To prove it, we took real life examples of HTML emails from some of the biggest brands out there, and in the sincerest form of flattery, we copied them. See how MailChimp's HTML email templates stack up to work designed by the top companies in the world.
Tested Thoroughly. Millions Delivered.
We've already tested our HTML email templates in all the major email programs, and they've been used by thousands of businesses from all over the world, so we know they work. Specifically, we've tested in:
- Outlook 2000
- Outlook 2003
- Outlook 2007
- Outlook Express
- Entourage
- Apple Mail
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Lotus
AOL 9
GMail
Yahoo! Mail
Hotmail
Eudora
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Top 10 HTML Email Coding Tips
Our templates are great for getting started, but once you get the hang of things, you'll want to start coding your own HTML email templates. Here are some tips:
- Code HTML emails in a plain-text, no-frills editor. That'll output the cleanest possible code, plus let you easily create plain-text emails. Don't use WYSIWYGs or expect Microsoft Word to export clean HTML email. In fact, some spam filters will actually penalize your email if you created it in Microsoft FrontPage (because spammers do that a lot). Use something like NotePad or TextEdit (default programs on your PC or Mac) or go get something like BBEdit, or NoteTab Pro.
- Don't go nuts with CSS. Use inline CSS as much as possible, and stay away from CSS Positioning. Simple tables work best.
- Design for the preview pane. Open up your email program. How much space is available in your preview pane? Chances are it's waaaay less the typical width you design web pages. Less than 600 pixels is a good guideline.Align stuff to the left. Some preview panes are skinny and vertical (AOL gives about 200 pixels of width). Make sure your logo and critical content "peeks" out on the left side of your template.
- No JavaScript, ActiveX, Flash, embedded video, sound files, or DHTML. Viruses are typically embedded into those types of files, so anti-virus programs will block them. Sorry, no fancy stuff.
- Unless your email marketing service hosts your images for you, you'll need to code your HTML emails using absolute paths for your images.
- Webmail clients (Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail, Gmail, etc) typically strip out any HTML code above and below (and including) the BODY tags. Therefore:
- BODY BGCOLORs will not work. Create a 100% wide table with your bgcolor, and embed your template inside that.
- Any embedded CSS inside your HEAD tags will not work. Embed your CSS below the BODY tag, just above your content.
- Just about ALL email programs turn off your images by default. The recipient has to click a button to "display images." This is a default feature, and can't be turned off. And most recipients have to be really motivated to click that button. Therefore:
- Don't design HTML emails that are nothing but one big image. Recipients won't see anything (and spam filters can't read any content, so they'll assume it's spam).
- Take your open reports with a grain of salt. Open tracking involves placing a tiny, transparent .GIF in your email, then counting how many times the image was downloaded. If your recipient doesn't turn on images, the graphic won't be downloaded.
- Always include a plain-text version of your emails. Your email service should display that version if your recipient can't (or won't) view HTML emails.
- Understand CAN-SPAM. You should always include your contact information in your footer (postal mailing address, phone, email, etc) and always include an opt-out link. Email marketing services like MailChimp, Constant Contact, iContact, and MyEmma provide list management services that provide you with unsubscribe link code.
- Test your HTML emails like crazy. Sign up for as many email services as you can, and download as many email programs and spam filters as you can. You may need to setup a test computer(s) in your office to do all this testing (or use MailChimp's Inbox Inspector).
One-click Spam Checker and Campaign Preview
Before you send your HTML email campaign to your customer lists, check it with MailChimp's Inbox Inspector tool. We'll generate screenshots of your campaign in all the major email programs, and tell you if it'll pass the major spam filters and firewalls. We'll even point out potentially embarrassing typos in your content and errors in your HTML.
Learn more about the Inbox Inspector...
Other Useful Resources:
- Free Email Marketing Guide
- Inbox Inspector: Generate screenshots of your email designs in all the major email programs, test all the major spam filters and email firewalls, and scan for spammy keywords in one click.
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