Paste HTML Email
Have an email in full HTML but want to send it from Marketing Cloud? It's doable (not to mention a great approach), but it must be approached a certain way to ensure CAN-SPAM compliance, including a footer for recipients to opt-out. Find details on how to test the recipient's experience, instructions on how to create an HTML email correctly, and the most common misstep we come across.
How to Test
Users can determine if their HTML pasted email was set up correctly based on the Preview and Test in Marketing Cloud, by sending a test, or by sending a real email to themselves.
Preview and Test in Marketing Cloud
- From Content Builder, find your email and click the down arrow for quick actions on the far right of the row.
- Select Preview & Test in the dropdown.
Correctly Configured HTML Pasted Email
- In Preview and Test, set the Delivery Profile to CU FOOTER FOR ALL EMAILS to see the appropriate footer at the bottom of the email.
CAN-SPAM Violation
- If your email looks like the following, it needs to be fixed immediately. Note the standard eComm footer, including an option to Manage your email preferences, is not visible, resulting in a CAN-SPAM violation.
What to Do
If pasting HTML, an Email Message must be based on eComm's HTML Template. By doing so, the opt-out footer will be included at the bottom of the email and be in CAN-SPAM compliance.
- In Marketing Cloud, navigate to Email Studio (hover over Email Studio and select Email in the dropdown)
- In the top right corner, select the blue Create button
- Click Email Message
- Select Template from the Create Email drop-down menu
- Click the Saved tab, then Folders
- Select the Shared option on the right (it will default to Local)
- All shared templates should display. Search for 'HTML' if needed
- Click the one named HTML Template; a blue box will highlight the template
- Select the blue button in the bottom right
- Name your email and click Next
- It's optional to add a Description, select a Location, or add Campaign.
- Drag the HTML block from the left into the email on the right
- Paste the HTML code in the panel on the left
- In Preview and Test, you’ll now see the appropriate footer at the bottom of the email.
What to Avoid (CAN-SPAM Violation)
Users should not create Email Templates by pasting HTML. Most are not familiar with the custom coding that Marketing Cloud requires for the correct footer to display (among other things). This often results in sending HTML emails that violate CAN-SPAM.
- DO NOT select the blue Create button >> Email Template >> Paste HTML
