A template is a reusable email design. Saving a campaign as a template means future campaigns can start from that design rather than from scratch or a blank canvas. For schools that send regular emails — weekly newsletters, monthly updates, recurring announcements — templates save hours over the year.
When to use a template vs. replicate
| Use a template | Use replicate |
|---|---|
| Long-term recurring patterns (event reminders, parent surveys, weekly newsletter shell) | Same campaign as last week with new content |
| Want a clean starting point without old content | Want to copy last edition’s content as starting point |
| Multiple staff might use the same design | One person is producing recurring campaigns |
For most schools, templates and replication coexist — templates as the long-term standards, replication for fast week-on-week edits.
Saving a campaign as a template
From any campaign (or directly from the editor):
- Open the campaign.
- Choose Save as template.
- Set the template name (e.g. Weekly Newsletter Shell, Event Reminder Standard).
- (Optional) add a description so other staff know when to use it.
- Save.
The template appears in your template list. Future campaigns can start from it.
Using a template
When creating a new campaign:
- Pick From template as the starting point.
- Select the template.
- The campaign starts with the template’s design.
- Fill in subject, recipient list and final content.
- Send.
Updating a template
To change the template after it’s been created:
- Open the template.
- Edit the design.
- Save.
Updating a template does not update campaigns already created from it — they’re independent copies. The update only affects future campaigns built from the template.
Template structure
A good template includes:
- School branded header — logo, colours, fonts that match the school identity.
- Consistent footer — school address, unsubscribe link, social media icons.
- Placeholder content blocks — clearly marked sections like [Introduction text here] so users filling in the template know what goes where.
- Standard imagery — recurring elements like a banner image or division headings.
Build the template once. Each campaign just replaces the placeholder content.
Naming templates
Use clear, descriptive names:
- ✓ Weekly Newsletter Shell.
- ✓ Event Reminder — Single Event.
- ✓ Survey Distribution.
- ✗ Template 1.
- ✗ Newsletter.
If you have many templates, prefix by category (Newsletter — Standard, Newsletter — Year Level).
Sharing templates across schools
If your school is part of a multi-school PortalHQ tenancy (e.g. a school group), templates can be shared across schools. Talk to your portal admin about exposing your school’s templates to siblings, or pulling theirs in.
Archiving old templates
Templates get out of date — branding changes, fonts shift, sections become redundant. Periodically:
- Review the template list.
- Archive (set status to archived) anything not used in 6 months.
Archived templates are hidden from the campaign creation dropdown but kept for historical reference. Restore from archive if needed.
Templates and newsletter issue layouts
Templates and issue layouts serve different purposes:
| Template | Issue layout | |
|---|---|---|
| Module | Campaigns | Newsletter Issues |
| Defines | A single-author email design | A multi-section newsletter structure |
| Used when | Creating a new campaign | Creating a new issue |
Keep them separate — don’t try to use a campaign template for an issue or vice versa.
Tips
- Build templates for your top 5 recurring sends. That’s where templates pay off most.
- Update templates at the start of each year. Branding refreshes and year-specific content (e.g. 2026 Camp Information) need updating.
- Test templates before they go into rotation. Send a test campaign from the template to confirm it renders correctly on all email clients.
- Document templates internally. A short note in the description field about when to use each template helps colleagues pick the right one.