--- title: "How to use e-mail templates?" description: "To make it easier for you to send e-mails, ChurchTools offers you the option of saving e-mail templates and making them available to other users of your ChurchTools. ## Permissions You can find the permissions for *using* and *managing* HTML…" url: "https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/churchtools-modules/communication-people/how-to-use-e-mail-templates/" updated: "2026-06-05" category: People / Communication --- # How to use e-mail templates? To make it easier for you to send e-mails, ChurchTools offers you the option of saving e-mail templates and making them available to other users of your ChurchTools. ## Permissions You can find the permissions for *using* and *managing* HTML templates in the *Permissions management* in the *Administration* section. [![Screenshot Permissions Manage church HTML templates](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Permissions_Manage-church-HTML-templates.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Permissions_Manage-church-HTML-templates.png) **Note** If a user has permission to use e-mail templates and has used them for a predefined e-mail in their group, they will continue to see this template there, even if their permission to use e-mail templates is revoked. However, if they remove the template from their predefined e-mail, they will not be able to add it again, as they will not be able to see and use the templates without permission. ## Create new template To create a new template or edit an existing one, click on *Manage templates* in the *Persons module* under *E-mails* or on the *cogwheel icon* next to the e-mail template selection in the *e-mail dialog window*. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail Edit template](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Edit-template.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Edit-template.png) [![Screenshot Persons E-mail Send email to](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Send-e-mail-to.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Send-e-mail-to.png) Here you click on *Create template*. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail Edit-templates Create Template](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Edit-templates_Create-Template.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Edit-templates_Create-Template.png) After you have named your template, click on *Edit in editor* to open the view where you can edit your HTML template. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail Create template Edit with editor](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Create-template_Edit-with-editor.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Create-template_Edit-with-editor.png) ### Add new components The e-mail templates are based on the principle that you divide and organize your content into different *components* (1). You can add further components to your template using *drag and drop* (2-3), with a *green line* (4) indicating where the new component is inserted. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail Template editor](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Template-editor-1024x704.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Template-editor.png) ### Edit existing components You can then *edit* (1), *rearrange* (2) or *delete* (3) the existing components in the template. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail Template editor Content](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Template-editor_Content-1024x276.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Template-editor_Content.png) **Tip** You can also use placeholders in your e-mail template. If you want to leave space in your template that you can later fill with text in the dialog box in which you compose and send your email, you can use the placeholder `{{body}}` (4). ### Customize layers Especially with more extensive templates, it can be helpful to have the individual *layers* (1) clearly displayed in the template. Here you also have the option of quickly moving and rearranging content (components) (2). [![Screenshot Persons E-mail Template editor rearrange content](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Template-editor_rearrange-content-1024x161.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Template-editor_rearrange-content.png) ### Save template Finally, you can check how your template is displayed on different *screens* (1) and if you are satisfied, *save* (2) your template. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail Template editor check display](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Template-editor_check-display-2-1024x693.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_Template-editor_check-display-2.png) ## Customize existing templates To see a list of your existing templates, either click on *Manage templates* again in the *Persons module* under *E-mails* or click on the *cogwheel icon* next to the template selection in the *e-mail dialog*. Then select the template you want to edit from the list of your templates. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail E-mail templates edit or change](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_E-mail-templates_edit-or-change.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_E-mail-templates_edit-or-change.png) Here you can either *edit* it in the editor, *change* the *name* or specify *whether only you can see and use this template (**personal template**)*or whether all permitted persons in your congregation *(**congregation template**)*can use this template. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail E-mail Template personal or congregation template](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_E-mail-Template_personal-or-congregation-template.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_E-mail-Template_personal-or-congregation-template.png) You can also *export* the template and make it available to another congregation, for example, so that they can upload the template directly to their ChurchTools. Alternatively, you can *download the pure HTML file of the template* or *upload* your own *template in HTML format*. **Note** If you upload an HTML file as a template, you cannot edit it afterwards in the editor in ChurchTools. To do this, you must import a template previously exported from ChurchTools into your ChurchTools. ![Screenshot Persons E-mail E-mail template Import](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_E-mail-template_Import.png) You can also duplicate and delete the template. You will find these menu items below the *preview*. [![Screenshot Persons E-mail E-mail template Edit template Actions](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_E-mail-template_Edit-template_Actions.png)](https://staging.churchtools.academy/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Persons_E-mail_E-mail-template_Edit-template_Actions.png) ## Read more - [How to use placeholders in e-mails?](https://staging.churchtools.academy/en/help/administration/place-holders/how-to-use-placeholders-in-e-mails/)