Template Blocks

A Template Block is a special type of Content Block that's used only with Templates.

The Template feature in Cheetah Digital allows you to build reusable email templates that contain both configurable and non-configurable sections. This feature is intended to be used by clients who have standard corporate email marketing content, and they don't want users to be able to edit or remove this content when building an email Campaign. The non-configurable elements of the email content are defined directly with the Template. Any text, image, or link elements that need to be configurable by the end-user can be added as Template Blocks. Template Blocks allow the end-user to modify only these elements when he or she is creating the Campaign.

You create Template Blocks in much the same way as you create Content Blocks. However, the way you actually use Template Blocks in a Campaign is a little different. A Content Block can be assigned as the primary Content Source for a Campaign, or it can be inserted directly  into the Campaign's message content. A Template Block, on the other hand, can only be added to a Template. The Template must then be selected as the primary Content Source for the Campaign. You can't insert a Template Block directly into the Campaign's message content.

Note: Template Blocks are available only for use in the email Channel.

Access

The Template Block screen is accessible via the Main menu; select Assets > Blocks > Template Blocks

Create a new Template Block

Template Blocks can either be created through the Cheetah Digital user interface, or uploaded into the platform (see Upload a New Template Block).

To create a new Template Block through the user interface:

  1. In the Tool Ribbon, click + New Template Block. 

  2. A New Item pop-up window is displayed. To select the folder where you want to save this new Template Block, click the folder name in the Navigation Tree on the left side of this pop-up. The Where? field is updated with the selected folder name.

  3. In the Name field, enter a name for your new Template Block. This name must be unique within the selected folder.

  4. From the Data Source drop-down menu, select the source table for this Template Block.

Note: You can never modify this source table after the Template Block is created.

  1. From the Channel drop-down menu, select the marketing channel that will utilize this Template Block (Email is currently the only channel to support the use of Templates and Template Blocks).

  2. Click Create. The Workspace is refreshed to show a blank Template Block details screen.

  3. From the Template Type drop-down menu, select the type of content that will be stored in this Template Block. The type you select here controls what options the end-user is presented with when he or she builds a Campaign. The available types are:

    Rich Text Editor

    • If you select this option, the end-user will be presented with the full Advanced Editor functionality when building the Campaign. To enter the default content for this Template Block:

      • Enter, or copy-and-paste, the default Template Block content into the Advanced Editor. For more details on how to use the Advanced Editor, please see the Advanced Editor Help topic.

    Plain Text Editor

    • If you select this option, the end-user will be presented with a limited set of text-editing tools when building the Campaign. To enter the default content for this Template Block:

      • Enter, or copy-and-paste, the default Template Block text into the Text field.  

    Image Upload

    • If you select this option, the end-user will be able to insert an image into the Campaign content.

    • To enter the default image for this Template Block:

      • In the Image URL field, enter the URL to the default image.

      • Optionally, if you want to define the size of the image, enter the image dimensions in the Height and Width fields.

      • Optionally, if you want the image to have a hover-over tooltip-style text, enter the text for this pop-up in the Alt Text field.

    Link Builder

    • If you select this option, the end-user will be able to insert a hyperlink into the Campaign content. To enter the default link for this Template Block:

      • In the URL field, enter the default URL to the default URL.

      • Optionally, if you want to define the text for the URL, enter the text in the Text field.

  4. Optionally, you can assign one or more tags to your Template Block. To assign a tag, click on the Add tag field in the Edit section of the Tool Ribbon. The system displays a pop-up menu of all the existing tags. You can select one of these tags, or type in a new one and press Enter. You can repeat this process to add more tags. To remove a tag, click the X icon next to the tag label.  

  5. To save your Template Block, click Save in the Tool Ribbon.

  6. Optionally, to see a mockup of your Template, click Preview in the Tool Ribbon. The Preview screen is displayed. When finished, click Edit in the Tool Ribbon to return to the main Template Block screen.

 

Copy a Template Block

Template Blocks can either be created through the Cheetah Digital user interface, or uploaded into the platform (see Upload a New Template Block).

To copy an existing item to use as the basis for a new item:

  1. Search for the desired item (see Search for an Item for more details).

  2. Click on the item name. The main item screen is displayed and populated with the details of the selected item.

  3. In the Tool Ribbon, click Save As. A Save as dialog box is displayed.

  4. Enter a name for the new item.

  5. By default, the new item will be saved in the same folder location as the base item. Optionally, click the magnifying glass icon to browse to and select a different folder location.

  6. Click Save a copy. The system creates a copy of the selected item.

 

View or edit a Template Block

To view or edit an existing Template Block:

  1. Search for the desired Template Block (see Search for an Item for more details on the available search methods).

  2. Click on the Template Block name. The Template Block screen is displayed and populated with the details of the selected Template Block.

  3. Optionally, to view detailed information about the Template Block, click the Template Block tab in the Tool Ribbon. The Item Details screen is displayed, showing who created the item, who modified it last, and what the last actions taken on the item were. On this screen, click Related Items in the Function Menu to see other items in the system that reference or utilize this Template Block. When finished, click the Edit tab in the Tool Ribbon to return to the main edit screen.

  4. Optionally, you can assign one or more tags to your Template Block. To assign a tag, click on the Add tag field in the Edit section of the Tool Ribbon. The system displays a pop-up menu of all the existing tags. You can select one of these tags, or type in a new one and press Enter. You can repeat this process to add more tags. To remove a tag, click the X icon next to the tag label.  

  5. Optionally, to rename the Template Block, click Rename in the Tool Ribbon. A Rename Item dialog box is displayed. Enter a new name for the Template, then click Save new name.

  6. Optionally, select a different Template Type from the Template Type drop-down menu.

  7. Make any necessary changes to the default Template Block content.

  8. To save your changes, click Save in the Tool Ribbon.

 

Delete a Template Block

To delete an item:

  1. Search for the desired item (see Search for an Item for more details).

  2. Click on the item name. The main item screen is displayed and populated with the details of the selected item.

  3. In the Tool Ribbon, click Delete. A confirmation dialog box is displayed.

  4. Click Delete item to confirm the deletion.

Foldered items are moved to the Recycle Bin. Non-foldered items are permanently deleted.

 

Assign a Template Block to a Template

Once you've created your Template Block, you can use it within one or more Templates.

To insert a Template Block into a Template:

  1. Navigate to the desired Template (see Templates for more details).

  2. Place your cursor in the main content field. The Dynamic Pane appears on the right-hand side of the screen.

  3. In the Dynamic Panel, click on the Content Blocks group to expand it.

  4. Within the Content Blocks group, double-click on Template Block (or, optionally, you can drag Template Block from the Dynamic Pane, and drop it into the content field). A Browse Template Blocks dialog box is displayed.

  5. From the Browse Template Blocks pop-up window, you can click on a folder in the directory structure to see a list of all the Template Blocks stored within that Folder. Or, if you want to search across the entire system, click the double-left arrow icon near the top of the directory structure; the system collapses the directory structure and shows every Template Block in the system. This pop-up window also allows you to search based on Tags, or by name. When you find the desired Template Block, click on its name.

Note: Template Blocks have to be created using the same source table as the Template in order for them to be available as a selection.

  1. At the bottom of the Dynamic Pane, the system creates a new Merge Symbol for this Template Block. A Merge Symbol is a textual representation of the Template Block, consisting of the Block's name and Object Reference ID enclosed in double-brackets. For example: {[Logo_Header|8687]}.

  2. Place your cursor where you want to insert the Template Block, then click the Merge Symbol for that Block in the Dynamic Pane. The system inserts the corresponding Merge Symbol at the indicated position.