Mailrelay newsletter editor: how to create your newsletter with blocks, templates and AI
Drag in blocks, start from a template or let AI design one based on your website. Here’s how the Mailrelay editor works, step by step.
The Mailrelay newsletter editor lets you design your campaigns without knowing HTML: you drag in blocks, change text and images, and the newsletter adapts to mobile and desktop on its own. It also includes an AI template generator that creates a design in seconds based on your website and your instructions.
In this guide you’ll see how to create a newsletter with the current editor, step by step, with screenshots of the tool.
Step 1: create a new campaign
In your account, go to Campaigns > Campaigns and click +Add. Choose New editor with AI and click Create campaign.
Step 2: fill in the campaign details
Before you start designing, you’ll see a panel with the newsletter’s main details:
Subject. What your contacts will see in their inbox, with optional preview text that many email clients show underneath. With the Suggest button, the AI proposes several subject lines based on the tone, content and keywords you choose.
Sender. The address it’s sent from. It must be confirmed or belong to a confirmed domain.
Content. The newsletter’s design, which you’ll create in the editor.
Recipients. The groups or segments that will receive it.
Advanced settings. Reply-to address, Google Analytics campaign, attachments, and open and click tracking.
To personalize the subject line, click Add variables and choose the field you want to insert: first name, last name or any custom field.
Design your first newsletter without knowing HTML
Create your free account and try the editor with templates and the AI generator.
Step 3: choose a template or create one with AI
When you click Edit under Content, you can start from one of the predesigned templates. Browse the categories, hover over the one you like and click Select. You can change everything afterwards.
If you’d rather have a design of your own, click AI template generator and enter:
Your website’s URL. The AI pulls the information it needs from it to create the content.
Instructions. What you want to send, for example “monthly newsletter with three updates and a discount”.
Tone and language. Natural, formal, informal or professional, and the language of the content: Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque, English, Brazilian Portuguese, French or Italian.
Click Generate template and in a few seconds you’ll have a design ready to review and fine-tune in the editor.
Step 4: get to know the editor’s areas
The editor has three areas:
Content and design area. The elements you can add to the newsletter and the number of columns in each row.
Preview area. Your newsletter, exactly as your subscribers will see it. This is where you drag and drop the elements.
Settings area. The options for the element you have selected: links, sizes, fonts, colors and much more.
When you click an element in the newsletter, you’ll see options to duplicate it, move it, delete it or save it as a universal element.
Step 5: add and edit blocks
To add content, drag a block from the panel onto the newsletter. These are the main ones:
Text and button. The basics of any newsletter.
Image and video. When you paste a video URL, the editor generates a thumbnail that links to it. You can change it if you’d prefer a different image.
Divider and spacer. To organize the content.
Navigation bar and social media. Links to your website and your profiles.
Hero. The featured area at the top, with the main message and a call to action.
Product list, QR code, countdown and table. Useful for online stores, events, time-limited offers or comparisons.
Web version and columns. The link to view the newsletter in the browser and the option to place several elements side by side.
Unsubscribe link. Required in every email you send. By default it unsubscribes the subscriber from the account, but you can change the variable so that it asks for confirmation by email or only unsubscribes them from the groups that received the newsletter.
You also have prebuilt blocks (Prebuilt button) to create calls to action, announcements or product showcases in seconds, and universal elements (Universal button): you save a block, such as your header or footer, and drag it into any design.
Create a template with AI in seconds
Enter your website and what you want to send; Mailrelay takes care of the design.
Step 6: review and send
Before sending, send yourself a test and open it on your phone and on your computer. Check that the links work, the images load and the subject line reads well.
When everything looks right, go back to the campaign panel, check the recipients and send it.
Tips for getting the most out of the editor
Create a base template. Save your header and footer as universal elements and you won’t have to design them every time.
Use AI as a starting point. The generator saves you the initial design work, but always review the copy and adapt the message to your brand.
Think mobile. Short copy, big buttons and a single column in the important sections.
Test before you send. An A/B test will tell you which subject line works best.
If you’re looking for design ideas, check out our post on how to create creative newsletters. And if you’re just getting started, there’s our complete guide on how to create a newsletter, from the content to sending it.
You’ll find every option explained in the help article Creating a newsletter with the visual editor in the Mailrelay knowledge base.
Start sending your newsletters today
Free account with the visual editor, templates and automations included.
Frequently asked questions
These are the most common questions about the Mailrelay newsletter editor.
Do I need to know HTML to use the editor?
No. Everything is done by dragging blocks and editing text and images.
Are the newsletters mobile-friendly?
Yes. The design adapts to the screen on its own. Even so, send yourself a test and check it on your phone before sending.
How does the AI template generator work?
You enter your website’s URL, what you want to send, the tone and the language, and the AI creates a template that you can then edit.
Can I reuse parts of one newsletter in others?
Yes. Save the block as a universal element and you’ll be able to drag it into any design.
Can I add videos?
Yes, with the Video element. You paste the URL and the editor creates a thumbnail that links to the video.
Jose Argudo
CMO at Mailrelay. Writes about email marketing, copywriting and conversion for SMEs and entrepreneurs.