Alternate Ways to Add Email Content

Alternate Ways to Add Email Content

When you create an email campaign, you don’t have to use just one method to add your content. Depending on how comfortable you are with design and code, you can choose the option that  best suits your requirement. Zoho Campaigns has three alternate ways to add email content – Import HTML, Plain Text Editor, and HTML Editor.

How to find these options 

To find the alternate options, to add email content,

  1. In the Navigation toolbar, click Campaigns, and then select Email.

  2. Click Create New to start a new email campaign.

  3. On the campaign creation page, under the Build Your Own section,  you will see three options: Import HTML, Plain Text Editor, and HTML Editor.


Import HTML 

The Import HTML option lets you bring in an email that has already been designed and coded somewhere else. Instead of building the email from scratch, you simply upload or paste in a ready-made HTML file, and Zoho Campaigns will use it as your email content.  

Use case 

Anne runs a small online bakery. She paid a designer to create a beautiful “Winter Menu” email. The designer emailed her an HTML file. Anne does not need to know how to code. She just use the Import HTML option to upload the file, and her email is ready to send.

When to use it 

  • You hired a freelancer or designer who handed you a finished HTML email file.

  • Your company has a brand-approved email template that you reuse for every campaign.

  • You exported a template from another design tool and want to use it in Zoho Campaigns.

Plain Text Editor 

The Plain Text Editor is the simplest way to create an email. It contains only text, and no images, colors, fancy formatting, or buttons. What you type is exactly what your readers see.

Use case 

Daniel is the founder of a startup. He wants to send a heartfelt thank-you note to his first 100 customers. A flashy, colorful newsletter would feel too “salesy.” So he uses the Plain Text Editor to write a simple, friendly message. It reads like a personal email, that will make his customers feel valued.

When to use it 

  • You want your email to feel personal, like a normal message from one person to another.

  • You’re sending a quick announcement or update where design doesn’t matter.

  • You want better deliverability (plain text emails are less likely to be caught by spam filters).

HTML Editor 

The HTML Editor lets you write or edit email code directly inside the tool. You type the HTML yourself, and you have full control over how the email looks and behaves. This is different from Import HTML. With Import HTML, you upload a finished file. With the HTML Editor, you actually write or tweak the code inside the platform. 

Use case 

Sam is a marketer, who also knows coding. He is is creating an email campaign for a product launch and wants the email to match the company's brand guidelines. The email includes a custom header, branded buttons, and multiple content sections. Instead of building the email from scratch using the drag-and-drop components, Sam uses the HTML Editor to write and customize the email's HTML code directly. This gives himcomplete control over the email design and content.

When to use it 

  • You know HTML and want full control over your email’s layout.

  • You want to make small code changes (like adjusting spacing or colors) without leaving the tool.

  • You need a custom design that the drag-and-drop builder can’t create.