HTML Editor

Importing and managing HTML templates in the Zeta Marketing Platform is done using the HTML editor.

Navigate to Content > Email Templates from the menu on the left. Click on the New Template dropdown and select HTML Editor.

• After creating a new HTML template, make sure to set a proper title at the top of the UI for it.

Import Options

Importing HTML can be done in one of three listed ways:

Options	Details
Import from ZIP File	Click on the Import drop-down menu and select the From Html Zip option. This option requires the HTML file to be named index.html. The corresponding locally referenced images folder and the index.html file can then be zipped up together. The maximum file size permitted is 10 MB. Zipping the parent folder instead of specifically selecting and zipping the HTML and images folder will not work as this creates an additional folder level. The .zip file can then be dragged and dropped onto the window and the platform will import the HTML and the locally referenced images will be uploaded to our CDN automatically.
Import from a URL	Click on the Import drop-down menu and select From URL. Here you can paste the URL of the content that should be imported. This is a great option when using a CMS that displays previews of content with their own URLs. This option will not upload the images referenced in your HTML to our CDN, thus requiring you to have your images already properly hosted.
Copy and Paste	The HTML editor also accepts any valid HTML pasted or typed into the editor itself. Images will not be imported using this method, thus requiring you to have images hosted elsewhere.

If you face issues in clicking on the View Online Link even though the code is correct, it’s advisable that you recheck the preview text, which might’ve been interfering with the HTML code of the email that is rendered in the browser.

Troubleshooting

If your HTML contains unresolved or malformed merge variables like:

{{unique_client_ids[0].value}}
{{campaign_name}}
{% if campaign_preferences_fathers_day.subscription_status == "False" %}

This typically indicates that the templating engine cannot parse these variables correctly. Common reasons include syntax errors or missing data definitions in the campaign context.

Problem Breakdown

• Broken Logic Tags: A conditional block like {% if ... %} may be incomplete or incorrectly split across lines:

  Example of Incorrect Syntax:

  CODE

  {% if campaign_preferences_fathers_day.subsc ription_status == "False" %} 

  Corrected Version:

  CODE

  {% if campaign_preferences_fathers_day.subscription_status == "False" %}

• Undefined Variables: Ensure all merge variables (e.g., {{unique_client_ids[0].value}}) are available in the campaign's data context.

• Fallbacks for Safety: Always use fallback/default values for merge fields in case the data is missing.

  Example:

  CODE

  {{unique_client_ids[0].value | default: 'unknown'}} 

Recommendations

• Double-check your syntax – especially around {% if ... %} blocks.

• Use fallback values for merge fields to avoid render failures.

• Preview your message before sending using the campaign preview feature to ensure all fields are resolved correctly.

Points to Remember

• Using the Insert Attributes drop-down menu is a quick and easy way to pull user properties into your content.

• Properties listed are ordered by how commonly they're used.

• Any property available in your account is listed, can be searched for, and can be used in the content.

• Certain special links like the View Online and Unsubscribe URLs, can be found in the Insert Special Links drop-down menu. 

• Content Snippets are also available from the Snippets dropdown.

• Choose from the option to insert the reference, which maintains the link to the snippet, or simply paste the contents of the snippet into the template directly, breaking the link to the snippet in the snippet library.

• Typing out double curly braces ({{)will open an auto-suggestion of available properties for use in logic or content.

• Linked elements in content can be given human-readable reporting names and tags.

• Use the attributes data-reportingname="Call to Action" and data-reportingtags="cta,primary" for the given HTML element to accomplish this, setting the appropriate values accordingly.

• These attributes can only be set in the HTML editor and are currently not available in the visual editor.

• Mousing over the light bulb icon gives additional keyboard shortcuts available in the HTML editor.

• If you’re using event-based dynamic content, the images will not be displayed on a real-time preview.

While there is no officially defined limit to the supported payload size, it's important to note that if the HTML content exceeds 102 KB, some Internet Service Providers (ISPs)—notably Gmail—may clip the email, resulting in truncated content. To ensure full message visibility across all platforms, it is recommended to keep the HTML payload below this threshold.

ZMP modifies the HTML style to standardize content across all platforms, such as Gmail and Yahoo. However, if the 'editor_inline_css_disabled' flag is toggled on for your account, it will prevent ZMP from making any changes to the HTML code and will parse the content as it is.

Please note that this change will only apply to campaigns created after the tag is disabled. For active historical campaigns, you will need to revisit them, make minor changes (e.g., adding a space and then removing it), and then save the content to ensure the new change is reflected in them as well.