The Krom Automation Pro email builder lets you design transactional and marketing emails using a block-based visual editor, without writing any HTML. You build email templates using the same Gutenberg block interface you already use to write WordPress content, and Krom Automation handles converting those blocks into email-safe HTML that works in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and other clients.

Once a template is saved, you select it from the Send Email action inside any workflow. All merge tags from the workflow’s trigger — {{first_name}}, {{order.total}}, {{post_title}} — work inside the template exactly as they do in any other Krom Automation field.

Accessing the email builder #

Go to Krom Automation > Email Templates in your WordPress admin.

Screenshot: Krom Automation admin sidebar with Email Templates highlighted.

The Email Templates page lists all your saved templates. Each template shows its name, the last time it was modified, and a preview button. Click Add New Template to create a new one, or click an existing template to edit it.

Creating a new email template #

1. Go to Krom Automation > Email Templates and click Add New Template.
2. Give the template a clear name — something like Welcome Email, Order Confirmation, or Payment Failed Notice. This name appears in the Send Email action’s template dropdown, so make it recognisable.
3. The email editor opens. It uses the WordPress block editor with a constrained layout suited for email design.
4. Build your email using content blocks. Add paragraphs, headings, images, buttons, dividers, and spacers by clicking the + button to insert blocks.
5. Use merge tags anywhere in text blocks — type {{first_name}} or {{order.total}} directly in the block content. These resolve to real values at email send time.
6. Click Save Template when you’re done.

Screenshot: Email template editor open with a heading block, paragraph block, and button block visible.

Screenshot: Merge tag typed inside a paragraph block showing {{first_name}} in the editor.

Using blocks in email templates #

The email builder supports standard Gutenberg blocks. Krom Automation converts each block to email-safe HTML using table-based layouts and inline CSS, ensuring compatibility across email clients that ignore external stylesheets.

Blocks you’ll use most often:

Paragraph: Your main body text. Supports bold, italic, links, and text colour. Keep paragraphs short for email readability.

Heading: H1, H2, or H3 headings. Use H1 for the main email headline. Use H2 for section headers within longer emails.

Image: Add a logo, product image, or banner. Enter the image URL directly or select from the WordPress media library. Always set alt text.

Button: A call-to-action button. Set the button text and link URL. Use merge tags in the URL field to link to dynamic pages, for example {{post_url}} for a “Read post” button in a post notification email.

Spacer: Adds vertical whitespace between sections. Useful for breathing room between major sections.

Separator/Divider: A horizontal rule to visually divide sections of your email.

Columns: A two-column layout. Use sparingly in email — some older email clients don’t render multi-column layouts reliably. Single-column designs are safest for transactional email.

Using merge tags in templates #

Merge tags work the same in email templates as they do in any Krom Automation action field. Type the tag directly into any text area in the block editor.

The tags available in a template depend on which trigger the workflow uses. A template used in a workflow with the User Registered trigger has access to {{first_name}}, {{user_email}}, and all other user trigger tags. A template used in a WooCommerce workflow has access to {{order.total}}, {{customer.first_name}}, and so on.

The email builder does not validate merge tags against a specific trigger — it’s a generic template. The validation happens at execution time when the workflow runs and resolves all tags against the actual trigger data. Always simulate the workflow after attaching a template to confirm tags resolve correctly.

Global email settings #

Global email settings apply to all templates unless overridden at the template level. Access them from the Email Templates page via the Global Settings button.

Setting	Description
Sender name	The default From name for all emails sent using a Pro template
Sender email	The default From email address for all template-based emails
Default header	A header block (logo, brand colour bar, etc.) prepended to every template that doesn’t specify its own header
Default footer	A footer block (unsubscribe text, address, etc.) appended to every template that doesn’t specify its own footer
Brand colours	Colour palette values that appear in the block editor’s colour picker

Screenshot: Global email settings panel showing sender name, sender email, and brand colour fields.

Setting a default header and footer is worth doing early. It means every email template automatically gets your logo and footer disclaimer without you adding those blocks manually to each template.

Connecting a template to a workflow #

Once a template is saved, you use it inside a Send Email action.

1. Open your workflow on the canvas and click the Send Email action node.
2. In the action configuration panel, find the Template field at the top.
3. Select your saved template from the dropdown.
4. The To, Subject, and other fields remain available. The Subject field is still required — the template controls the email body, not the subject line.
5. Fill in any remaining required fields and save.

Screenshot: Send Email action panel with the Template dropdown open showing saved templates.

When the workflow executes, Krom Automation renders the selected template, resolves all merge tags, and sends the result as the email body. The template’s saved content and the workflow’s live trigger data combine at send time.

Previewing a template #

From the Email Templates list, click Preview on any template to see a rendered preview in your browser.

The preview shows the template with placeholder text for any merge tags, since there’s no real workflow execution context at preview time. It gives you an accurate picture of the layout and styling, but not the final personalised content.

To see a fully resolved preview with real data — including how merge tags will look when the email actually sends — attach the template to a workflow and run a simulation. The simulation output shows the resolved email body.

Editing and updating templates #

Click any template in the Email Templates list to open it in the editor. Make your changes and click Save Template.

Updated templates take effect on the next workflow execution that uses them. There’s no need to update the workflow itself when you edit a template. Any workflow that references the template automatically uses the new version from the next execution onwards.

Frequently asked questions #

Can I use one template across multiple workflows?

Yes. A single template can be selected in the Send Email action of as many workflows as you want. Editing the template once updates it everywhere it’s used.

Do templates work with the plain text content type?

No. The email builder produces HTML output. If you need a plain text email for a specific workflow, use the standard Send Email message field instead of a template and set the content type to plain_text.

Will my template look the same in all email clients?

Krom Automation converts blocks to table-based, inline-styled HTML, which is the most compatible method for email rendering. Single-column layouts, standard fonts, and web-safe colours will look consistent across Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and other major clients. Complex multi-column layouts or custom fonts may vary.

Can I import an existing HTML email template?

The email builder is block-based and does not support importing raw HTML. If you have an existing HTML email design, you’d need to recreate it using blocks. For very complex HTML layouts, the standard Send Email message field accepts raw HTML directly if you prefer to write it by hand.