Configuring Headers on Templates
The Heading Content element creates titles and section headings that break up your communication and guide recipients through the message. Consistent Heading styles can help establish a clear visual hierarchy, make longer templates easier to scan, and distinguish major sections from supporting information.
Adding a Heading to a Template
To add a Heading, open the Content tab and click and drag the Heading element onto the desired location on your template. Once added, select the Heading on the template canvas to open its formatting and design settings on the right.
Writing Your Heading
When a Heading is first added, double-click directly within the Heading area on the template canvas to place your cursor inside the element. You can then type, paste in, or edit the text that should appear in the Heading.
While your cursor is active, a formatting toolbar appears above the Heading with additional options for formatting selected text.
Bold | Applies bold formatting to the selected text. |
Italic | Applies italic formatting to the selected text. |
Underline | Adds an underline to the selected text. |
Strikethrough | Adds a line through the selected text. |
Subscript | Positions the selected text slightly below the normal text line. |
Superscript | Positions the selected text slightly above the normal text line. |
Link | Turns the selected text into a clickable link or action. |
Unlink | Removes an existing link or action from the selected text. |
Emoji | Allows an emoji to be inserted at the current cursor position. |
Merge Tags | Inserts an available DonorDock merge tag at the current cursor position. |
Pasting Text from Another Source
If you paste heading text from another source, such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, a shared document, a website, or an existing email, the Template Editor may prompt you to Remove Formatting from the pasted content.
We recommend selecting Remove Formatting and then applying your desired formatting directly within the Template Editor.
Text copied from another application can contain formatting that is not immediately visible, including font rules, spacing, styling, or other underlying formatting. Even when the Heading looks correct while you are editing it, those additional settings can affect how the content displays when the email is generated or opened in different email applications.
Removing the original formatting gives you a cleaner starting point and lets DonorDock settings control the Heading's appearance.
Adding Links to a Heading
Individual words or phrases within a Heading can be made clickable without turning the entire Heading into a link.
Double-click the Heading so your cursor appears within the text.
Highlight the word or words you want to make clickable.
Select the Link icon from the formatting toolbar.
Choose the appropriate Action Type.
Complete the settings required for that action.
The same primary Action Types available for Buttons can also be used for Heading links.
Open Website
Open Website is the default Action Type and is the most common option for links. When selected, two additional settings are available:
URL | Sets the webpage or online resource that opens when the recipient selects the link. This could be your organization's website, a DonorDock Giving Page, an event registration page, a volunteer form, or another online destination. |
Target | Determines whether the destination opens in the same tab or a new tab. New Tab is selected by default. |
For example, a Donate Now link could use the Open Website action to direct recipients to your organization's Giving Page in a new browser tab.
Send Email
The Send Email Action Type allows a link to open a new message in the recipient's default email application.
Three fields are available:
Mail To | Sets the email address that will automatically populate as the recipient of the new message. |
Subject | Sets the subject line that will automatically populate in the new email. |
Body | Adds predefined text to the body of the new email message. |
When the link is selected, the recipient's supported email application opens a new compose window with the configured information already populated. The recipient can then edit the message if needed before sending it.
For example, an event email could include a Contact Our Events Team link with your organization's event email address already entered, a subject of Question About the Annual Gala, and a short introductory message in the body.
This reduces the information the recipient must enter manually and provides additional context when the message reaches your organization.
Call Phone Number
The Call Phone Number Action Type allows you to enter a telephone number that should be used when the recipient selects the link.
On a compatible device, selecting the link prompts the recipient to start a phone call using the provided phone number. This action is particularly useful for communications expected to be viewed on mobile devices.
For example, a Call Our Office link could let someone reading the email on their phone start the call without manually copying or entering your organization's phone number.
Keep in mind that the recipient's device and email application determine how telephone links are handled.
Go to Page Section
The Go to Page Section Action Type creates an internal link to another section within the same email.
When selected, a Page Section dropdown allows you to choose from sections that have already been named within the template. When the recipient selects the link, the email moves to the selected section rather than opening an external destination.
This can be useful for longer communications, particularly newsletters. For example, a link near the top of the email labeled View Upcoming Events could take the recipient directly to an Upcoming Events section farther down in the same message.
Page Sections can also be used with Menu and Text links to create internal navigation throughout a longer email.
Heading Appearance Settings
The Heading Appearance Settings control how the Heading is visually presented within the template. These settings let you define the Heading level, font, size, weight, color, alignment, line spacing, and letter spacing so the Heading fits the overall design while remaining easy to read. Some options can also inherit styles from the template’s Body settings, helping maintain consistent formatting across your communication.
Heading Type
Heading Type determines the structural level assigned to the Heading. DonorDock provides the following options:
H1 | The primary or highest-level heading for the communication, such as the main title or primary message. |
H2 | A major section heading beneath the primary heading. |
H3 | A subsection within an H2 section. |
H4 | A smaller subsection used when additional levels of organization are needed. |
Heading Types provide more than a visual size difference. They establish the content hierarchy, similar to a title, section, and subsection in a document.
When possible, use Heading Types in a logical order. For example, an email might begin with an H1 for the main title, followed by H2 headings for the major sections and H3 headings for subsections within those areas.
You do not need to choose a Heading Type simply because you prefer its default size. You can adjust the Font Size setting separately, letting you control how the Heading looks while maintaining an appropriate content hierarchy.
Font Family
Font Family determines the typeface used for the Heading. Select the dropdown to choose from the available fonts.
Selecting Body Font allows the Heading to use the primary font configured for the template under the Body Design and Management Tab. This can be helpful when you want Heading elements to remain consistent with your template-wide font settings.
You can also select a different available font when the Heading should have a distinct appearance.
💡 Some email applications have more limited font support than others. When a selected font is unavailable to the recipient's email application, a fallback font may be displayed instead.
Font Weight
Font Weight controls how light or bold the Heading text appears.
Depending on the selected Font Family, available weights may range from lighter text through Regular, Medium, Semi Bold, Bold, or heavier options.
Use Font Weight to create emphasis without needing to change the Heading Type or Font Size.
Font Size
Font Size controls the size of the Heading text and is measured in pixels (px). Increasing the value makes the Heading larger, while decreasing it makes it smaller.
Because Font Size is controlled separately from Heading Type, you can maintain the appropriate H1, H2, H3, or H4 structure while adjusting the visual size to fit your template design.
Text Color
Text Color controls the color of the Heading text. Select the color field to access the available color controls. You can choose a color visually, enter a specific HEX or RGB value, select from standard colors, or choose from available Template Colors.
Template Colors are automatically suggested based on colors already being used within the template, which can make it easier to maintain a consistent color palette.
Choose a Heading color that provides sufficient contrast against the background behind it so the text remains easy to read.
Text Align
Text Align controls the horizontal positioning of the Heading text within its Content area.
Left | Aligns the Heading text to the left side of the available Content area. |
Center | Centers the Heading text within the available Content area. |
Right | Aligns the Heading text to the right side of the available Content area. |
Justify | Adjusts the spacing between words so the text aligns across the available width. |
For most Heading text, Left or Center alignment will provide the most predictable result.
Line Height
Line Height controls the vertical spacing between lines when a Heading wraps onto more than one line. The default Line Height is 140%. Increasing this percentage adds more space between lines, while decreasing it moves the lines closer together.
Line Height may have little visible effect on a short, single-line Heading but becomes more noticeable when a longer Heading wraps onto multiple lines.
Letter Spacing
Letter Spacing controls the horizontal space between individual characters in the Heading. The default setting is 0 px.
Increasing the value spreads the letters farther apart. Small adjustments can be useful as a design choice, particularly for short titles, but excessive spacing may make longer Heading text more difficult to read.
Link Settings
The Links section on the right controls how linked text within the Heading is styled. Inherit Body Styles determines whether links within the Heading use the default link formatting configured for the overall template under the Body tab.
When Inherit Body Styles is enabled, the Heading links follow the template-wide link styling. This can help maintain consistent link formatting throughout the communication.
When you turn the setting off, additional options become available so links within this Heading can use their own appearance.
Link Color | Sets a separate color for linked text within the Heading. |
Underline | Determines whether linked Heading text should be underlined. |
Turning off Inherit Body Styles is useful when the Heading appears in an area where the standard template link color would not provide enough contrast or when the design requires a different link treatment.
General Settings
The General settings control the Heading Content element's placement and behavior within the surrounding template.
Container Padding
Container Padding controls the space around the Heading within its Content area. The default Container Padding is 10 px on all sides.
Increasing the padding creates more separation between the Heading and nearby Paragraphs, Images, Buttons, or other Content elements.
Container Padding | Applies the same amount of space around all sides of the Heading element. |
More Options | Allows the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left padding values to be adjusted separately. |
Using Container Padding is generally preferable to adding blank lines simply to create additional space around a Heading.
Section Name
The Section Name field allows the Heading Content element itself to be identified as a Page Section within the email.
Enter a short, recognizable Section Name if you want another Menu item, Button, or supported link elsewhere in the email to direct recipients to this location.
For example, if a Heading appears at the beginning of your donation section, you could give the element a Section Name such as donate. Another Button or Menu link near the top of the email could then use Go to Page Section to direct the recipient there.
Section Names are most useful when building internal navigation for longer Email templates.
Responsive Design
Responsive Design controls whether the Heading should appear based on the recipient's viewing device.
When editing the template in Desktop view, the Responsive Design section includes Hide on Desktop. Enabling this option prevents the Heading from appearing in the desktop version of the communication.
When editing in Mobile view, the setting changes to Hide on Mobile. Enabling it prevents the Heading from appearing in the mobile version.
Hiding an element in one view does not delete it from the template. This lets you create different layouts or content treatments for desktop and mobile recipients.
Whenever a Heading is hidden for a particular view, review both the Desktop and Mobile versions of the template to make sure the communication still makes sense and maintains an appropriate heading structure for each audience.
Heading Tips
Use Headings consistently to create a clear structure throughout your template. Keep heading styles limited to a small set of fonts, sizes, colors, and weights so recipients can easily recognize the relationship between major sections and supporting subsections. Choose Heading Types based on hierarchy rather than appearance alone, then use the available design settings to fine-tune how each level looks.
Before using the template, review Headings in both Desktop and Mobile views to make sure longer wording wraps cleanly, spacing remains balanced, and linked Headings are still easy to identify and select. If a Heading includes a link or merge tag, generate a test communication to confirm it displays and behaves as expected.