Configuring Menus and Page Sections in Templates
The Menu Content element creates a group of navigation links within an Email template. Menu items can direct recipients to external webpages, open an email or phone action, or move the recipient directly to another section within the same email.
Menus are especially useful for longer communications such as newsletters, event updates, or multi-topic emails where recipients may want to move directly to the information that interests them.
For example, a newsletter Menu might include:
Upcoming Events | Volunteer News | Impact Stories
Each Menu item can then link to a corresponding section farther down in the email.
Menus can also be useful in a footer. Instead of navigating within the email, footer Menu items might provide convenient links such as:
Visit Our Website | Contact Us | Call Our Office
Add a Menu to a Template
Open the Content tab in the Template Editor.
Click and drag the Menu element onto the desired location on your template.
Select the Menu on the template canvas.
Use the settings on the right to create and configure the individual Menu items.
Adjust the Menu's style, layout, spacing, and other available settings as needed.
Menus are commonly placed near the top of longer emails to provide navigation, but they can be added anywhere that grouped links would be useful.
Add and Manage Menu Items
Each Menu item has its own label and Action.
Select the Menu on the template canvas.
Locate the Menu Items settings on the right.
Select Add New Item.
Enter the wording that should appear for the Menu item.
Select the desired Action Type.
Complete the settings required for that Action.
Repeat these steps for each additional Menu item.
If you no longer need an item, select the trash can icon on that item's settings card to remove it from the Menu. Each item can use a different Action, allowing one Menu to combine multiple types of navigation.
Menu Item Actions
Menu items support the same four Action Types available in other linkable Content elements.tion
Open Website
Use Open Website when the Menu item should direct recipients to an external webpage.
Enter the destination in the URL field and use Target to determine whether it should open in the Same Tab or a New Tab.
For example, a footer Menu could include:
Home | About Us | Donate
with each item directing to the appropriate page on your organization's website.
Send Email
Use Send Email when selecting the Menu item should open a new email message.
Mail To | Sets the email address that will populate as the recipient. |
Subject | Sets the subject line that will populate in the new message. |
Body | Adds predefined wording to the body of the new email. |
For example, a Menu item labeled Contact Us could open a new message addressed to your organization's general contact or support email.
Call Phone Number
Use Call Phone Number when the Menu item should prompt recipients to call a specified telephone number on a compatible device.
This can be particularly useful in a footer navigation area for organizations that want to make their primary phone number easily accessible.
Go to Page Section
Use Go to Page Section when the Menu item should move recipients directly to another location within the same email.
Before using this Action, you first need to create a named Page Section within the template.
Understanding Page Sections
Page Sections, sometimes called page anchors, create named destinations within an email. Once a section has been named, a Menu item, Button, or text link can use the Go to Page Section Action to direct recipients to that location.
Page Sections are especially useful when an email contains several distinct areas, and you want recipients to navigate between them without manually scrolling through the entire message.
For example, a monthly newsletter might contain:
Upcoming Events
Volunteer Spotlight
Recent Impact Story
Ways to Give
A Menu at the beginning of the email can link directly to each of those sections.
Create a Page Section on a Content Element
You can create a Page Section using an individual Content element when you want recipients to land at one specific piece of Content.
To create the section:
Select the Content element where recipients should land.
Locate Section Name in the settings on the right.
Enter a short, descriptive name for the section.
For example:
upcoming-events
volunteer-spotlight
impact-story
Once the Section Name has been created, it becomes available when configuring a Go to Page Section Action elsewhere in the template. Choose names that are short and easy to recognize while you are building the template.
Create a Page Section on an Entire Block
You can also anchor an entire Block when several Content elements belong together, and recipients should land at the beginning of that complete section.
To create a Page Section for a Block:
Click within the open spacing beside the Content until the entire Block row is selected and outlined in blue.
Locate the available Page Section or section naming field in the Block settings on the right.
Enter a short, descriptive name for the section.
Save your changes.
Anchoring the Block can be useful when a section contains multiple related elements, such as a Heading, Image, Paragraph, and Button.
For example, instead of anchoring only the Heading for an event, you could anchor the entire event Block so recipients arrive at the beginning of the complete event section.
Link a Menu Item to a Page Section
After creating the Page Section:
Select the Menu element.
Locate the Menu item you want to configure.
Enter the label recipients should see, such as Upcoming Events.
Select Go to Page Section as the Action Type.
Open the Page Section dropdown.
Select the section name you created.
Repeat these steps for any additional Menu items.
Menu Item | Page Section |
|---|---|
Upcoming Events | |
Volunteer News | |
Impact Stories | |
This creates a simple table of contents that helps recipients navigate a longer email.
Use Page Sections with Buttons
Page Sections are not limited to Menus. A Button can also direct recipients to another section of the email.
To create a Page Section Button:
Add or select the Button.
Open its Action settings.
Select Go to Page Section.
Choose the desired Page Section from the dropdown.
For example, a See Event Details Button near the beginning of an email could direct recipients to a complete event section farther down.
Use Page Sections with Text Links
Words or phrases within a Paragraph or Heading can also link to a Page Section.
To create a text link:
Double-click the Paragraph or Heading to begin editing.
Highlight the text you want recipients to select.
Select the Link icon from the inline formatting toolbar.
Choose Go to Page Section as the Action Type.
Select the desired Page Section.
This is useful when you want internal navigation to appear naturally within a sentence rather than as a separate Button or Menu item.
Menu Style Settings
The Style settings control the appearance and arrangement of the Menu. These settings apply across the Menu items so the navigation maintains a consistent design.
Font Family
Font Family sets the font used for the Menu item labels. Choose a font that works well with the surrounding template and remains easy to read at a smaller navigation size. If Body Font is selected, the main font selected on your Body settings will be used.
Font Weight
Font Weight controls how light or bold the Menu text appears.
The available weights may vary depending on the selected Font Family. A slightly heavier weight can help Menu items stand out from surrounding body copy without requiring a larger font size.
Font Size
Font Size controls the size of the Menu item text.
Choose a size that keeps the Menu easy to read without allowing the navigation to overpower the rest of the communication. When using a Horizontal layout, keep in mind that larger text also requires more horizontal space.
Letter Spacing
Letter Spacing controls the amount of horizontal space between individual characters within the Menu labels.
The default spacing is generally appropriate for most navigation, but you can make small adjustments to better match the surrounding template design.
Text Color
Text Color controls the standard text color used within the Menu.
Use a color that provides sufficient contrast with the background behind the Menu, so navigation remains easy to read.
Link Color
Link Color controls the color used for the clickable Menu links.
Link colors can be selected using the same color controls available elsewhere in the Template Editor, including the visual color picker and specific HEX or RGB values.
When choosing a Link Color, consider both your organization's branding and readability against the surrounding background.
Alignment
Alignment controls where the Menu is positioned within the available Content area.
Available options include:
Left
Center
Right
Justify
Center alignment is commonly used for navigation at the top or bottom of an email, while Left alignment may work well when the Menu is part of a more traditional content layout.
Layout
The Layout setting determines whether the Menu items are arranged Horizontally or Vertically.
A Horizontal Menu displays items side by side and works well for traditional navigation near the top or bottom of an email.
For example:
Events | Volunteer | Give | Contact
A Vertical Menu displays each item on its own line. This can be useful when the Menu contains several options, when labels are longer, or when you want each navigation item to have more individual space.
When selecting a layout, review both Desktop and Mobile views to make sure the Menu remains easy to read and navigate.
Separator
The Separator setting controls the character or symbol displayed between Menu items in a Horizontal layout.
For example, using a vertical bar (|) creates navigation such as:
Events | Volunteer | Give
Separators visually distinguish individual links without requiring each Menu item to appear on a separate line.
Choose a simple separator that helps organize the Menu without drawing attention away from the navigation labels themselves.
Menu Item Padding
Padding controls the space around individual Menu items. Increasing the padding creates more space around each navigation option, while reducing it creates a more compact Menu.
This setting is particularly useful for adjusting the visual spacing between items in a Horizontal Menu or providing additional room around individual links in a Vertical Menu.
Menu Item Padding is separate from Container Padding. Menu Item Padding affects the space around the individual navigation options, while Container Padding controls the space surrounding the entire Menu Content element.
General Settings
The General settings control the Menu element's surrounding spacing, internal navigation, and responsive behavior.
Container Padding
Container Padding controls the amount of space surrounding the entire Menu element within its Block.
Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
Container Padding | Adds space between the Menu and nearby Content elements. |
More Options | Allows the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left padding values to be adjusted independently. |
For example, you might increase the bottom Container Padding when a Menu appears above the first Heading of a newsletter.
Section Name
The Menu itself can also be assigned a Section Name.
This allows another Menu item, Button, or text link to direct recipients back to the Menu's location using Go to Page Section.
For example, a Menu at the top of a long newsletter could be assigned a Section Name such as: top
A Back to Top text link or Button farther down in the email could then direct recipients back to the Menu.
Responsive Design
Responsive Design controls whether the Menu appears based on how the recipient is viewing the email. When editing in Desktop view, enable Hide on Desktop if the Menu should not appear in the desktop version.
When editing in Mobile view, enable Hide on Mobile if the Menu should not appear on mobile devices. Hiding the Menu in one view does not remove it from the template.
Menu Tips
Use Menus when grouped navigation makes the communication easier to use. Longer newsletters and multi-topic updates are good candidates for a Menu, while a short email with only one or two sections may not need one.
Keep Menu labels short and descriptive so recipients can quickly understand where each link leads. When creating Page Sections, use simple names that are easy to recognize while configuring your Actions.
Menus do not need to be limited to internal navigation. A footer Menu can provide a compact group of links to your website, email address, phone number, or other important destinations.
Before sending the communication, save the template and generate a test email. Select each Menu item, Button, and text link to confirm that external Actions open the correct destination and Page Section links move to the intended area of the email.