Configuring Tables in Templates
The Table Content element organizes structured information into rows and columns within a template. Tables work well when information has a natural row-and-column relationship and recipients benefit from comparing or scanning related details.
Tables may be useful for:
Event schedules
Program information
Membership details
Dates and deadlines
Hours or locations
Simple comparisons
Other structured data
Add a Table to a Template
Open the Content tab in the Template Editor.
Click and drag the Table element onto the desired location on your template.
Select the Table on the template canvas.
Use the settings on the right to determine the number of rows and columns and configure the overall Table design.
Click within an individual cell to enter or edit its content.
Use the inline text toolbar or Active Cell Settings to format individual cell content as needed.
The settings available on the right will change depending on whether you have selected the overall Table or clicked into a specific cell.
Table Layout Settings
When you select the Table, but your cursor is not inside a specific cell, the right-side panel displays settings that affect the overall Table structure and design.
Columns
Columns determine how many vertical columns appear in the Table.
Choose the number of columns based on the information you need to organize. For example, an event schedule might use three columns for:
Time | Activity | Location
Avoid adding more columns than necessary, particularly in Email templates. Tables with many columns can become difficult to read on smaller screens.
Rows
Rows determine how many horizontal rows are included in the Table.
Add enough rows to accommodate the information you need to display. You can return to this setting later if additional rows need to be added or removed.
Border
The Border settings control the lines surrounding the Table cells.
You can configure:
Border Color
Border Width, measured in pixels
Border Style, including Solid, Dashed, or Dotted
By default, the Border setting applies to all sides. Select More Options when you want to configure the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left borders independently.
Stripe Rows
The Stripe Rows toggle allows you to apply an alternate background color to every other row in the Table. When Stripe Rows is enabled, select the secondary color that should appear on the alternating rows.
Alternating row colors can make longer Tables easier to scan by helping recipients visually follow information across each row.
For example, you might use a white background for the primary rows and a light version of one of your organization’s brand colors for alternating rows.
Header Settings
The Header settings control the first row of the Table when it is being used as a header.
Enable Header
Use the Header toggle to determine whether the first row should be treated and styled as the Table header. Enable the Header when the first row contains labels describing the information in each column.
For example: Date | Event | Location
Using a visually distinct Header can help recipients understand the information that follows.
Header Background Color
Background Color sets the background used for the Header row. You can select a color visually or use the available HEX or RGB controls.
Choose a background that distinguishes the Header from the rest of the Table while maintaining sufficient contrast with the Header text.
Header Text Color
Text Color sets the color used for text within the Header cells.
When using a darker Header background, a lighter Text Color may improve readability. When using a lighter Header background, darker text will generally provide stronger contrast.
Header Text Alignment
Text Alignment controls the horizontal placement of text within the Header cells.
Available options include:
Left
Center
Right
Justify
Header Vertical Alignment
Vertical Align controls where the text sits vertically within each Header cell.
Available options include:
Top
Middle
Bottom
This setting becomes especially noticeable when Header cells have additional height or when one Header contains more text than another.
Header Padding
Padding controls the amount of space between the Header text and the edges of its cells. Use More Options to adjust the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left padding independently.
Increasing the padding can give Header labels more breathing room and make the Table easier to scan.
Content Settings
The Content settings control the default appearance of the primary data rows within the Table. These settings allow you to establish consistent formatting across the main Table content before making any individual cell adjustments.
Content Background Color
Background Color sets the primary background color used for the Table's Content rows. If Stripe Rows is enabled, this color works with the secondary stripe color to create an alternating-row design.
Content Text Color
Text Color sets the default color of the text within the Table's Content cells. Choose a color that remains easy to read against both the standard background and any alternate Stripe Rows color.
Content Text Alignment
Text Alignment controls the horizontal placement of text within the Content cells.
Available options include:
Left
Center
Right
Justify
You may want to use different alignments based on the type of data being presented. Written descriptions are generally easier to scan when left-aligned, while short values, dates, or numbers may work well centered or right-aligned.
Content Vertical Alignment
Vertical Align controls where information sits vertically within the Content cells.
Available options include:
Top
Middle
Bottom
This is useful when cells within the same row contain different amounts of text.
Content Line Height
Line Height controls the vertical spacing between lines of text within the Content cells. Increasing the Line Height can make cells containing multiple lines of information easier to read.
Content Letter Spacing
Letter Spacing controls the amount of horizontal space between individual characters within the Table content. For most regular Table text, little or no additional Letter Spacing is necessary.
Content Padding
Padding controls the amount of space between the Table content and the edges of each cell. Additional padding can make a Table easier to read by preventing the text from sitting directly against the cell borders.
Footer Settings
The Footer settings allow the final row of the Table to use its own formatting.
Enable Footer
Use the Footer toggle to enable or disable a separately styled Footer row.
A Footer may be useful when the final row contains information such as:
Totals
Summary information
Final deadlines
Closing notes
Other information that should be visually distinguished from the main Table content
Footer Background Color
Background Color sets the background used for the Footer row. You can use a contrasting color to distinguish the Footer from the primary Content rows.
Footer Text Color
Text Color controls the default text color within the Footer cells. Make sure the selected color remains easy to read against the Footer Background Color.
Footer Text Alignment
Text Alignment controls the horizontal placement of text within the Footer cells. Available options include Left, Center, Right, and Justify.
Footer Vertical Alignment
Vertical Align determines whether Footer content sits at the Top, Middle, or Bottom of its cells.
Footer Padding
Padding controls the space between the Footer content and the edges of its cells. Select More Options when you want to adjust the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left values independently.
Format an Individual Table Cell
In addition to the overall Header, Content, and Footer settings, individual cells can be formatted separately.
To access the settings for a specific cell:
Select the Table on the template canvas.
Click directly inside the cell you want to edit.
The Active Cell Settings will appear at the top of the settings panel on the right.
Adjust the available settings for that cell as needed.
Active Cell Settings allow you to customize:
Background Color
Text Color
Text Alignment
Vertical Alignment
Padding
This can be useful when a particular piece of information needs additional emphasis without changing the appearance of the entire row or Table.
For example, you might apply a different Background Color to a cell containing an important registration deadline or highlight one membership option within a comparison Table.
Write and Format Text Within a Cell
When you click inside a Table cell, an inline formatting toolbar appears near your cursor.
This toolbar allows you to format the text within the selected cell without changing the entire Table.
Available formatting options include:
Font Family
Font Size
Bold
Italic
Underline
Strikethrough
Subscript
Superscript
Emojis
Left, Center, Right, and Justified alignment
Bulleted lists
Numbered lists
Text Color
Background Color
Links and Unlink
Merge Tags
Select existing text before applying formatting when you only want the change to affect a particular word or phrase.
Paste Text into a Table Cell
As with Paragraphs and Headings, text copied from Microsoft Word, Google Docs, websites, emails, or other applications may contain hidden formatting.
If you are prompted to Remove Formatting when pasting text into a Table cell, we recommend removing the original formatting and then styling the content directly within the Template Editor.
This can help prevent unexpected fonts, colors, spacing, or other formatting from being carried into the Table.
Insert Merge Tags into a Table
Merge tags can be inserted directly into individual Table cells.
Click inside the appropriate Table cell.
Place your cursor where the personalized information should appear.
Select the Merge Tag dropdown from the inline formatting toolbar.
Choose the desired merge tag.
Continue adding or formatting the surrounding content as needed.
The merge tag will be replaced with the appropriate information from DonorDock when you generate the template.
The available merge tags depend on the type of template you are creating. For example, a Transactional template might use a Table to organize gift information and include available gift-specific merge tags within individual cells.
Add a Link Within a Table Cell
Text inside a Table cell can also be made clickable.
Click inside the Table cell.
Highlight the word or phrase you want recipients to select.
Select the Link icon from the inline formatting toolbar.
Choose the appropriate Action Type.
Complete the settings for that Action.
The available Action Types include:
Open Website
Send Email
Call Phone Number
Go to Page Section
To remove an existing link, highlight the linked text and select the Unlink option.
Link Appearance
The Links settings on the right control how links appear within the Table.
Inherit Body Styles determines whether Table links use the link appearance configured in the template's Body settings.
When enabled, the Table follows the template-wide link styling. When Inherit Body Styles is turned off, the available link settings allow you to customize the appearance of links specifically within the Table, including options such as Link Color and Underline.
General Settings
The General settings control the Table's surrounding spacing, internal navigation, and responsive behavior.
Container Padding
Container Padding controls the amount of space surrounding the entire Table within its Block. Select More Options to adjust the Top, Right, Bottom, and Left values independently.
Container Padding is different from the padding configured for Header, Content, Footer, or individual cells. Those settings control spacing inside the Table cells, while Container Padding controls the space around the entire Table element.
Section Name
The Section Name field allows the Table to serve as a destination for internal navigation within a longer Email template. Enter a short, recognizable Section Name if a Menu item, Button, linked Heading, or another supported element should direct recipients to the Table using Go to Page Section.
For example, a newsletter could include a Menu item labeled Event Schedule that jumps directly to a Table containing the full event schedule.
Responsive Design
Responsive Design controls whether the Table appears based on how the recipient is viewing the email. When editing in Desktop view, enable Hide on Desktop if the Table should not appear in the desktop version.
When editing in Mobile view, enable Hide on Mobile if the Table should not appear on mobile devices. Hiding the Table in one view does not remove it from the template.
Table Tips
Use Tables when the relationship between rows and columns helps recipients understand the information. Keep the structure as simple as possible and use Headers, borders, striped rows, and other styling intentionally to make the data easier to scan.
Start with the Header, Content, and Footer settings to establish a consistent Table design, then use Active Cell Settings when an individual cell needs special formatting.
When entering text, use the inline toolbar for formatting, links, lists, and merge tags. If you paste content from another program, remove its existing formatting when possible and restyle it within the Template Editor.
Before using the template, review the Table in both Desktop and Mobile views and generate a test communication. Confirm that the information remains readable, links work correctly, and any merge tags populate as expected.