Testing and Previewing Templates
Before using a template with your donors, take a few minutes to review the finished communication and make sure everything looks and works the way you expect.
DonorDock provides several tools to help with that review. Preview lets you check the layout in Desktop and Mobile views. Audit helps surface common design or content issues. Test generates a sample version so you can see how personalized information, links, and other Content will appear when the template is used.
These checks are especially helpful after updating merge tags, links, images, spacing, or other interactive elements. They are also a good final step anytime you create or significantly revise a template.
Save Before Testing
Before generating a test, you will want to save your work so the most recent version of the template is included.
Save Changes to the Current Template
Use Save when you want to keep your changes on the template you are currently editing.
Finish the edits you want to review.
Select Save in the upper-right corner of the Template Editor.
Your changes will be saved to the existing template.
Continue with Preview, Audit, or Test.
Saving before testing helps make sure you are reviewing the same version that will be available when the template is later used.
Save Your Work as a New Template
Use Save As when you want to create a new template based on the one you are currently editing without changing the original.
Select Save As in the upper-right corner of the Template Editor.
Enter a name for the new template.
Save the new template.
Continue editing or testing the newly created copy.
Save As can be especially useful when you want to reuse an existing layout for a new campaign, event, appeal, or communication while keeping the original template unchanged.
Use Version History
If you need to return to an earlier version of a template, you can use Version History. DonorDock keeps up to the 10 most recent saved versions of the template, with the newest version listed first. Each entry shows when that version was saved, which team member saved it, and when it was replaced by a newer version.
To restore a previous version:
Open the template you want to review.
Select Version History from the template settings near Save As.
The Version History window will open and display the recent saved versions of the template, with the newest version at the top.
Review the available versions. Each entry includes the date and time it was saved, the team member who saved it, and the date and time it was later replaced.
For example:
Saved September 18, 2026 at 10:15 AM
by Sherlock Holmes ยท replaced September 18, 2026 at 11:02 AMLocate the version you want to return to.
Select Restore next to that version.
DonorDock will update the template to match the selected saved version.
When you restore an earlier version, DonorDock does not permanently discard the design you were using immediately before the restore. Instead, that design is added back into Version History as a new saved version. This gives you a way to return to it if you decide the restored version is not the one you want.
For example, if you restore a version from yesterday and then realize you preferred the template as it looked this morning, open Version History again and locate the newly saved version representing the design you had before the restore. Select Restore next to that version to return to it.
Preview Desktop and Mobile Layouts
You may use the Desktop and Mobile preview options to review how your template responds to different screen sizes. A layout that works well on a larger screen may behave differently on a phone, especially when the template includes multiple Columns, large Images, Tables, Menus, or Content with customized spacing.
To review your template:
Start with Desktop view and look at the overall structure of the communication. Confirm that the template width feels balanced, Columns have the intended proportions, Images are appropriately sized, and Headings, Paragraphs, Buttons, and other Content are aligned and spaced consistently.
Pay particular attention to more complex areas of the design, such as multi-column Blocks, large Images, Tables, Menus, headers, and footers. Make sure each section fits comfortably within the available width and that no Content feels crowded or disconnected from the surrounding design.
Switch to Mobile view to see how the same template adapts to a narrower screen. Check whether Columns stack in a logical order, text remains easy to read, Buttons and Images resize appropriately, and Menus and Tables remain usable without becoming overly crowded.
Review the spacing between Content in Mobile view. Padding that looks balanced on Desktop may feel excessive on a smaller screen, while sections with very little spacing may become difficult to scan once the layout stacks vertically.
Continue switching between Desktop and Mobile as you make adjustments. Changes to Content sizing, Block structure, padding, or alignment can affect each view differently, so review both before considering the design complete.
Review Responsive Design Settings
Responsive Design settings are available for Blocks and Content elements and allow you to control whether a specific part of the template appears in Desktop or Mobile view.
Select the Block or Content element you want to review on the template canvas.
In the settings panel on the right, scroll to the bottom.
Locate the Responsive Design setting.
The available toggle will depend on the view you are currently using:
In Desktop view, the setting will display Hide on Desktop.
In Mobile view, the setting will display Hide on Mobile.
Turn on the applicable toggle if that Block or Content element should be hidden from that version of the template.
Switch between Desktop and Mobile views to confirm the Content appears or is hidden as intended.
Responsive Design can be useful when you want to simplify a layout for smaller screens or create slightly different experiences for Desktop and Mobile recipients. After hiding any Content, review the surrounding layout to make sure the remaining sections still flow naturally and that recipients are not missing information they need.
Use the Audit Tool
The Audit Design and Management Tab helps identify common issues within the template before it is used.
Open the Audit tab from the right side of the Template Editor and review any items the editor identifies.
Depending on the Content in the template, Audit may help surface issues such as:
Missing links or Actions
Missing alternative text
Other template elements that may need additional review
Generate a Test
The Test option generates a sample version of the template so you can review how the finished communication will appear.
Save the most recent version of the template.
Select Test in the upper-right corner of the Template Editor.
Generate the available test version.
Review the finished communication.
Return to the template and make any necessary changes.
Save the template again.
Generate another test if changes were made.
Repeat this process until the communication appears and behaves as intended.
Test Merge Tags
Merge tags should always be reviewed in a generated test rather than only on the template canvas.
During editing, a merge tag appears as its placeholder syntax, such as:
{{donor.first_name}}
During testing, DonorDock replaces the merge tag with sample data so you can see how the finished value fits within the communication.
For example:
Dear {{donor.first_name}},
may generate as:
Dear Jane,
DonorDock uses the Jane Doe sample record for many template test values.
When reviewing merge tags, check:
Whether each tag generates a value
Whether punctuation still makes sense
Whether spacing around the value looks correct
Whether dates display in the expected format
Whether currency values include the correct formatting
Whether longer values affect the layout
Whether any merge tag remains visible instead of being replaced
Test Links and Actions
Any clickable Content should be tested before the template is used.
This includes:
Buttons
Linked Paragraph text
Linked Headings
Images with Actions
Logos with Actions
Video previews
Menu items
Social icons
Timers with Actions
Page Section links
Select each clickable item in the generated test and confirm that it performs the intended Action.
Review Images and Branding
Review all visual elements within the test communication.
Check that:
Images load correctly
Images are not stretched or distorted
Alternative Text has been added where appropriate
Logos display correctly
Image links open the intended destination
Campaign-specific graphics are current
Colors remain readable against surrounding backgrounds
Images fit comfortably in both Desktop and Mobile layouts
Review Written Content
Testing is also an opportunity to proofread the final communication in context.
Review:
Spelling and grammar
Contact names and merge tag placement
Dates and times
Event details
Giving information
Calls to action
Button wording
Link text
Footer information
Organization contact information
Reading the generated version often makes spacing, duplicate wording, or awkward merge tag combinations easier to notice than reviewing the template while editing.
Review Email Templates
Email applications can display HTML differently, so sending a test email is especially important when the template contains custom HTML, complex Tables, multiple Columns, or other advanced layouts.
Review Word Print Templates
When you design a Print template in Microsoft Word, you edit the DOCX file outside DonorDock and then upload it again.
After uploading a revised file:
Save the updated Word document.
Return to the template in DonorDock.
Select Upload New File.
Upload the revised DOCX.
Select Test.
Review the generated document with the merge tags populated.
Confirm page breaks, spacing, addresses, and other formatting before using the template.
Testing does not change or send the live template. It gives you a chance to review the final result and make corrections before the template is used for actual donor communications.