Working with Blocks and Layouts in the Template Editor
Templates in the DonorDock Template Editor are built using two main building pieces: Blocks and Content elements. Understanding the difference between them makes it much easier to control your template layout and know which settings you are changing.
Think of a Block as a container or row on your template. The Block controls the structure of that section and determines where content can be placed. A Block may contain a single full-width column or multiple columns arranged side by side.
Content elements are the individual items placed inside those Blocks. These are the pieces your recipient will actually see or interact with, such as a Paragraph, Heading, Image, Button, Divider, Table, Logo, or other available element.
In the example above, the Block is arranged into two columns. The left column contains a Heading Content element, while the right column contains a Paragraph Content element with a Button positioned beneath it. The second image highlights those three individual Content elements within the same Block.
💡 If you are not sure where a Block begins or ends, click in the open spacing to the left or right of the Content elements rather than directly on the content itself. When the Block is selected, the full Block row will be outlined in blue, and the settings panel on the right will switch from the individual Content settings to the Block row settings. This makes it easier to identify the full section and adjust settings that apply to the entire Block, such as columns, spacing, background, and mobile behavior.
Using separate Blocks for areas such as your header, main message, featured content, call to action, and footer can make longer templates easier to organize, edit, and manage.
Blocks Control the Section
When you select the overall Block rather than an individual piece of content, the settings on the right apply to the entire section.
Depending on the Block, these settings can control items such as:
The number and width of columns
Background colors or images
Padding around the section
Spacing between columns
Alignment
Mobile and responsive behavior
Changes made at the Block level can therefore affect several Content elements at once.
Content Elements Control the Individual Item
When you click directly on a Content element, the settings on the right change to options specific to that item.
For example:
Selecting a Paragraph provides text and formatting options.
Selecting an Image provides image sizing, alignment, link, and alt text options.
Selecting a Button provides button text, action, sizing, and formatting options.
These settings affect that individual Content element without changing the entire Block around it.
If the settings displayed on the right are not the options you expected, check whether you have selected the Content element itself or the larger Block containing it.
Clicking directly on the content selects the individual element. Clicking the surrounding section or selecting the outer Block allows you to work with the structure that holds that content.
This distinction matters most when adjusting spacing. Padding on a Content element changes the space around that individual item, while padding on a Block changes the spacing around the entire section and everything contained within it.
💡 A simple way to remember it: Blocks determine where content goes, while Content elements determine what appears there.
Moving Content Between Blocks
Content elements can be moved between Blocks without needing to recreate them. If you want to move an existing element, such as an Image, Paragraph, or Button, select the Content element and use the four-arrow Move icon. Click and drag the element to its new location, then release it when the placement indicator appears where you want to add the Content.
This makes it easy to reorganize a template as you build it, including moving Content between columns or into an entirely different Block.
Adding a New Block
If you need an additional section or layout within your template, open Blocks from the right-side toolbar. Blocks is the second option in the Template Editor tools.
Select the Block layout you want to use, then click and drag it onto the template canvas. Place it where you want the new section to appear and add your Content elements inside the available column or columns.
You can add Blocks at any point in the template, allowing you to expand your layout as your communication grows.
Duplicating a Block
If you already have a Block formatted the way you want, you can duplicate the entire section instead of rebuilding it.
Select the Block row so that the full Block is outlined in blue, then click the Duplicate icon. A copy of the Block, including the Content elements and formatting contained within it, will be added to the template.
Duplicating Blocks can be especially useful for communications with repeating layouts, such as newsletters, event listings, program updates, staff highlights, or other sections that should follow the same design.
Saving a Block for Reuse
Blocks that you expect to use across multiple templates can be saved as reusable Blocks within the Template Editor. This lets your organization create standardized sections once and add them to future templates without rebuilding the layout, formatting, and content each time.
For example, you might create a standardized footer that includes your organization logo, name, address, contact information, social links, and other branding. Once you've formatted and approved that Block, you can save and reuse it across additional templates to maintain a consistent design.
To save a Block:
Select the Block row so the entire Block is outlined in blue.
Click the Save Block icon, which appears as a floppy disk.
Enter a descriptive name for the saved Block.
Save the Block.
Once saved, the reusable Block will appear within the Blocks area of the Template Editor. When building another template, open Blocks, locate the saved Block, and click and drag it onto the template canvas just as you would any other Block layout.
The saved Block retains its layout, Content elements, and formatting, providing a consistent starting point that can still be edited after it is added to a new template. Changes made to that newly added copy apply to the template you are currently editing and allow you to customize the section as needed.
Saved Blocks are available across your DonorDock organization, so all team members can access and use Blocks created by other users. This can be especially helpful for maintaining standardized organization-wide design elements such as headers, footers, campaign sections, contact information, calls to action, or other frequently repeated layouts.
💡 Use clear names for saved Blocks. Names such as Standard Organization Footer, Giving Call to Action, or Newsletter Event Section make reusable layouts easier for your team to identify within the Blocks library.