How to Create Reusable Email Blocks Without Creating a Mess
Reusable blocks speed production - until you have forty near-identical headers. Here is how to keep the library small and named for humans.
By The Memo Team
Last updated
Quick answer
Keep reusable email blocks few, named by purpose not campaign, and scoped to patterns - hero, product row, footer - not whole past emails; archive what you stop using so the library stays choosable.
Blocks are leverage. They are also easy to over-produce until nobody knows which header to insert. The goal is a library small enough that choosing is instant.
Blocks are for patterns, not pages
If you cannot name it generically - “Product row - image left” - it is probably not a block. It is a saved campaign.
Keep the set small
- Prefer flexible blocks over rigid one-offs.
- Name by purpose, not by launch codename.
- Archive blocks you have not inserted in two quarters.
Remember: insert copies the block
Editing the library block later does not rewrite old emails - that stability is intentional. Treat blocks as starting points, not live-linked components.
Pair blocks with Brand Kit
Blocks carry structure; Brand Kits carry color and type. Together they keep new documents on rails.
Example (fictional): Apple (sample brand) kept six blocks. Campaigns got faster because there was nothing to debate at insert time.
Frequently asked questions
- How many email blocks should we have?
- Enough to cover recurring patterns - often single digits to low teens - not one per historical campaign.
- Do blocks sync after insert?
- No. Insert copies content into the document so shipped emails stay stable when the library evolves.
- Blocks vs templates?
- Blocks are fragments. Templates are full starting layouts. Use both, but do not duplicate the same structure in both places.
- Who owns the block library?
- Usually design or brand ops - someone who will prune it when it grows noisy.
Glossary
Documentation
In-depth guides
Continue reading
- Guide · 7 min readTemplate Libraries vs One-Off Campaigns: How to Organize Email WorkStop duplicating campaigns. Organize template libraries, Brand Kits, and blocks so new sends start from structure - not from whichever email performed last quarter.
- Guide · 9 min readHow to Build an Email Design System That Actually Stays On BrandEncode color roles, type, spacing, and reusable structure so on-brand email is the default - not a wiki exercise before every send.
- Perspective · 7 min readWhy Most Email Templates Drift Off BrandDrift is a systems problem, not a discipline problem. Here is why templates wander - and how to stop it without more policy decks.
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