Email Builder

1 Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have access to the following:

• The Google Doc containing email copy (with Email #1, #2 headings)
  Google Doc must follow these requirements
• The UTM spreadsheet in Google Sheets (if tracking URLs are ready)
• The Email Builder URL and password (provided by your team lead)
• A modern browser — Chrome is recommended

2 Create a Working Folder

Create a folder on your computer to keep your downloaded files organized.

On Windows (PC)

1. Right-click on your Desktop or open Documents
2. Select New → Folder
3. Name it something like Email Assets

On Mac

1. Right-click on your Desktop or open Documents in Finder
2. Select New Folder
3. Name it something like Email Assets

3 Download Your Assets

Download the Google Doc as HTML

1. Open the Google Doc containing the email copy
2. Go to File → Download → Web Page (.html, zipped)
3. Save the .zip file to your Email Assets folder
4. Unzip the file:
   • Windows: Right-click the .zip → Extract All → click Extract
   • Mac: Double-click the .zip file — it extracts automatically
5. Open the extracted folder — you'll see an .html file inside. This is the file the builder needs.

Download the UTM Spreadsheet

1. Open the UTM spreadsheet in Google Sheets
2. Go to File → Download and choose one of:
   • Comma-separated values (.csv) — recommended
   • Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) — also works
3. Save it to your Email Assets folder

You should now have two files in your folder:

4 Open the Builder

1. Navigate to the Email Builder URL in your browser
2. Enter the password when prompted
3. Check "Remember me" so you won't need the password again on this device
4. Click Unlock
5. Click on the client card for the project you're working on (e.g., "Ovarian Cancer Canada")

You'll see the builder interface with two drop zones: one for the Google Doc HTML and one for the UTM spreadsheet.

5 Upload Files

1. Open your Email Assets folder alongside the browser
2. Drag the .html file into the left drop zone (labeled "Google Docs HTML")
3. The file name will appear confirming the upload
4. Drag the .csv or .xlsx into the right drop zone (labeled "UTM Spreadsheet")
5. Click "Generate Emails"

6 Review Your Emails

After generating, the builder switches to the review view with several panels:

Sidebar (Left)

Lists all emails found in the document (Email #1, Email #2, etc.). Click any email to view it. The sidebar shows the sender name and email number for quick reference.

Meta Card (Top)

Displays the metadata extracted from the Google Doc for the selected email:

• Sender — name and email address
• Subject Line
• Preview Text — what recipients see in their inbox before opening

HTML Editor (Center)

The generated email HTML. This is what you'll copy and paste into your email platform.

Preview Panel (Right)

A live rendering of how the email will look inside the stationery wrapper. Updates in real-time as you make edits.

7 Working with Segments

If the Google Doc contains different content for different audiences, the builder automatically detects these segments from the document's color-coded segmentation key.

Segment Pills

You'll see colored pills at the top of the editor (e.g., "Engaged", "Unengaged", "Tribute"). Click any pill to switch to that segment's version of the email.

What changes between segments?

• Body copy — different paragraphs or CTAs per audience
• Buttons — different links or text
• Signatures — different signers per segment
• Tracking URLs — each segment has its own UTM parameters

Shared content

Content that appears without any color coding in the Google Doc is shared across all segments. You'll see it in every segment's output.

8 Editing Email HTML

The HTML editor is fully editable. You can make quick corrections directly in the builder:

• Fix typos — find and correct text in the HTML
• Adjust links — update or fix URLs
• Tweak copy — modify text for a specific segment

The preview panel updates in real-time as you type, so you can see your changes immediately.

9 Copy & Export

Copy to Clipboard

1. Select the email and segment you want
2. Click the Copy button
3. The full HTML is now on your clipboard
4. Switch to your email platform and paste (Ctrl+V on PC, Cmd+V on Mac)

Download Individual Email

1. Select the email and segment
2. Click the Download button
3. An .html file is saved with an auto-generated name (e.g., OCC_Email1_Engaged.html)

Bulk Export (All Emails, All Segments)

1. Click Download All
2. Every email and every segment is exported as individual .html files
3. Files are named consistently for easy identification

Adding Images

The builder generates the email HTML structure and text, but images are not included automatically. You will need to:

1. Upload your banner/hero image and any other email images to the Luminate Online Image Library
2. Copy the hosted image URL from the Image Library
3. Find the placeholder <img> tags in the generated HTML and replace the src attribute with your hosted URL

10 Tips & Troubleshooting

Forwarded Emails (FWD)

If the Google Doc includes forwarded emails (e.g., "Email FWD #5"), the builder automatically stitches the original email body into the forwarded version. No extra steps needed.

Bilingual (English / French)

French documents work identically — export the French Google Doc as HTML and upload it the same way. The builder auto-detects the language and adjusts personalization fields and signatures accordingly.

No UTM Spreadsheet?

If tracking URLs aren't ready yet, skip the UTM drop zone. The builder will generate the emails with placeholder URLs that you can find-and-replace later.

Help Guide

Click the Help button in the top-right corner of the builder to open a built-in reference guide. It covers the complete workflow and expected document format.

Common Issues