Lean Design Blog

Blocks Edit update: fundamentals improved

We're just wrapping up the second half of the year working on some new features that build on the core framework to make your template even more powerful.

The editor Preview Mode. See what's editable and how it works.

We've spent the first half of this year on performance enhancements and fine tuning design details. And we're just wrapping up the second half of the year working on some new features that build on the core framework to make your template even more powerful. Here's what we've been quietly launching these past couple of months.

Stored content

Templates can now have content pieces that get saved. This allows for having alternate styles of elements that when changed will keep the content the same. Details of how this works are in the dev docs.

Background images

Background images in a template can now be changed (finally) and work essentially the same as uploading regular images in a template, including cropping. See dev docs for how to use the feature.

Link auto styles

When adding a link in the editor, link styles are now automatically added based on all the link styles available in the source template. You can also limit the style options to just a particular section. See how in the dev docs.

Preview Mode

Templates now have a live preview mode and can be shared via a private link. This allows you to develop features for your template and have them reviewed before inviting the rest of the team to build emails. Preview Mode can be accessed by clicking on the title of your template in the dashboard. You can also share your template publicly. Here's an example from our website.

Template versions

You can now update a current template's code with a new version. This can be done by clicking on the template title in the dashboard to go into Preview Mode and then clicking the "Import new version" link in the top bar. Emails that use an older version remain editable with features from the specific version they were created from. All new emails use the latest uploaded version.

Additional notable items

  • Layouts have been moved from the left sidebar in the editor to the dashboard, shown when creating a new email
  • The left sidebar design has been cleaned up and includes caching for much faster load times

There is also some new marketing content to check out: our first promo video, a breakdown of who Blocks Edit is for, and agency-specific benefits.

Start using all these new features today by signing up to use them for free.

Photo of Ovi Demetrian Jr Ovi Demetrian Jr
Designing and building websites and emails for over 15 years