Content Manager > CM templates > Uploading new CM templates

Uploading new CM templates

OpenEMM provides you with a sample CM template which you can use for your mailings in exactly the same way as they already predefined content modules and module types. You define the contents of the CM template in detail in the same way as for the “standard” templates described starting in chapter "Templates - Re-usable text modules". by using the navigation bar element Mailings. Chapter "Using CM templates in mailings". shows you how to use CM templates for mailings.

If you do not want to use any of the predefined CM templates, you can alternatively upload CM templates that you have created yourself to the OpenEMM server. These are then available via the CM templates menu in the same way as the sample CM templates.

To upload a CM template, click on Mailings and Content manager and call the CM template overview table via the tab CM templates. There, click on New CM template.

Fig. 10.19: You upload your own CM templates to OpenEMM using the upload function.

Fig. 10.19: You upload your own CM templates to OpenEMM using the upload function.

You can of course set up the CM templates via AGNITAS tags such that they dynamically react to building blocks that are present. In principle, a normal text editor is sufficient to create the code for your CM template.

Please note: The CM templates must meet several requirements so that the OpenEMM server can handle these without problems. These are in detail:

If your CM template contains links to pictures, ensure that the associated pictures are placed in a subdirectory and that the HTML file contains the file names with the corresponding path. The pictures should not be in the same directory as your HTML file.
The CM template must be present as a ZIP file. This is an archive that contains all the CM template files. The HTML file must not be stored in a subfolder within the ZIP file and all picture elements have to be stored in a subfolder "template-media" which is referenced in the HTML file.The advantage: The ZIP permits compressed loss-free storage of files, which can in certain circumstances save a lot of storage space.

Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 possess a practical integrated ZIP function, so you do not need to install additional software. To pack the directory with your CM template into a ZIP archive, proceed as follows:

Select the directory containing your CM template in Windows Explorer and call the context menu with the right-hand mouse click. Using the commands Send to and ZIP-compressed directory, Windows adds the directory to a ZIP archive. The operating system creates this at the same directory level as the directory containing your CM templates. Then give the archive a name.

Fig. 10.20: Your CM template must be present as a ZIP file. Windows has a suitable archiving function that you can call via the context menu.

Fig. 10.20: Your CM template must be present as a ZIP file. Windows has a suitable archiving function that you can call via the context menu.

To upload the archive to theOpenEMM server, inform OpenEMM of the Charset that your CM template uses. Unicode (UTF-8), ISO-8859-1, ISO-8859-15 or Chinese Simplified (GB3212) can be used.

Tip: If you are not sure what coding your HTML editor uses, leave the setting for the Charset at its standard Unicode (UTF-8) value. The reason is that UTF-8 is the most widespread coding for Unicode characters and is being more and more used for HTML representation of web browsers.

When all settings have been made, upload the CM template to the OpenEMM server by clicking on the Upload button.