February was packed with new ways to start, share, and style your emails. We launched a brand new template library to help you get going faster, gave your email categories a real home with public links and their own page, and added a long list of editor improvements along the way. Here is a look at the highlights.
A new template library
Looking for a place to start with a new email? We are excited to announce our new template library. You can browse by color and email type to find the perfect starting point for your next newsletter, article, or invite. If you have a template you think other churches would benefit from, let us know.
More ways to use your categories
Your email categories got a big upgrade this month.
- You can now set a public link to view all the emails sent to a category on a webpage. There is also a stable link to the latest email sent to a category, which makes it easy to point your website or Church Center to your most recent newsletter.
- Categories now have their own page where you can manage settings, see recent emails sent to the category, and view the people who have unsubscribed from it.
- You can archive categories that have already sent emails. Archiving hides a category from the main list but keeps it available to restore later.
WiFi QR codes
You can now create QR codes for your WiFi network. Print one for your lobby or welcome desk and let guests connect without ever typing a password.
Email style changes
We gave the styling tools in the email editor some attention this month.
- You can now add borders to your images.
- We added a one column layout to the email editor. This is especially useful for adding a shared background image across multiple blocks.
- You can adjust the size of the social icons in your email footer.
- There is a new icon option for Church Center.
- We grouped the sections in the email style settings together so they are easier to navigate.
We also added a new permissions level called Email Designer. This role can view, create, and edit emails, but cannot send or schedule them, so volunteers can help build without being able to hit send.
Custom font families
You can now set a custom font family for selected text instead of being limited to the default font set in your email. It is an easy way to add a little personality where you want it.
Edit HTML right in the editor
When you use the HTML block, you now get a preview of the content directly in the email editor. You can also edit any text in the HTML right in the editor, without having to dig into the code.
Fixes and improvements
A few smaller updates that made February better:
- Merge tags are now case insensitive, so @first-name, @FIRST-NAME, and @First-Name all convert to the recipient's name.
- When importing from Calendar, we now use the actual event start time instead of the setup time.
- When previewing a CSV import, you can check or uncheck individual people, and each tab has a select all and deselect all option. You can also set a custom fallback first and last name for contacts missing a name.
- You can now set a custom corner radius for buttons and images, add buttons to a list item, and set the aspect ratio for card images to square.
- You can hide an email from your global metrics, which is handy for one-off sends you do not want skewing your numbers.
- When viewing an email in the browser, you can now print it.
- We added a link to the Help Center at the bottom of the sidebar for quick access.
- We improved the sending speed of automation emails and fixed a bug where weekly automations would not start for lists with thousands of people.
- We made deliverability improvements so more of your emails land in the inbox, and we improved our sync with Planning Center.
That wraps up February. Log in to try these out, and as always, tell us what you would like to see next.