Mastering SendGrid Email Template Design: A Complete Guide For Marketers And Businesses

Neither is email marketing dead nor is it napping. It’s alive and kicking—like a double shot of espresso running through the veins of most brands’ marketing.

In fact, the 2023 Square Future of Commerce report revealed that 60% of consumers want to hear from the brands they care about through email.

The caveat, though?

It can’t be just any email from just any brand.

To be the brand they actually look forward to hearing from, your email campaigns must be able to siphon their attention.

That’s the responsibility strong email design can shoulder. It carries the onus of more than just looking good. With the right design, brands have been—and still are—able to convey their personality and ethos directly to a subscriber’s inbox. Way, way before that subscriber gets to read a single line of copy.

(Of course, let’s be real—bad copy will sink even the best email design. But that’s a blog for another day.)

Today, let’s zoom in on something specific: SendGrid email template design. If you’re hunting for a 101 on creating professionally designed, reusable, on-brand templates in SendGrid—the templates that won’t muddle with your workflows, wreck consistency, or push your patience to the brink—stay right here. We’ll walk you through it.

Why SendGrid for Email Template Design?

Why SendGrid email templates?

There’s no dearth of platforms serving drag-and-drop email builders—like coffee shops on every corner. 

They all promise a quick, athlete-like alertness, but not all deliver the richness or consistency you want. And yes, coffee again—guess because my metaphors are as caffeinated as my bloodstream.

Anyway, the thing about SendGrid email design is that it has some solid, robust features that are a rare combination of design and functionality.

• Marketers get a visual editor that gives a Canva-like vibe for email designs.
• Developers get a code editor with syntax highlighting, live previews, and the freedom to flex their HTML muscles.
• Businesses get brand consistency at scale. Email templates that are primed to be reused, repurposed, and rolled out across campaigns without looking like identical twins.
• Beginners, as Mailmodo puts it, get an affordable tool with everything in one place—email design, coding, automation, and transactional sends—making SendGrid a great starting point for learning and growth.

And if you ever need more advanced, custom email templates, SendGrid email template services are always a great partner to bring in.

SendGrid Email Template Design Made Simple: The Steps

Step 1: Getting Started: Plans and Account Setup

An overview of SendGrid’s offerings and pricing:

• Free Plan: Send 100 emails daily for up to 60 days; ideal for beginners
• Essentials Plan: $19.95/month, supports 50,000–100,000 emails monthly
• Pro Plan: $89.95/month, scalable up to 2.5 million emails monthly
• Premier Plan: Custom pricing for enterprise needs

Some important steps for account setup include:

• Email and phone number verification
• Enabling two-factor authentication
• Establishing your sender identity to comply with anti-spam regulations.

Step 2: Access the SendGrid Dashboard

You’ll land on the main dashboard after signing up. It’s designed for ease of use. The navigation panel on the left includes:

• Marketing tab: Central hub where you create campaigns, manage contacts, and access email templates.
• Design Library: Store and reuse your customized SendGrid email templates.
• Stats and Activity: Track email opens, clicks, bounces, and spam reports.
• Validation and Suppression Settings: Maintain a clean and compliant email list.

The welcome checklist walks new users through essential setup tasks for friction-free onboarding.

Step 3: Choose FRom SendGrid Email Template Design Options

First question: where are you starting from?

SendGrid gives you options to design emails as per your skill set and needs.

Email Templates

• Create from scratch or use pre-built templates
• Customize easily using SendGrid’s built-in editor

Design Editor (Drag-and-Drop)

• Intuitive interface for users with no coding skills
• Drag images, buttons, and content blocks into place
• Customize color schemes, fonts, and CTAs

Code Editor

• For HTML-savvy marketers wanting full control
• Side-by-side code and preview panes
• Features tag completion and error flagging for smooth coding
• Supports importing existing HTML email code

Advanced Editing Options

• Edit individual modules within templates
• Add custom code modules for specific design elements
• Import entire drag-and-drop emails created externally

Step 4: Customizing for Flexibility

Here’s the part that most brands miss: you don’t have to lock in one path forever.

SendGrid lets you mix the two approaches.

Drag-and-drop blocks can sit right next to custom HTML. That means marketers can build 80% of the template visually, while developers fine-tune the details.

This hybrid approach—

• Saves time
• Avoids bottlenecks, and
• Still gives you advanced customization when needed.

Plus, if you already have templates built with SendGrid markup, great. You can import them straight into the platform. No starting over.

Step 5: Building and Sending Campaigns Using SendGrid Templates

After designing your email template:

• Use Single Sends for one-time newsletters, announcements, or promotions.
• Build Automations for triggered campaigns, such as welcome sequences or cart abandonment emails.
• Select recipients by adding contacts manually or uploading lists via CSV files.
• Segment contacts to tailor messaging for specific audiences.
• Ensure thorough testing through preview mode, test sends, and spam analysis tools.

Troubleshooting Outlook Rendering Issues in SendGrid Email Template Design

Outlook is infamous for rendering emails differently due to its use of Microsoft Word for display. If your SendGrid email template designs appear perfect elsewhere but haywire in Outlook, don’t panic. It’s a norm.

You can fix the rendering problems by following these best practices:

• Simplify layouts by reducing the number of images and eliminating complex formatting.
• Use tables instead of div elements for structure. Outlook handles tables better.
• Apply inline CSS styling instead of embedded or external CSS.
• Test emails across various Outlook versions to spot inconsistencies.
• Consult SendGrid support for in-depth troubleshooting and compatibility advice.

SendGrid Email Template Services: When DIY Templates Don’t Suffice

Now, let’s be real: some days your email design mojo just won’t be satisfied with pre-builts or drag-and-drop creations. They’re fine for the basics, but they rarely do justice to your quirky imagination—or that itch for something bold, angular, and a little offbeat in the best way possible.

That’s where professional SendGrid email template design services step in. They give you more than “good enough.” They provide you with templates that bear your brand’s unique fingerprint. And not borrowed from the same stockpile everyone else is using.

Skipping professional design won’t tank your entire marketing strategy overnight. But it will keep you paddling with pool noodles while others cruise by in speedboats.

Here’s what it looks like with an expert partner having your back:

• Consistent, on-brand templates at scale. Every email carries the same look and voice, whether you’re sending five a week or five hundred.
• Better deliverability and engagement. Design is optimized for inbox performance. Campaigns are less likely to get Spambound and more likely to get clicks.
• Agency and business support. Streamlined workflows help teams handle high volumes without getting engulfed by back-and-forth or production delays.
• Customization that feels custom. Templates are tailored to your brand’s goals—beyond surface-level visuals, down to structure and functionality.