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Customizing Press Release or Outreach Email Templates With HTML

Customize your Outreach templates with HTML

Robert B. avatar
Written by Robert B.
Updated yesterday

Want to give your press releases or Outreach emails a polished, consistent look? With just a few extra steps, you can take documents created in Google Docs, Pages, or Microsoft Word and turn them into HTML templates you can preview and reuse inside Meltwater’s Outreach composer.

This guide walks you through:

Turning a Document into HTML

Step 1: Prepare Your Content

Start with your finalized email content in any of these tools:

  • Google Docs

  • Microsoft Word (Online or Desktop)

  • Apple Pages

Keep your formatting clean and simple — avoid tables, embedded videos, or unusual fonts and layouts. Use headings, bold text, and paragraph breaks to keep things organized.

Step 2: Convert to HTML

Once your content is ready:

  • In Google Docs:

    1. Click File

    2. Select Download

    3. Click Web Page (.html, zipped).

    4. Open the .html file in any browser, right-click, and select View Page Source to copy the HTML.

    5. Alternatively, open the file using a text-editor, like Notepad -- copy the contents.
      ​

  • In Microsoft Word:

    1. Save your file as Web Page (.htm or .html).

    2. Open the file in a browser and copy the source HTML.

    3. Alternatively, open the file using a text-editor, like Notepad -- copy the contents.
      ​

  • In Pages:

    1. Export to Word format, open in Word or Google Docs, and follow one of the methods above.

💡 Tip: Clean up unnecessary styling or scripts. Most email clients don’t support complex CSS or JavaScript — keep it basic and inline.

Using your HTML Layout in Outreach

To use the copied template or raw email HTML, follow these steps:

Creating a New Template

To create a new template with HTML copied from a Word or Google Docs file, use the following steps:

  1. Select the Media Relations drop-down in the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Select Outreach

  3. In the toolbar, click Create in the top right-hand corner

  4. Select Create template

  5. Provide your template with a useful name

  6. In the composer, click < > button to open the Source Code editor
    ​

  7. Paste your HTML directly into the Source Code editor

  8. Click Open the Outreach Composer in Media Relations and switch to the HTML tab.

  9. Paste your HTML directly into the editor.

  10. Click Save and you will instantly see in the composer the preview of your HTML template or Outreach.

Now that you've successfully converted a file to HTML and inserted it within Outreach, be sure to:

  • Spot-check for formatting issues

  • Confirm your layout and links

  • Make final tweaks

  • Save your template and send it as a test email to yourself

Using the HTML Directly in a New Outreach

If you'd like to quickly use the HTML you've copied, follow these steps to send it off right away:

  1. Select the Media Relations drop-down in the left-hand navigation bar

  2. Select Outreach

  3. In the toolbar, click Create

  4. Select Create outreach

  5. Select your sender and provide a subject line

  6. Select your Outreach email recipients

  7. In the composer, click the < > button to open the Source Code editor as described above.

  8. Paste your HTML directly into the Source Code editor

  9. Click Open the Outreach Composer in Media Relations and switch to the HTML tab

  10. Paste your HTML directly into the editor.

  11. Click Save and you will instantly see in the composer the preview of your HTML for this Outreach email.

  12. Click Review in the bottom right corner of the composer page to move to the next step

  13. Click Send a test email to send yourself a preview of this Outreach before sending it.
    ​

  14. When you're ready to send this Outreach, click Send or schedule to finish.

Following Email Formatting Best Practices

To ensure your email displays correctly and avoids spam filters:

  • Stick to Simple HTML: No external CSS, JavaScript, or embedded fonts.

  • Keep Text > Image: Aim for 80% text and 20% images.

  • Include Key Info in Text: Some recipients may have images disabled by default.

  • Use Inline CSS Only: Avoid <style> tags or external stylesheets.

If you’re unsure, test small sections before scaling up.

Need Help?

If you have a design you'd like help converting, contact our Support team via Live Chat and share your document and progress. We’ll help you clean up your HTML and get it ready for Outreach.

💡 Tip

Need more help? Feel free to reach out to us via Live Chat or check out our Customer Community.

Find answers and get help from Meltwater Support and Community Experts.

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