Internal anchor links in Messages templates create a clickable table of contents that jumps readers to specific sections within a long email. Setup requires spreading content across multiple horizontal content blocks, inserting HTML anchor elements, and linking to them from a text block at the top. Note: anchors may not display correctly on all mobile devices.
💡Quick answers
- What is an internal anchor link in a Messages template used for? Creating a clickable table of contents at the top of a long email that jumps readers directly to specific sections further down, without scrolling.
- What layout requirement must be met before internal links will work? Content must be spread across multiple separate horizontal content blocks; anchor links don't work if all text is in the same element.
- Adding an anchor target to a section of a message? Drag an HTML element above the target section, edit its properties, and paste the anchor code (e.g., <a name="section1"></a>) into the HTML code field.
- Do anchor links work on mobile devices? Not reliably; anchors may not appear correctly or may not function depending on the recipient's mobile browser and email app settings.
You can create internal "anchor" links in Messages templates. Although email best practices say to keep your messages short enough that these links aren't necessary, you may find it helpful with longer emails to have an interactive "table of contents" to point users to the content they're most interested in. This article will show you how it works.Â
In this article
- Step 1: Organize your message by sections
- Step 2: Insert an HTML element and edit properties
- Step 3: Paste text into the HTML code field
- Step 4: Replace text with a name for the link
- Step 5: Use a text block to create a link to the HTML section
Important Note
These anchors may not appear correctly, or at all, on mobile devices depending on browser and mail program settings.
Step 1: Organize your message by sections
First, lay out your email in different sections. Make sure that your text is spread out over multiple horizontal content blocks. Internal links won't work if all your text is in the same element.
Step 2: Insert an HTML element and edit properties
Then, drag an HTML element from the Content tab into the body of the message. Drop it directly above the content you want to link to.
Click on "I'm a new HTML block" to edit it in the Properties column to the right.
Step 3: Paste text into the HTML code field
Drop the following text into the HTML code field, replacing all of the placeholder text:
<a name="example"><br /></a>
Step 4: Replace text with a name for the link
Next, click on the text within the quotation marks of the code above, and replace it with a unique one-name for the link, without any spaces. Keep track of this name, including any capital letters that you use.
If you're creating multiple links in the same email, make sure that every link has a different name. If any of the links have the same name, this process won't work correctly.
When you're done editing the HTML, you won't actually see anything in your email body. That's OK! It doesn't need to be visible to work.
Step 5: Use a text block to create a link to the HTML section
Adding a Text block and add the link to the section near the top of your email. Highlight the text that you want to turn into a link, then click the "Insert/Edit Link" button.
In the URL field, enter a hashtag (#) followed by the unique name you gave the link.
Repeat these steps for any additional internal links you want to include in your message.
To test the links, it is necessary to do a full test send of the message. You will not be able to test this in preview mode.
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