Email Newsletter Templates for Ecommerce: 10 Layouts
Ecommerce email newsletter templates and HTML email template structures by email type, from sale campaigns to abandoned cart, plus Klaviyo's template options.
Table of contents
- What makes a good ecommerce email template?
- The base template
- 10 ecommerce email template layouts by email type
- 1. The sale or promotion campaign
- 2. The product launch or new arrival
- 3. The editorial newsletter
- 4. The bestseller or curated roundup
- 5. The welcome email (email 1)
- 6. The abandoned cart email
- 7. The browse abandonment email
- 8. The post-purchase “how to use it” email
- 9. The replenishment or back-in-stock email
- 10. The founder note (plain-text style)
- Klaviyo’s template options
- What a good HTML email template needs under the hood
- Where to find free email templates
- Build a template system, not a template
Search “email newsletter templates” and you get galleries: hundreds of pretty layouts to download. The trouble is that a template is only as good as its fit with the email’s job. A beautiful editorial layout makes a terrible abandoned cart email. A dense product grid makes a terrible welcome.
We are not going to hand you a zip file. What follows are the ten layouts that do the heavy lifting in ecommerce email programmes, described block by block so you can build them in Klaviyo (or any builder) in your own brand. Then we cover Klaviyo’s template options and what a good HTML email template needs under the hood.
What makes a good ecommerce email template?
A good ecommerce email template is 600px wide, single column at the top, and built around one job: one headline, one primary CTA, and supporting modules that move the reader towards it. It uses live text rather than text in images, has a compliant footer, and renders consistently in Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook and dark mode.
Every layout below shares the same base. Get this right once and every template inherits it.
The base template
| Module | What it does | Spec |
|---|---|---|
| Preheader | The preview text next to the subject line | 40–90 characters; complements the subject, never repeats it |
| Header | Logo, optionally a slim nav | 600 x 80–120px; logo links to home |
| Hero | The one idea of the email | Image plus live-text headline and a button |
| Body modules | Content, products, proof | Swappable blocks, see layouts below |
| CTA button | The next step | Coded button, 16–18px bold text, at least 44px tall |
| Footer | Trust and compliance | Physical address, unsubscribe, preferences, social links |
The footer is not optional decoration. The FTC’s CAN-SPAM guidance requires commercial emails to include a valid physical postal address and a clear way to opt out, and other markets have their own rules. Build it into the base so nobody forgets.
Our email dimensions cheat sheet has the sizes for every module, and the email fonts guide covers type.
10 ecommerce email template layouts by email type
1. The sale or promotion campaign
[Header]
[Hero: offer in live text + product image]
[Primary CTA: Shop the sale]
[Category tiles: 2 x 2 grid]
[Bestsellers: 3 products with prices]
[Offer terms + deadline]
[Footer]Why it works: the offer is readable in the first screen, even with images off. Category tiles let different buyers self-select without the email trying to be everything. Put terms and the end date in live text; a countdown timer GIF is optional, the written deadline is not.
2. The product launch or new arrival
[Header]
[Hero: product in context, full width]
[Headline + 2–3 sentence story]
[CTA: Shop now]
[3 feature blocks: icon + short benefit]
[Social proof: early review or press line]
[Secondary CTA]
[Footer]Why it works: a launch needs a reason to care before a reason to buy. Features are framed as benefits, and the proof block answers “is it any good?” before the reader has to ask.
3. The editorial newsletter
[Header]
[Lead story: image + headline + 2 lines + Read more]
[Two-column: secondary stories]
[Product feature tied to the lead story]
[Short "also this week" list]
[Footer]Why it works: content earns the open and the product module converts it. The product should relate to the story, not interrupt it. See our newsletter examples for formats that use this layout well.
4. The bestseller or curated roundup
[Header]
[Hero: "What everyone's buying" headline]
[Product grid: 2 columns x 3 rows, name, price, star rating]
[Review snippet]
[CTA: Shop bestsellers]
[Footer]Why it works: social proof is the content. Two columns keeps product names and prices readable when stacked on mobile; three columns rarely does.
5. The welcome email (email 1)
[Header]
[Hero: brand promise in one line]
[Short founder or brand note, live text]
[Discount or welcome offer block, if you use one]
[3 reasons to trust: reviews, guarantee, shipping]
[Bestseller or starter product row]
[Footer]Why it works: the first email sets expectations for every email after it. It delivers what the sign-up form promised, fast, and introduces the brand without a catalogue dump. Our welcome series framework covers the full sequence.
6. The abandoned cart email
[Header]
[Headline: "Still thinking it over?"]
[Dynamic cart block: product image, name, price, quantity]
[CTA: Return to cart]
[Reassurance row: shipping, returns, guarantee]
[Review of the carted product or a bestseller]
[Footer]Why it works: the cart itself is the hero. The reassurance row answers the most common reasons people hesitate. In Klaviyo, the dynamic cart block pulls the items from the Started Checkout event, so one template serves every shopper. More in our abandoned cart email examples.
7. The browse abandonment email
[Header]
[Headline: soft, "Saw something you liked?"]
[Dynamic viewed-product block]
[CTA: Take another look]
[Row of related products]
[Footer]Why it works: it is lighter-touch than cart abandonment, because intent is lower. No discount at the top, one product, easy alternatives. See the browse abandonment flow guide.
8. The post-purchase “how to use it” email
[Header]
[Headline: "Getting the most from your [product]"]
[3-step routine or how-to, numbered, live text]
[Short video thumbnail or GIF linking to a tutorial]
[FAQ block: 2–3 common questions]
[Soft cross-sell: pairs well with]
[Footer]Why it works: it reduces returns and builds the habit that leads to reorders. For supplement brands, this is where directions, timing and “what to expect” belong, written carefully and without disease or outcome claims. The post-purchase flow guide covers timing.
9. The replenishment or back-in-stock email
[Header]
[Headline: "Running low?" / "It's back"]
[Single product block, dynamic]
[CTA: Reorder / Shop now]
[Subscribe-and-save or bundle option]
[Footer]Why it works: one product, one action. Anything more slows down a customer who already knows what they want. Details in our price drop and back-in-stock flows guide.
10. The founder note (plain-text style)
[No header, or a tiny logo]
[Greeting with first name]
[4–8 short paragraphs, live text]
[One inline link]
[Signature: name, role]
[Footer]Why it works: it looks like a person wrote it, because a person did. It is ideal for welcome email 2 or 3, win-back and post-purchase check-ins. When to use it (and when not to) is covered in plain text vs HTML email.
Klaviyo’s template options
Klaviyo gives you several ways to build templates (as of September 2026, per Klaviyo’s help centre). For the click-by-click setup, see our Klaviyo email templates guide; this is the overview of what each option is for.
| Option | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop editor | Visual builder with blocks (text, image, button, product, table, split and more) | Most brands, most emails |
| Pre-built templates and content | Klaviyo-designed layouts and sections you customise | A fast start, then adapt to your brand |
| Saved and base templates | Your own reusable starting points | Locking in header, footer, fonts and colours |
| Universal content | Blocks shared across emails; edit once, update everywhere | Footers, headers, shipping and returns rows |
| Custom HTML | Import your own coded template | Fully bespoke designs, with a developer |
| Hybrid templates | Custom HTML with editable drag-and-drop regions | Bespoke design that marketers can still edit |
| Text-only editor | A simple, personal-looking email | Founder notes, check-ins, apologies |
| Canva integration | Export a Canva email design into Klaviyo as an HTML template | Teams that design in Canva |
Two Klaviyo behaviours worth knowing:
- Templates are copied, not linked. When you use a template in a campaign or flow, Klaviyo makes a copy. Changing the template later does not update emails already built from it. That is what universal content is for.
- Dynamic blocks do the personalisation. Product blocks, cart blocks and show/hide logic based on profile or event data let one flow template adapt to each subscriber, which matters far more for revenue than the template’s visual style.
What a good HTML email template needs under the hood
Whether you code it yourself or buy it, check the HTML email template for these before it goes near your list:
- Table-based layout. Desktop Outlook for Windows still renders with Word’s engine, so modern CSS layout (flexbox, grid, floats) breaks there. Klaviyo’s Outlook article lists ignored float and position properties, and unsupported background images in divs and table cells.
- Inline CSS. Some clients strip
<style>blocks. Inline the essentials. - Bulletproof buttons. Coded buttons with live text, not images, so they show with images off and adapt in dark mode.
- Width attributes and alt text on every image. Otherwise Outlook can show 2x images at full size, and image-blocked readers see nothing.
- Dark mode handling. Logos that survive a dark background, and optional
prefers-color-schemestyles for the clients that honour them. - A plain-text part. Klaviyo generates one automatically for drag-and-drop emails; you can edit it.
- Lean code. Klaviyo flags templates over about 85KB as at risk of Gmail clipping, which cuts off the email (and your unsubscribe link) in Gmail.
- Tested rendering. Gmail (web and app), Apple Mail, iOS Mail and desktop Outlook, in light and dark mode, before first use.
Where to find free email templates
If you want a starting point rather than a blank canvas:
- Klaviyo’s own pre-built templates and content, already inside your account.
- Canva’s email templates, which can be exported into Klaviyo through the integration.
- Template builders such as Stripo and Beefree, which export HTML you can import into Klaviyo as custom HTML.
Treat any free template as scaffolding. Swap in your base template’s header, footer, fonts and colours, delete the modules your email does not need, and test before sending.
Build a template system, not a template
The brands with the most consistent email performance do not have the prettiest single template. They have a system: one base template, a library of tested modules (hero, product grid, review block, reassurance row, how-to steps), and a layout per email type assembled from those modules. New campaigns take minutes, every email renders reliably, and design time goes into the creative and the offer rather than fixing Outlook.
If your Klaviyo account is running on a patchwork of old templates with five different footers, that is the fix. Our email design and copywriting service builds exactly this kind of template system for Klaviyo brands, or start with a free Klaviyo audit and we will tell you where your templates are costing you.
/ Frequently Asked Questions
Q.01 What is the best format for an email newsletter? +
/ Answer
For ecommerce, a single-column layout 600px wide: logo header, one clear hero with a headline and CTA, two to four content or product modules, then a footer. Single column scales cleanly on mobile, where most ecommerce email is read, and it keeps one obvious next step. Multi-column product grids work lower in the email, not at the top.
Q.02 Does Klaviyo have free email templates? +
/ Answer
Yes. Every Klaviyo account includes pre-built templates and pre-built content blocks in the drag-and-drop editor, and you can save your own templates and base templates for reuse. You can also import custom HTML, build hybrid templates that mix custom code with drag-and-drop regions, or export Canva email designs into Klaviyo as HTML templates.
Q.03 How do I make an HTML email template? +
/ Answer
Build a 600px-wide layout with nested tables rather than modern CSS layout, inline your CSS, add Outlook conditional comments where needed, use bulletproof (coded, not image) buttons, set width attributes and alt text on every image, and keep the code under about 85KB to avoid Gmail clipping. Then test in Outlook, Gmail and Apple Mail, including dark mode.
Q.04 What should an ecommerce email template include? +
/ Answer
At minimum: preheader text, a logo header, a hero with a headline and one primary CTA, supporting content or product modules, and a footer with your physical address, unsubscribe link and preference options. Flow templates add dynamic elements, such as the abandoned cart product block or personalised recommendations, driven by the subscriber's behaviour.
Q.05 Are email newsletters still relevant in 2026? +
/ Answer
Yes. For ecommerce brands, email is still one of the few owned channels where you control reach, and newsletters keep a brand present between purchases. What has changed is the bar: generic, discount-every-week newsletters get ignored or filtered, while newsletters with a clear format, useful content and well-targeted segments continue to drive revenue.
Q.06 Should I use one template for every email? +
/ Answer
Use one base template, not one layout. A base template locks in your header, footer, fonts, colours and widths, so every email is on-brand and technically sound. Each email type then gets its own layout on top of that base, because a sale campaign, a welcome email and a post-purchase guide need very different structures.
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