What does it mean to Clone a template?

Clone template copies the design of one email into the email you have open. You can copy from another email on the same site, or from another Instant site that you are a user of.

Why you should use it

  • An edit in the Template Editor applies only to the flow and step you edit. Without a clone, you make the same change again in each email.
  • Smart Rule blocks are built in each email. A clone copies them, with all their branches, so you build the rule blocks once.
  • A new step in a flow starts with the default layout. A clone gives it the design of a step you already finished.

How to clone an email

Before you start

  • Finish and save the email you want to copy from. This is the source email.
  • A clone replaces the design of the email you have open. Its old design is not kept.
  • You can clone into a flow that is on. When you click Save, the new design goes live for that step.

Cloning an email

  1. Go to Email Templates in your Instant AI dashboard
  2. Select the flow, then select the email you want to change (for example Email 2)
  3. Click Edit Template
  4. Click the … menu next to Save
  5. Select Clone template
  6. Choose the site to copy from. To copy from this site, keep the site you are on.
  7. Choose the flow or campaign, and the step, of the source email
  8. Check the preview
  9. Click Clone
  10. Check the email in the editor
  11. Click Save

Do the same for each email that needs the design. Clone template copies one email at a time.

Note: For a campaign email, open the campaign from Campaigns, open the email in the editor, then follow steps 4 to 11.

Using Clone template with Smart Rules

  1. Add your Smart Rule blocks to one email, and save it. See How to use Smart Rules in your emails.
  2. Open the next email that needs the same rules.
  3. Clone the first email into it, using the steps above.
  4. Check the Default branch of each Smart Rule block. It now shows the content from the source email.
  5. Click Save.

Tip: If an email had its own banner or image before the clone, add it again in the Default branch of the Smart Rule block after the clone. Then that email keeps its own content outside the rule.

How it works

What the clone copies

  • The layout and every block of the source email.
  • Smart Rule blocks, with all their branches. They stay linked to the same saved rule.
  • Product blocks. They fill with products from this site’s store when the email sends.
  • Links, images and text, as they are in the source email.

What the clone does not change

  • Subject line and preview text: these follow the rules of the flow that you clone into. If AI writes the subject line in that flow, AI keeps writing it. AI-written subject lines from the source email are not copied.
  • Flow settings: the number of steps, wait times and the flow’s on or off state do not change.
  • Coupon settings: the coupon settings of the email you clone into do not change.
  • Brand: the logo, colours, links and footer come from this site’s Brand Kit.

Cloning from another site

When you copy from another site, also check these items after the clone:

  • Button and image links that point to the other store’s domain.
  • Discount codes typed into text.
  • Product blocks that find no product in this store. They show a warning.

To copy a whole campaign or flow from another site, use Import template. See How to import a campaign or flow from another site.

FAQ

Can I clone into a flow that is on? Yes. Clone template works while the flow is on. The new design goes live when you click Save.

Can I clone more than one email at a time? No. Clone template copies one email into the email you have open. To copy a whole flow or campaign, use Import template. For a flow, Import template replaces all of its steps, and the flow must be off.

Can I copy only one block to another email? No. Clone template copies the whole email. The Duplicate option on a block makes a copy in the same email only.

Will the clone change my subject line? The subject line and preview text follow the rules of the flow you clone into. Check them in the editor before you click Save.

Which sites can I clone from? The site you are on, and any other Instant site that you are a user of.

For more on Smart Rules, see How to use Smart Rules in your emails. For more on the email editor, see How to Customise Email Templates in Instant AI.