# Create and send a campaign > Create, design, preview, test and send an email campaign in MailMachine using templates or your own design. Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/mailmachine-campaigns/creating-campaigns Updated: 2026-06-10 --- An email campaign is a single email sent to many people at once with a goal in mind - a newsletter, an announcement, a promotion. Most people check their email several times a day, which makes it one of the most direct and cost-effective ways to reach your audience. You can use text, images, videos and more to get your message across, and MailMachine tracks the results - opens, clicks, spam complaints - so you can see what's working. This guide covers the ways to start a campaign, how to preview it, and how to test and send. :::tip If you've branded your account by uploading your logo and brand colours, you'll have access to **Smart Templates** - a set of designs that automatically apply your branding so your email looks neat and professional with very little effort. ::: ## Start a campaign Select the **Campaigns** tab, then **Emails**. You can begin in one of several ways: - Use one of your own templates - plain or already branded - Start from a professional template - Reuse a previously sent campaign - Design your own template from scratch Whichever you choose, you'll be taken to the **email designer** to customise your content. ## Use one of your own templates If you've already built or branded a template, you can reuse it: 1. Click **Resources**, then **My Email Templates**. 2. Click **Select Template** in the top-right of the email preview window. 3. Edit it. You can save your changes as a new template to reuse later, branded and designed just the way you need. ## Use a professional template Hundreds of professional, tested templates are available depending on your plan - brand the one you like, or use one that suits the season. 1. Click **Campaigns**, then the **Email Templates** tab. 2. Use the search bar and filters to browse the range of themes. 3. Click **Preview** under your preferred template. 4. Click **Select Template** in the top-right of the preview window, then edit it. ![Filtering the template gallery](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/03/4f/034fb8376f42b3d02cd845c7f3935930b49d2a04.jpg) ![Previewing a template before selecting it](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/7b/19/7b19b6d66fe303dfb2c96ae66543c8377ebb361a.jpg) ![Selecting a template from the preview toolbar](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/0b/07/0b07c3a9faf18763b33324948d9b33c06cf982d0.jpg) ## Reuse a previously sent campaign For a recurring newsletter, reusing a template and changing the content is the easiest way to stay consistent and on-brand: 1. Open the **Sent Campaigns** tab. 2. Click the arrow to the right of the campaign you want, to open its menu. 3. Choose **Duplicate** - the copy appears in your **Drafts**, ready to edit. ## Design your own If you're comfortable with design (or have someone who is), you can build a template from scratch. Choose **Start from Scratch** under **Campaigns > Email templates**, then pick one of: - **Start with the essentials** - opens the editor with a basic template you can adapt. - **Start with a blank canvas** - a clean slate to design from. - **Start with your own code** - paste in HTML you've written elsewhere. To use your own code: select **Start with your own code**, paste your HTML into the editor, and click **Upload and Edit**. :::warning Designing an email that renders correctly across every inbox is genuinely tricky. If you're hand-coding, use inline CSS and avoid JavaScript and external stylesheets - many email clients strip them out. ::: ## Preview your campaign Before sending, it's worth seeing exactly how your campaign will look. Click the **eye icon** at the top-right to preview it on web, mobile and in dark mode - links and buttons included, so there are no surprises. :::info Preview is great for catching design issues, but it doesn't replace a real test send. Always send yourself a test as well. ::: ## Test and send Whatever you chose for your template, test your campaign thoroughly before sending to your audience - especially with a new design. Send a test to a few addresses, check it across different email apps, and don't forget your phone. When you're happy, add your subject line, choose a date and time, and send. For more, see **[Testing your campaign](/knowledgebase/mailmachine-campaigns/testing-your-campaign)**. ## Troubleshooting **The designer won't load** - clear your browser cache and cookies, try Chrome or Firefox, and disable any extensions that might interfere. **A template won't save** - check your connection and save frequently when working on a complex design. **Images aren't displaying** - keep images under 1 MB, use JPG, PNG or GIF, and add them to the library before inserting. **The campaign stays in draft** - make sure every required field is complete: a recipient list, a subject line, and your sender details. **HTML import issues** - validate your HTML first, remove JavaScript and external CSS, and use inline CSS for the best compatibility. If you hit a wall, [open a support ticket](/knowledgebase/getting-started/how-to-create-a-support-ticket-in-mykualo). --- _Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/mailmachine-campaigns/creating-campaigns · © Kualo Ltd._