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Every template has a list of the fields each new email needs from its writer, such as a headline and a button label. This list is called the copy schema. Whoever fills in the template supplies exactly those fields and nothing else. A clear list is what makes the template easy to use.

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What goes in it

Include the words that change from send to send. Leave out everything that stays the same. A typical email template asks for: The subject line and preheader belong to the email itself, not this list. See Creating an email.

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Name fields for the person filling them in

Write the list for the person who will use it. headline and ctaLabel tell a marketer what to write. field_1 and field_2 don’t. Keep names short and specific, and use one style across all your templates. If one template says ctaLabel and another says buttonText, every marketer has to learn both.

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How the design uses the fields

Wherever the email needs a value, the template’s design points at a copy field by name. Fill in headline once, and everywhere the design shows the headline picks it up. See Personalizing an email for one field followed from schema to inbox.

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Edit the fields yourself

allGood usually writes the schema when it builds a template, but you don’t have to rely on that. The schema is a file in the template, called template.json, and you can edit it in the Workshop or ask an AI assistant connected to your library to edit it. It uses a standard format for structured data (JSON Schema). Each field is one entry:
Use array when the number of items changes from email to email, such as bullet points. The design repeats over the list with a loop.

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Defaults and sample copy

A default fills the form for a new email, and the writer can change it. You can also type real sample copy straight into the template’s design. Both work. A default is easier for writers to see and replace. Text in the design stays the same in every email unless someone edits the design.

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What allGood checks

  • The shape of the schema is checked when you save the template. A malformed field fails.
  • Each placeholder in an email’s design must point at a field that exists in its copy. A placeholder for a missing field is caught.
  • The finished copy against the schema isn’t checked. Nothing confirms that a filled-in email supplies every field, or follows the type, that its template declares.
Treat the schema as a strong convention, not a guarantee. After you edit one, create a test email and check that every field appears.