A module is a block of pre-made content that you can drop into your layout in Design Studio and start using as-is or as a base to build from. There are three kinds of modules, each indicated differently in the UI: Starter modules, saved Team modules, and synced Team modules.
Starting off with modules
When you are creating your design, you will have access to a variety of modules that you can add to it.
Select the + button on the left menu to see the full list of modules.
Module libraries
Modules are divided into two libraries:
- Starter library
- Team library
The modules you can start using directly are in the Starter library. As you build, customize, and save your own reusable modules, they will be placed under Team library.
Starter library
Starter modules are present when you first open Design Studio. They've been created to get you started quickly and are divided into categories by use case or data source.
- Select All in the dropdown to see all available starter modules.
- Select one of the categories to view only the starter modules in that category.
The categories available and how they're divided up may change over time.
Some starter modules may not be usable if they use a data source or add-on that isn't configured in your Engage environment. Contact Voyado support if you need to add a feature.
Team library
Team modules are those created by you or someone else with access to your Engage environment. A team module might be an empty layout meant to be filled with new content each time it's used, or it might contain content you use often across many sendouts.
Team modules can be created from a starter module that you style to match your brand, or built entirely from scratch.
If needed, a team module can be adjusted and saved as a new module, which will then be available in your library alongside the others.
Module icons
The icons help you tell the types of modules apart:
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| A module in your Starter library | |
| A saved module in your Team library | |
| A synced module in your Team library |
When dropped into your layout, these modules will look like this:
Module icons can look different depending on their root element, for example a Wrapper or a Row, or when a synced module has local changes:
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| Saved module in overview (row as root element) | |
| Saved module in overview (wrapper as root element) | |
| Synced module in overview | |
| Synced module in overview with local changes | |
| Layout elements not saved as a module |
Renaming elements
The Rename function (the pen icon) allows you to rename elements in your layout. This gives you a better overview of what's what and makes your saved and synced modules even more useful.
Saved and synced modules
These are the modules in your Team library, saved there by you or someone else on your team.
Saved modules
When you've dragged a module from the Starter library and changed or expanded it to work with your branding, data source, or other requirements, you should save it so it's available to others in your company and to yourself in the future.
For example, you might create a newsletter module with an image on the right and text on the left, where the text and image change with each newsletter. This is a good candidate for a saved module.
A saved module (shown with a blue icon) can be dropped into your layout and edited there — you can add or remove elements, change images, text, styling, and so on.
When you're done editing a saved module, you can choose to:
- Do nothing and keep the altered module in your layout as-is
- Save it as a new saved module, which will be added to your Team library
- Push your changes back to update that module in the Team library
For options 2 and 3, select the module in the overview and open the meatball menu on the right:
Select Save as Module... to save this as a new module in your library.
Select Update module to push the changes you've made back to the module in the library, replacing its structure with your local version.
Synced modules
A synced module is a special case of a saved module.
When you change a synced module, you have the option to update it (sync it), which pushes those changes out to everywhere that module exists in your environment (except in already sent content).
This is a powerful function and useful for layout blocks that need to be the same across all your sendouts, such as a logo, banner, or menu. If content is updated — such as a change to a banner or a link — you only need to do this once to update it everywhere.
Viewing a synced module
In the overview, a synced module is shown with purple coloring and cannot be expanded. It is treated as a single unit even if it contains elements inside:
Only when you choose to edit a synced module can you see its interior layout (the icon is now black, but it retains the purple coloring when selected):
Editing a synced module
To begin editing a synced module, select it on the canvas or in the overview (the overview is easier) and select the Edit synced module button in the right panel.
You'll then be asked whether you want to edit it and keep it as a synced module, or detach it (make a local, unsynced copy).
- Edit and update everywhere: Keeps it as a synced module. Any further changes can be synced, pushing them out to everywhere that synced module is used. The module icon will switch from purple to black while in this state.
- Detach module: The module becomes standalone elements in your layout, detached from its synced parent. You still have the option to save it as a new synced module.
Pushing out changes to a synced module
Select the meatball menu and select Update module. This pushes your changes out to everywhere the module is used and makes it appear as synced again (purple in the overview and no longer expandable).
Deleting a synched module from the library
You can delete a synched module from the library via the meatball meny next to the module name ("Remove from library"). This will however not delete the module from existing email sendouts or automations. You can edit it as usual, but it won't be displayed in the team library any more.
In order to save it to the library again, you have to edit and detach it. Once detached, you can save it as a new module in the team library. This then becomes a new module and has no connection to the previous module.
Saving any module
Changes are saved to your layout automatically as you work. If a module you've built or configured might be useful in your library, select Save module as... in the meatball menu. This lets you save part of your layout as either a saved or synced module for future use.
Modules with localization
If a module contains localization, this is indicated with a globe icon in the module settings when the module is selected in the overview. Localization can also be reverted here for whichever language you've selected in the marketing group menu:
If the module doesn't yet have any localization for the selected marketing group, the globe icon won't be visible in the module settings.
Things to be aware of
There are some things to be aware of when working with modules:
Only wrapper and row elements can be saved as modules. To save several rows of content as a module, put the rows inside a wrapper and save that. If you try (using the meatball menu) to save any other kind of element as a module, the system will use the top-level wrapper or row element and create the module from there.
If you are working on different layouts in several browser windows, updates to synced modules will not appear automatically. You'll need to refresh the page to see them.
If you edit a synced module and choose to keep it as synced, the system will flag it internally as synced but changed, which means it will not receive any updates from other instances of that synced module. This is true even if you make no actual changes. Don't leave your layouts with modules in that intermediate state for longer than needed to proof them.
Even if a module is saved and not edited, it will be affected by changes in styles, since these are applied across all elements. Learn more about styles here.