Listserv Newsletter Templates

Newsletter Templates allow List owners to send HTML newsletters without HTML skills which can be easily created by following steps.  Please note:  if you don't have an existing List, you will need to request one before you may begin.

Edit Newsletter Template - one time only

  1. Log into https//listserv.uoguelph.ca
  2. Click on the Edit Newsletter Profile link (as pictured below in th red square)

     

  3. All the fields are optional but to save having to enter the information each time you send the newsletter, you can complete the profile and that information will be populated into the newsletter automatically.  Click on the ? beside the field to get more information on its purpose.
  4. Once you're done, click the Update button to save the information.
  5. Next, click the Close button which will return you back to the main page and the continue with the steps below.

Select Template

  1. Login to https://listserv.uoguelph.ca/ (if you haven't already done so)
  2. Select the List that you would like to create a newsletter for
  3. From the right-hand menu under 'Options' select Newsletter Templates. Alternatively you can click on this link to see the list of existing templates: https://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?T1&L=test
  4. Once you have decided on a Newsletter Template to your liking, click on the Select button

 Define Content

  1. Your Name – this field is automatically filled with the email address associated with your user account. To change this, simply delete the email address and enter your name as you wish it to appear in the From field of the email header of the newsletter. The email address that will be used in the From field is the one that is
    logged into LISTSERV and may not be changed.
  2.  Subject – the subject line for the newsletter.
  3. Template – if you want to change the template you just selected, click this drop-down menu and select a new template from the drop-down list.
  4. News Items – enter the number of news items you want to have in your newsletter.This will determine the amount of news item placeholders you will need to define. The maximum number allowed is 99.
  5. Feature Items – if you have feature items, enter the number of feature items you want to have in your newsletter. This will determine the amount of feature item placeholders you will need to define. The maximum number allowed is 99.
  6. On the left-hand menu under Placeholders is where you add your content.  Simply click on the Placeholder you want to edit and it will navigate to that section (see below for descriptions of the Placeholders).
  7. Once you click on the Placehold, enter your text in the Content box and repeat steps 6 & 7 until you have entered in all your content for the newsletter. 
  8. Once you are finished click Save.
  9. Click on Next twice until get to the Test and Send section.

    Please Note:Placeholders where a value has already been supplied are marked with a green checkmark. Any Placeholder without content is marked with a red x; these placeholders will NOT appear in the final draft if you chose not to add any text in them.

Placeholders

  • &*NEWSLETTER; – the name of your newsletter.
  • &*ADDRESS; – the address of your organization.
  • &*PHONE; –  the phone number of your organization.
  • &*CONTACT; –  the contact email address of your organization.
  • &*WEBSITE; –  a Website URL of your organization.
  • &*SLOGAN; – a slogan for your organization.
  • &*LOGO; –  logo of your organization.
  • &*FOOTER; –  a short footer for your newsletter.
  • &*LEGAL; – for any legal disclaimers, company registration numbers, or similar information for your newsletter.
  • &*SELFLINK; – This placeholder will be automatically replaced with a link to view the newsletter in a browser and does not need to be defined on this screen. This placeholder is only available for lists with archives.
  • &*HEADLINEn; – the headline of the news item.
  • &*BYLINEn; –  used for the byline of the news item. If you don't want to use a byline, you can leave this placeholder blank.
  • &*IMAGEn; – accompanying image or graphic for the news item. If you don't want to use an image, you can leave this placeholder blank. When including images, they need to be uploaded to a public server before creating your newsletter. You should then enter the URL of the images, including the http:// or https:// part in the Contents field. It is recommended that you resize the images that you want to use to an appropriate size before uploading them although it is possible to resize them further on the Fine Tune screen if needed.
  • &*TEXTn; – the body text of the news item.
  • &*URLn; –  the URL to a Web page if subscribers want to read more. If you don't want to use a URL, you can leave this placeholder blank. Since the URLs are hyperlinked from the newsletter, remember to enter the whole URL, including the http:// or https:// part as appropriate.
  • &*FEATUREHEADn; – the headline of the feature item, which are usually placed in a narrower side column in the newsletter.
  • &*FEATURETEXTn; – the body text of the feature item, which are usually placed in a narrower side column in the newsletter.

Test and Send

  1. Before you send your message, it is a good idea to send a test message by entering the test email under Test Addresses and then click Send Test

  2. Once you're satisfied with your message, click on the Send button and the message will be sent to the subscribers of the List.  You may also schedule your newsletter to be sent on specific date and time if you complete the Schedule Delivery section.

    Please note:  in the test message the link that say "view this newsletter in your
    browser    " link will *not* work in the test message. It will work when
    the newletter is sent to the list.