Most Australian small businesses never need to touch HTML: a drag-and-drop editor produces clean, responsive code for them. But agencies, in-house design teams and developers often want full control over layout and brand details. Mailpro supports both approaches, and you can import finished HTML and still use Mailpro’s personalisation, tracking and compliance features.

When custom HTML makes sense

  • Your brand guidelines need pixel-precise layouts that a template can’t match.
  • An agency has already built your newsletter and hands over HTML files.
  • You generate the newsletter from another system, such as a product feed for an online store.
  • You want advanced features such as interactive elements or custom dark-mode styling.

If none of those apply, start with the drag-and-drop builder. It is quicker, and the code it produces is already tested.

Getting HTML into Mailpro

You can paste code into the WYSIWYG HTML editor, upload a file, or import from a URL. Once it’s in, you can add merge fields such as a first name or a state-specific offer, and Mailpro will track opens and clicks on every link.

Rules for HTML that renders reliably

  1. Use tables for layout. Some desktop email clients still ignore modern CSS layout.
  2. Inline your CSS. Many email apps strip styles in the head of the document.
  3. Keep it around 600px wide and make it stack to a single column on mobile.
  4. Don’t rely on images alone. Many readers have images off by default. Put key text, prices and dates in live text.
  5. Add alt text to every image.
  6. Test dark mode. Logos on transparent backgrounds can disappear. See Mailpro’s dark mode tools.

Our HTML email QA checklist covers the details.

Australian details to get right

  • Dates: write them day first (25/12) or spell out the month, so there’s no confusion with US formats.
  • Currency: use A$ or AUD when your list includes overseas readers.
  • Phone numbers: format Australian numbers with the +61 country code if international readers may call.
  • Accessibility: readable font sizes and sufficient colour contrast help every subscriber, including older readers.

When you hand-code, it is easy to forget the footer. Under the Spam Act 2003, every commercial email must identify the business that authorised it and include a working unsubscribe. In 2026, Lululemon Athletica Australia paid $702,900 after more than 370,000 marketing emails went out with no unsubscribe option (ACMA). Always include Mailpro’s unsubscribe merge tag in your HTML, and check it in every test send.

Working with an agency

If an agency builds your HTML, agree up front who is responsible for testing, who maintains the template when your branding changes, and who checks that the footer meets the Spam Act. Ask for a plain-text version as well, and for images to be supplied separately so they can be hosted and compressed properly.

Deliverability

Heavy HTML, huge images and very little text can look like spam to filters. Keep a healthy balance of text and images, compress images, and authenticate your sending domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. In Mailpro’s own customer survey, users rated email deliverability 9.6/10.

Ready to build? Start at create newsletters or follow our step-by-step guide on how to create a newsletter.

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