Markdown Templates in the Dashboard

The Tratto dashboard has a dedicated markdown editor for Markdown templates: source on the left, live preview on the right, no HTML required. This page walks the whole flow — no screenshots needed, the UI matches what is described here.

For the markdown syntax itself (frontmatter, directives, buttons, variables), see the Markdown templates guide.

Create a markdown template

1. Go to Templates in the sidebar (/templates).
2. Click New template.
3. In the dialog, give the template a name and pick a Format:
   • HTML — "Write or paste email HTML directly."
   • Markdown — "Write markdown — responsive HTML is rendered for you."
4. Select Markdown and click Create and open editor.

In the template list, markdown templates carry an MD badge next to their name so you can tell the two formats apart at a glance.

The starter content

A new markdown template is not empty: it is seeded with a small starter that doubles as a syntax tour, so the first thing you see in the editor is what the Markdown format can do:

---
preheader: "A short preview line shown next to the subject"
---

# Hello {{firstName}}

Write **markdown**, get responsive email HTML — no table soup.

::: callout
Use callout blocks for the part people must not miss.
:::

[Open your dashboard](https://app.tratto.email)

::: footer
Sent with [Tratto](https://tratto.email) · [Unsubscribe]({{unsubscribe_url}})
:::

Each piece is there on purpose:

• The frontmatter block sets preheader — the preview text inboxes show next to the subject line.
• {{firstName}} is a variable: it stays literal in the preview and is filled in at send time (the test-send dialog asks you for a value).
• The ::: callout block renders as a highlighted card.
• The plain link shows standard markdown working unchanged.
• The ::: footer block renders as the muted bottom band; {{unsubscribe_url}} is substituted per recipient at delivery.

Replace it all with your own content — it is just a starting point.

The editor: source left, preview right

The editor is a split view:

• Left pane — a monospace textarea with the markdown source.
• Right pane — a live preview of the rendered email.

The preview is rendered server-side by the same renderer that runs when the template is saved (the render-preview API endpoint), so what you see is exactly what will be sent — not an approximation. It refreshes about half a second after you stop typing. While a refresh is in flight you may briefly see "Rendering…"; if a refresh fails (e.g. you are offline), the editor keeps the last good preview and tells you it couldn't refresh.

The preview is displayed inside a sandboxed frame, so nothing in it can run scripts or interact with the dashboard.

Raw HTML is escaped

Markdown templates are rendered with HTML input disabled: any raw HTML you type (<b>, <script>, anything in angle brackets) shows up in the preview as literal text, not as markup — and it will render the same way in the sent email. That is a security feature, not a bug. If you need hand-written HTML, create an HTML-format template instead.

Render warnings

If the render finds non-fatal problems — an unknown directive parameter, an invalid frontmatter value that fell back to the default, and so on — they appear as a warnings banner above the preview, one short message per issue. Warnings never block saving or sending: the ones present at the last save are stored with the template (renderWarnings in the API). Aim for an empty banner before publishing.

Saving, versions, test send

Everything else works exactly as for HTML templates:

• Autosave — the editor saves your draft periodically and on exit; the header shows "Saving…" / "Saved". Each saved change re-renders the markdown and pins fresh HTML.
• Versions — every content change creates a new version. Versions opens the history with a line-by-line diff (markdown diffs read especially well) and lets you restore an older version.
• Send test — opens a dialog asking for a recipient and a value for each {{variable}} found in the source, then delivers a real email to your inbox. What arrives is the rendered HTML with your test values substituted — the definitive check before publishing.
• Publish — makes the template usable in sends, campaigns and flows, same as any template. See Templates.

Next Steps

• Markdown syntax reference: Markdown templates
• Template lifecycle (publish, versions): Templates
• Use it in a campaign: Campaigns