> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.emaillove.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sections and editing

> Add, move and remove sections, edit text and images in place, add links and merge tags, show or hide parts of a section, and make phone-only changes.

An email is a stack of sections. Each section is a component from your design system, or a layout row you fill with blocks. You edit the content where it sits, on the **Desktop** preview.

## Add a section

* **A component:** open **Components** in the left rail. Click a component to add it, or drag it to where you want it. A bar shows where it will land.
* **A layout row:** open **Layouts** and drag in a row with one to six columns. Then open **Blocks** and drag content into a column: text, an image, a button and so on.

An empty email shows **Add your first component** and **Ask Assistant**.

Blocks only go into layout rows. Components keep their own layout, so you can't drop blocks into them.

## Move, duplicate and remove sections

Click a section to select it. A toolbar appears under it.

![A selected section with its toolbar and the Style panel on the right](https://mintcdn.com/emaillove/Mq_WDCFfMdudNH2J/images/builder/editor/section-selected.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=Mq_WDCFfMdudNH2J\&q=85\&s=2eebf4b19787d7721a8b5b21594b4944)

| Button | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Turn into an image** | Replaces the section with a picture of it. |
| **Save as component** | Saves the section to your design system. For design system managers. |
| **Move row up** / **Move row down** | Moves the section. |
| **Duplicate** | Adds a copy below. |
| **Delete** | Removes the section. |

You can also drag the round handle on the left of a section, or drag rows in the outline under **Emails**. Each row in the outline has a **⋯** menu with **Copy to another email…** and **Download as image** as well.

You can't add, move or remove sections when:

* the email comes from a template with a **Fixed** layout. You fill in the open parts of each component.
* your role can't change structure. You can still edit the copy and images.
* the email is a variant. Change sections in the original email.

## Edit text

1. Click text on the **Desktop** preview and type.
2. Select words to show the text toolbar: **Bold**, **Italic**, **Underline**, **Strikethrough**, **Text colour**, **Highlight**, **Link** and more. **More options** shows **Superscript**, **Subscript**, **Special characters**, **Emoji**, **Non-breaking space** and **Clear formatting**.

The **Style** panel lists the section's text fields under **Edit on the canvas**. Click one to jump to it.

## Add a link

1. Select the words, or select a button.
2. Click **Link** and enter a web address or a merge tag.
3. Click **Apply link**.

**Special links** adds **Unsubscribe**, **Manage preferences** or **View in browser**. The Builder writes the right tag for your email platform when you export.

## Add a merge tag

Select where you want it and choose **Merge tags** in the text toolbar. The **Subject** and **Preview text** fields have **Personalise** for the same list.

Merge tags come from **Dynamic Content**. If the list is empty, a workspace owner adds them there. See [Conditions and merge tags](https://help.emaillove.com/builder/editor/conditions.md#merge-tags).

## Change an image

1. Click the image.
2. Pick one from the **Image Library**, upload a new one, or drop a file on the image.

Add alt text in the **Style** panel, or mark the image as decorative. See [Image Library](https://help.emaillove.com/builder/image-library/overview.md).

## Change a button

Click the button's edge to select it. In the **Style** panel, pick a button style from **Buttons**. The styles come from your brand. Edit the label on the canvas.

## Show or hide parts of a section

Many components have parts you can switch off for one email, such as a hero's button or a card's badge. Select the section and look under **Show in this email**. Each part has a switch. A part that's off shows **Not in this email**.

Which parts can be switched off is set in the design system. See [Show/hide properties](https://help.emaillove.com/builder/design-systems/components.md#show-and-hide-properties).

## Show a section on desktop or phone only

Select the section and use **Show on**: **Both**, **Desktop** or **Phone**. To show different content on each, duplicate the section and set one to **Desktop** and one to **Phone**.

## Phone-only changes

To change how a section looks on phones without changing desktop:

1. Click the section on the **Mobile** preview, or choose **Mobile only** under **Editing for** in the **Style** panel.
2. Make your changes. The panel shows **Editing phone only**.

**Phone changes in this email** lists what you've changed. Click **Reset all** to undo them.

## Locked components

Your design system decides what can change in each component. In an email:

* A component's layout and styles always come from the design system. The panel says "Layout and styles come from the component."
* A fully locked component can't be edited at all. The panel says "This component is locked. A designer can change it in Component Studio." You can still move, duplicate or delete it.
* A component with locked mobile styling can't have phone-only changes.
* In an email made from a template, fields the template locks show **Set by the template**.

To change a locked component, a design system manager edits it in Component Studio and publishes an update. See [Components](https://help.emaillove.com/builder/design-systems/components.md).

## Undo and save

* **Undo** and **Redo** are in the top bar, or press ⌘ Z and ⌘ Shift Z. Undo goes back up to 100 steps. When others are editing, it only undoes your own changes.
* The editor saves about two seconds after each change. If a save fails, you see **Your changes have not been saved** and a **Retry save** button.


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