Classic Email Templates
Classic Email Templates are the legacy Salesforce email template format introduced in Salesforce Classic, supporting four template types: Text (plain-text emails), HTML (with Letterhead), Custom HTML (without Letterhead), and Visualforce (templates rendered through a Visualforce page).
Definition
Classic Email Templates are the legacy Salesforce email template format introduced in Salesforce Classic, supporting four template types: Text (plain-text emails), HTML (with Letterhead), Custom HTML (without Letterhead), and Visualforce (templates rendered through a Visualforce page). Each Classic Email Template is a metadata-managed record under Setup, Email, Classic Email Templates with merge field support for inserting record fields into the email body. Users select a Classic Email Template from the email-sending action (Send Email button, Mass Email, Workflow Email Alert, Approval Process action) when composing outbound mail.
Classic Email Templates predate Lightning Email Templates, which launched alongside Lightning Experience with a richer authoring UI, sharing across users, and inline image support. Both template types coexist in modern orgs; Classic Email Templates remain available for Email Alerts (workflow rules and approval-process actions still use them) and for orgs that have not migrated authoring to Lightning. Most new email authoring uses Lightning Email Templates; Classic Email Templates persist where automation infrastructure references them. Reading any contemporary Salesforce documentation, distinguish Classic Email Templates (legacy four-type model with Letterheads) from Lightning Email Templates (modern unified authoring).
The four Classic Email Template types and modern alternatives
Text templates
Plain-text Classic Email Templates have no formatting. They render reliably across every email client. Use cases: transactional confirmations, compliance-sensitive communications, or any scenario where the email content is the point and visual presentation is irrelevant.
HTML with Letterhead
HTML templates linked to a Letterhead (the legacy branded header-footer wrapper). The Letterhead provides the brand layout; the template inserts variable content. Letterheads themselves are Classic-only; the Lightning equivalent is Salesforce Lightning Email Template plus Email Branding.
Custom HTML templates
HTML templates without a Letterhead. The author writes the full HTML directly. Use cases: complex marketing emails, custom-branded transactional emails, or any case where the Letterhead model is too rigid. Authoring is manual; testing across email clients requires care.
Visualforce templates
Visualforce-based templates render through an Apex-aware Visualforce page. The template can include conditional logic, loops, related-record data, and any custom logic Apex provides. Use cases: dynamic templates with branching content, attached file generation, or templates that need related-record data the standard merge fields cannot reach.
Merge field syntax
Classic Email Templates use the {!Object.Field} merge field syntax. The platform substitutes the field value at send time. Visualforce templates additionally support full Apex expressions through the Visualforce page. Standard template types are limited to direct field references on the primary record plus related-record fields one level deep.
How automation uses Classic Email Templates
Workflow Rule Email Alerts, Approval Process Email Alerts, and some legacy Apex Messaging.SingleEmailMessage code reference Classic Email Templates by ID or developer name. The reference persists across template updates; changing the template's body updates every automation that uses it.
Migration to Lightning Email Templates
Lightning Email Templates offer a richer authoring UI, sharing across users, and inline images. Migration involves recreating Classic templates as Lightning templates and updating any automation references. Some automation (Workflow Email Alerts in particular) still requires Classic templates; full Lightning migration is sometimes blocked by these dependencies.
Common pitfalls
Three patterns recur. Merge field typos produce blank values in sent emails; QA every template against real data. Letterhead misconfiguration produces inconsistent branding across templates. And HTML templates that look right in Salesforce often render badly in Outlook; test cross-client before launch.
How to manage Classic Email Templates
Classic Email Templates persist alongside Lightning. The work is managing both, picking the right type per use case, and planning long-term migration.
- Open Classic Email Templates
Setup, Email, Classic Email Templates. The list view shows all templates with name, type, folder, and last modified.
- Pick the right template type for the use case
Text for plain transactional, HTML with Letterhead for branded standard emails, Custom HTML for complex branded emails, Visualforce for dynamic logic.
- Author or edit the template
Add merge fields where personalisation matters. Test the merge-field rendering against representative records.
- Wire automation to reference the template
Workflow Email Alerts, Approval Process Actions, and Apex code reference templates by ID or developer name. Update references when template names change.
- Plan Lightning migration over time
For new email work, default to Lightning Email Templates. For Workflow Email Alerts, keep Classic until automation migrates. Track both surfaces in inventory.
- Merge field typos produce blank values in sent emails. QA every template against real data before launching.
- HTML templates that look right in Salesforce often render badly in Outlook. Test cross-client.
- Workflow Email Alerts and Approval Process Actions still reference Classic templates. Full Lightning migration is blocked by these dependencies.
- Letterhead changes propagate to every HTML-with-Letterhead template that uses them. Test downstream effects before saving Letterhead edits.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Email Templates OverviewSalesforce Help
- Workflow Rules and Email AlertsSalesforce Help
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Classic Email Templates.
- Classic Email TemplatesSalesforce Help
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Classic Email Templates.
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
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