Every email in Apsis One is built from Rows and Columns. Understanding how they work is the foundation for creating well-structured, responsive email layouts. This article covers the editor layout, how to create and manage Rows and Columns, how to control mobile stacking, and how to work with the text version of your email.
In this article
Editor overview
The email editor is built around three main areas:
Area | Position | What it does |
Structure Panel | Left side | Shows your email's skeleton — all Rows and Columns in order. Updates automatically as you add content. Click any Row or Column here to select it. |
Canvas | Centre | Your live working area. This is a real-time preview of your email. Drag Elements and Assets from the Design Panel into the Canvas to build your email. |
Design Panel | Right side | Contains Elements, Assets, and Styles to drag onto the Canvas. When you select a Row, Column, or Element, this panel switches to show its settings. |
The bottom bar gives you access to Settings, Save as template, Preview, Email client test, and Test send.
Working with Rows
Rows are the horizontal building blocks of your email. Every piece of content sits inside a Row. A Row can contain one or more Columns, and each Column holds Elements (text, images, buttons, etc.).
Add a Row
Drag any Element from the Design Panel into the Canvas. A new Row is created automatically to contain it. You can also drag a pre-built Row layout (1-column, 2-column, 3-column, etc.) from the Design Panel.
Name a Row
Click directly on the Row title in the Structure Panel to rename it. You can also rename it in the Row settings on the right side.
💡 Tip: Name your Rows
Descriptive names like "Hero image", "Product grid", "Footer" make it much easier to manage complex emails — especially when collaborating with team members. Row names are internal only and never visible to recipients.
Move Rows
Drag a Row up or down in the Structure Panel to reorder it. To move multiple Rows at once, hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac), select the Rows, and drag them together.
Delete a Row
Select the Row and click the Delete button in the bottom-right corner of the settings panel.
Save a Row as an Asset
Select the Row, then click Create as Asset in the Row settings. Name the Asset and it's saved for reuse in any future email. You can also select multiple Rows (Ctrl + click) to save them as a single Asset.
⚠️ Note - When a Row is saved as an Asset, any Google Analytics (UTM) settings and Segmentation applied to that Row are not saved with the Asset. You'll need to reapply these settings each time you use the Asset in a new email.
Row settings
Select a Row (click it in the Structure Panel or click the vertical line next to it on the Canvas) to see its settings in the Design Panel on the right.
Setting | What it controls |
Background colour | Sets the background behind all Columns in the Row. Use the hex code, RGB values, or colour picker.  |
Device Visibility | Controls whether the Row is visible on desktop only, mobile only, or both. See Device visibility below. |
Segmentation | Include or exclude the Row for specific Segments — so different Profiles see different content within the same email. See Data tags and Segments. |
A/B Test Versions | Assign the Row to a specific A/B test version. See A/B Test. |
Column Width (Mobile) | Controls column stacking behaviour on mobile devices. See Column stacking below. |
Working with Columns
Columns run vertically within a Row. A single Row can contain up to 4 Columns, letting you place content side by side — for example, an image next to text, or three product cards in a row.
Add a Column
Select a Row in the Structure Panel (or click the vertical line next to it).
A + icon appears on each side of the existing content.
Click the + to add a Column next to the existing content.
You can also add a Column by dragging an Element into the same Row — it will automatically create a new Column beside the existing one.
Name a Column
Click directly on the Column name in the Structure Panel, or edit it in the Column settings on the right.
Resize Columns
Grab the handle between Columns and drag left or right to resize. The pixel width is displayed below the handle as you drag. The minimum Column width is 10px.
You can also use the Column Width (Desktop) setting in the Design Panel to choose from preset ratios or enter exact pixel values.
Delete a Column
Select the Column and click the Delete button in the bottom-right corner of the settings panel.
Column settings
Select a Column to see its settings in the Design Panel:
Setting | What it controls |
Background colour | Sets the background of the individual Column (independent of the Row background). |
Alignment | Vertical alignment of content within the Column: top, centre, or bottom. Useful when Columns have different content heights. |
Column Width (Desktop) | Choose from preset width ratios or set custom pixel values. |
Column Width (Mobile) and Stacking
On desktop, Columns sit side by side. On mobile, Columns need to stack vertically because there isn't enough horizontal space. Column stacking controls the order in which they stack — which content appears on top and which appears below.
Column stacking ensures your most important content appears first when recipients view emails on mobile devices. This is particularly valuable for:
Product announcements where the image should appear before descriptive text
Event promotions where key details should come before supporting visuals
Call-to-action focused emails where the button and text should appear before decorative images
Column stacking is ideal when you want better control over how your content displays on mobile devices. This ensures important content (like headlines or key images) appears first in the emails also on smaller screens.
When you enable column stacking for a row, you control how your two-column layout adapts on mobile devices and smaller screens.
How to enable column stacking
Select the row you want to configure column stacking for
In the Row settings panel on the right, expand Column Width (Mobile)
Enable the Column stacking checkbox
Choose your stacking order using the visual selector
Stacking order options
You can choose between two stacking orders:
Left on top. Right on bottom
On mobile or smaller screens, content from the left column appears above the right column
2. Right on top. Left on bottom
On mobile or smaller screens, content from the right column appears above the left column
Disable column stacking
To disable stacking, uncheck the Column stacking checkbox. Columns will then maintain their side-by-side layout on all screen sizes (which may result in very narrow columns on mobile). Unselect the checkbox in the settings for the row to disable stacking.
Bonus tips!
When adding icon element to a row with more than one column, you also have specific stacking settings for how you want the icons within the column to stack in mobile view. Combine the two features to optimise your content on mobile view.
When stacking matters
Scenario | Recommended stacking |
Product image (left) + description text (right) | Left on top — image appears first on mobile, then the text below it. |
Description text (left) + product image (right) | Right on top — image appears first on mobile, even though it's in the right Column on desktop. |
Two equally important content blocks side by side | Either order works — choose whichever you want the recipient to see first on mobile. |
💡 Tip: Icon stacking
When you add an Icon element to a multi-column Row, you also get specific stacking settings for how the icons within the Column arrange themselves on mobile. Combine this with Column stacking for fine-tuned mobile layouts.
Device visibility
You can control whether a Row is visible on desktop only, mobile only, or both. This lets you create device-specific content — for example, a desktop-optimised layout alongside a simpler mobile version of the same content.
Select the Row.
In Row settings, expand Device Visibility.
Choose: Both (default), Only desktop, or Only mobile.
Only desktop:
Only mobile:
Rows set to desktop-only or mobile-only are marked with an icon in the Structure Panel so you can tell at a glance which content is device-specific.
Common layout patterns
Pattern | How to build it |
Single-column message | One Row per content block (header, text, CTA, footer). The simplest layout — works well on all devices without stacking configuration.  |
Image + text side by side | One Row with 2 Columns: image in one, text in the other. Set column stacking to ensure the image appears first on mobile.  |
Product grid | One Row with 2–3 Columns, each containing an image, product name, price, and CTA button. Use column stacking so products stack vertically on mobile.  |
Newsletter with article previews | Multiple Rows, each with 2 Columns (thumbnail + article excerpt). Apply Segmentation to Rows to show different articles to different audience Segments. |
Desktop hero + mobile alternative | Two Rows with the same content but different layouts — one set to desktop-only, one set to mobile-only. This gives you full control over each device's experience. |
Text version
Some email clients, devices, or accessibility tools can't display HTML content. The text version is a simplified, plain-text version of your email that contains only the text content — no images, no design, no media.
Having a good text version matters for three reasons:
Reason | Details |
Accessibility | Recipients who use screen readers or other assistive technology may rely on the text version. This is an important reason to avoid emails that depend solely on images for their message. |
Deliverability | Emails that include a text version tend to have better deliverability. Some email clients flag emails without a text version as potential spam. |
Preference | Some recipients simply prefer the text version for its simplicity and faster loading. |
To check your text version, click Preview in the bottom bar and toggle to the Text tab. Review the content and make sure the key information — especially links and CTAs — is present and readable in plain text.
Layout tips
Tip | Details |
Think mobile first | More than half of all email opens happen on mobile. Always consider how your multi-column layout will stack, and choose the stacking order that creates the best reading experience on small screens. |
Preview across devices | Use Preview (Desktop, Mobile, Text) in the editor. Also use the Email client test option to see how your email renders in specific clients like Outlook, Gmail, and Apple Mail. |
Keep Columns balanced | Try to keep similar amounts of content in each Column to avoid awkward gaps. Two Columns is the sweet spot for readability — 3 or 4 Columns work for product grids but can feel cramped with text content. |
Use 600px email width | The recommended email body width is 600px — this is optimal for most email clients. The maximum is 800px. Set this in Settings → Design tab. |
Name everything | Name your Rows and Columns descriptively. It makes the Structure Panel easier to navigate, helps team members understand the email layout, and makes Row Segmentation clearer. |
Troubleshooting
Issue | Cause and solution |
"My columns look different in Outlook" | Outlook (Windows) uses a different rendering engine. Background images with Fill/Fit/Stretch won't display — the fallback background colour shows instead. Multi-column layouts may also render differently. Use the Email client test to preview Outlook rendering specifically. |
"I can't add more than 4 Columns" | 4 Columns is the maximum per Row. If you need more content blocks, create additional Rows below. |
"My Column is too narrow to fit content" | The minimum Column width is 10px. If your content doesn't fit, resize the Column by dragging the handle, or reduce the number of Columns in the Row. |
"My Segmentation disappeared after saving as Asset" | By design: Segmentation and Google Analytics settings are not saved with Assets. You need to reapply them each time you use the Asset in a new email. |
"Columns aren't stacking on mobile" | Check that Column stacking is enabled in the Row settings under Column Width (Mobile). If the checkbox is unchecked, Columns maintain their side-by-side layout on all screen sizes. |
"A Row is missing in my Preview" | Check the Device Visibility setting on the Row — it may be set to desktop-only or mobile-only. Also check if the Row has Segmentation applied that excludes the Preview profile. |
What's next?
Design Elements — Reference for every Element you can add to your Rows and Columns.
Data tags and Segments — Personalise content and apply Row Segmentation.
Email Assets — Save Rows as reusable Assets for future emails.
Email: Settings, Preview and Test — Configure design settings and preview your layout.
Email – Best Practice — Design and layout tips for professional emails.