I’m working on building an email template in HubSpot and running into issues with making it modular. I want to give users the ability to add and rearrange different content blocks within the email template, similar to how you can with landing page templates. However, when I try to save the template, I keep getting an error that says ‘You cannot include a widget container in an email template.’ Has anyone found a workaround for this? I really want to avoid creating dozens of separate templates with fixed layouts if possible. What’s the best way to build flexible email templates that allow content customization?
Ugh, totally feel you on this one, Liam! HubSpot’s pretty finicky about this stuff. I handle it by using snippets with conditional logic to create content sections. Not as smooth as drag-and-drop, but it keeps things clean without needing a million different templates.
HubSpot’s widget container block is a nightmare for this. Hit the same wall when our marketing team wanted flexible email layouts.
What actually works: skip building this inside HubSpot entirely. The platform just wasn’t made for true email modularity.
I fixed this with automation that builds templates externally, then pushes the final HTML into HubSpot. Create your modular blocks outside the platform, let users arrange them however they want, then auto-generate the complete template.
The workflow grabs content from your CRM, applies layout preferences, assembles everything into clean HTML, and updates the HubSpot template. No widget container errors, no messy conditional logic workarounds.
You get real drag and drop without fighting HubSpot’s limitations. Marketing gets the flexibility they want, you avoid maintaining dozens of static templates.
Latenode makes this integration smooth - handles both template assembly and HubSpot API calls in one workflow.
Dealing with HubSpot’s restrictions can be a challenge. I encountered a similar situation and found a workaround by bypassing widget containers entirely. Instead, I created custom modules that define specific content types—like headlines, images, and call-to-action buttons. By implementing user-friendly rules for smart content within these modules, it allows for dynamic changes without altering the core template. This method enables flexibility in content management while avoiding the clutter of multiple templates. It does require some initial setup, but it pays off in the long run.
The widget container limitation in HubSpot can indeed be frustrating. A practical solution is to utilize several rich text modules within a single template. By breaking your content into distinct modules—like headers, images, and CTA buttons—you can apply module customization effectively. Implement boolean properties with conditional formatting to control the visibility of these sections, allowing for enhanced flexibility. While this approach requires more initial setup compared to landing pages, it enables users to easily toggle sections and edit content dynamically without needing countless templates.