FAQ and troubleshooting

Almost always, MJML isn't installed for this template. dd_emailforge needs Node.js 20+ and the mjml compiler, and it doesn't download them for you.

1. Check Node: node --version should show v20 or newer. If not, install the current LTS from nodejs.org.
2. In the template folder, run npm install. You need to do this once for every new template folder; init doesn't do it.
3. Try again (p to preview, Shift+E to export).

If your template uses images from the images/ folder, export also needs an https:// Base URL in [HEAD].

Node.js isn't installed, or isn't on your PATH. Install Node.js 20 or newer, open a new terminal window, and run npm install in the template folder again.

The app is installed at ~/.local/bin/dd_emailforge, and that folder isn't on your PATH yet. Add it to your shell's startup file (for example ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Then open a new terminal window.

It's probably an SVG. Gmail and Outlook don't show SVG images. Use a PNG (or JPG) on a public https:// address instead. For the ldnddev logo:

• Light background: https://res.cloudinary.com/eojrsoca/image/upload/v1790540409/logo-full-black-text.png
• Dark background: https://res.cloudinary.com/eojrsoca/image/upload/v1790540410/logo-full-white-text.png

Email apps can only load images from public web addresses. If you used images from the template's images/ folder, upload them to a web host and set the https:// Base URL in [HEAD], or switch to full https:// image addresses. Then export again.

A button's pixel width must be larger than its left and right inner padding combined. Make the width bigger, reduce the padding, or clear the width.

You had [BODY] selected when you pressed /, so the block was added at the very end. Select it and press K to move it up, or press u and try again. Next time, select the block you want the new one to follow (for example, the section above where it should go) before pressing /.

That's expected. A hero only holds content blocks (text, image, button, …), so the picker shows "(nothing can be inserted here)". Select a top-level block instead, such as the email-header or a section, add the section there, and move it with J/K.

A new section starts with no columns. The first C adds one full-width column; press C again for two columns at 50% each.

Every C or V resets all columns in that section to equal widths. Add or remove columns first, then set each column's Width in FormEdit.

In v0.9.2 the x network is output as MJML's twitter icon, so the bird appears. The link still goes to your X profile. To show the X logo, put the https:// address of an X logo PNG in that icon's Icon src (web) field.

Right, it doesn't. Press End, then Backspace until the field is empty (in a multi-line box, press Ctrl+End first).

That's on purpose. Press Ctrl+Q to quit.

Your terminal window is too narrow. Below 48 columns only the Structure panel shows, and narrow windows drop keys from the footer bar. Widen the window, or press F1 to see every key.

Press u to undo (up to 20 steps), and U or Ctrl+R to redo. Manual saves (s) also keep a template.json.backup copy in the folder.

That's expected. It's a Mailchimp merge tag. Mailchimp replaces it with each reader's real link when you send. Using another email service? Change unsubscribe_href in the email-footer to that service's tag.

No. Export the HTML and send (and test) from your email service. See Export and send.

Any service that lets you paste or upload your own HTML. These guides use Mailchimp as the example.

No. dd_emailforge doesn't import MJML or HTML. Build the template in dd_emailforge, starting from a starter if that helps.

You can, but those edits are lost the next time you export. Make changes in dd_emailforge and export again.

The Theme changes the colors of the dd_emailforge app on your screen. [BRAND] sets your email's fonts and colors. Only [BRAND] affects the email.

There's no Windows build in v0.9.2. Builds are available for macOS and Linux (Intel/AMD and ARM). Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) isn't mentioned in the project's docs and hasn't been tested.

Yes. C and V always make columns equal widths, so add or remove columns first. Then select each column, press Enter, and set its Width (for example 40% and 60%). Pressing C or V again resets them to equal widths.

Your mailing address goes in the email-footer's Address (one line per row) field. Social links go in an mj-social block (or in the footer's Social list; use one or the other so icons don't appear twice). See Build your first email.

In ~/.config/ldnddev/: the theme file (dd_emailforge_theme.yml) and, in dd_emailforge/, the path of the last template you opened (last_path).

To update, run the install command again (add VERSION=v0.9.2 to stay on a specific version). It replaces the app in place and leaves your theme file alone. To uninstall:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ldnddev/dd_emailforge/main/install.sh | bash -s -- uninstall