HubL and Design Manager
Custom coded templates in HubSpot require HubL, HubSpot's own template language. Modifying them means either knowing HubL or waiting for a developer who does.
For HubSpot teams
A better HubSpot email builder.
Modular Mail is an email CMS. Your templates are configured with locked modules and editable content fields. Marketers build campaigns by filling in those fields, then export clean HTML straight into HubSpot as a custom coded template. No HubL, no Design Manager, no broken layouts.
The challenge
Where HubSpot email gets complicated
HubSpot is a strong platform for marketing automation, CRM, and reporting. Email is one piece of it. For teams that need more than simple send-and-track campaigns, the native email tools start to show limits.
Custom templates need HubL
HubSpot's drag-and-drop editor is straightforward for basic layouts, but the moment you need a genuinely custom template, you're into Design Manager and HubL. HubL is HubSpot's proprietary template language. It requires developer knowledge and is entirely specific to HubSpot. Teams find themselves dependent on a developer for every template change.
Brand guardrails are hard to enforce
In HubSpot's drag-and-drop editor, users can change fonts, button colours, padding, and more. For brands with a precise design language, this means constant drift. Each campaign risks looking slightly different from the last.
Portability is limited
Templates built inside HubSpot's editor are tied to HubSpot. If your team ever runs campaigns through another platform, or if your ESP strategy changes, you're rebuilding. An ESP-agnostic approach avoids this entirely.
Common challenges
Where HubSpot email teams get stuck
These are the patterns we hear most from teams using HubSpot for complex email programmes.
Drag-and-drop limits for complex brands
HubSpot's drag-and-drop editor works well for simple campaigns. For brands with precise typographic rules, multi-column layouts, or custom modules, it runs out of room quickly.
Brand drift over time
Drag-and-drop templates rely on marketers to stay inside brand. Without locked structure, fonts, colours, and spacing drift from campaign to campaign.
Platform lock-in
Templates built in HubSpot's editor or Design Manager are HubSpot-specific. If you ever run campaigns across other platforms, you're rebuilding from scratch.
How it works
Three steps from template to a sent campaign
Set up the template system once. Your team manages content from there. HubSpot handles the sending.
- 01
Build the template system in Modular Mail
Your developer, agency, or our team configures your templates with locked modules and editable content fields using
mm-editabletags. No HubL required. See the template setup service. - 02
Your team builds campaigns in the editor
Marketers pick modules, fill in text and image fields, reorder sections, and preview on desktop and mobile. The design is locked. No code is visible. AI Copy Assistant helps speed up copywriting.
- 03
Export clean HTML to HubSpot
One-click export produces clean HTML you can upload to HubSpot as a custom coded template. Add HubSpot personalisation tokens, smart content rules, and send via HubSpot exactly as before.
The editor
What your team sees
A clean editor over a locked template. Pick a module, fill in content fields, pick a variant, preview, export.
The HTML never reaches the marketer. The brand never drifts.
- Locked template structureModules and layout stay protected. Marketers edit content, not code.
- Content fields, not HTMLText, images, links, and CTAs are all simple fields. No markup.
- Drag-and-drop modulesPick from a tested library and reorder by dragging.
- Live desktop and mobile previewSee exactly what subscribers will see as you type.
- AI Copy AssistantGenerate and refine copy in any field, in your brand voice.
- Clean HTML exportOne-click export. Upload directly to HubSpot as a custom coded template.
Comparison
HubSpot native versus HubSpot with Modular Mail
A factual comparison. Modular Mail adds a CMS layer; you keep HubSpot for everything else.
| Feature | HubSpot email editor | HubSpot + Modular Mail Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Template setup | Drag-and-drop editor or HubL in Design Manager | Standard HTML with mm-editable tags, no HubL |
| Brand guardrails | Limited; rich-text fields allow font and colour changes | Locked structure; marketers only see content fields |
| Custom modules | Requires HubL and Design Manager access | Developer sets up once; marketers use immediately |
| Who can build campaigns | Anyone, with risk of breaking design | Anyone. Structure is locked, only content is editable |
| Personalisation tokens | HubSpot contact tokens added in editor | Added to exported HTML in HubSpot after upload |
| ESP portability | HubSpot-specific editor | Export clean HTML to any ESP |
| Preview and testing | Basic preview; needs separate tools for client testing | Live desktop and mobile preview, plus Litmus / EoA integration |
Use cases
Who uses Modular Mail with HubSpot
B2B SaaS marketing teams
SaaS companies using HubSpot Marketing Hub for lifecycle emails, nurture sequences, and product announcements often have design-led templates that are hard for marketers to safely edit. A CMS layer fixes that.
A SaaS marketing team sends product updates, onboarding sequences, and promotional campaigns. Templates are set up once in Modular Mail; marketers fill in content fields and export to HubSpot. Dev only gets involved for new modules.
Ecommerce brands on HubSpot
Ecommerce brands using HubSpot for post-purchase flows, promotional campaigns, and win-back sequences need polished designs at scale. Custom coded templates keep the design intact; Modular Mail keeps the content workflow simple.
An ecommerce brand runs seasonal promotions across HubSpot. Each campaign is built in Modular Mail by the marketing team, exported as clean HTML, and uploaded to HubSpot in minutes.
Agencies running HubSpot programmes
Agencies managing HubSpot for multiple clients set up templates once per client in Modular Mail. Each client gets their own workspace. Producers build campaigns without pulling the design team back in for banner changes.
An agency runs HubSpot programmes for several clients. Modular Mail sits between the template system and HubSpot: locked design, self-serve content, clean HTML exported to each client's HubSpot account.
FAQ
Modular Mail with HubSpot, in detail
-
Does Modular Mail replace HubSpot?
No. Modular Mail is an email CMS that handles template management and campaign content. You still use HubSpot for sending, automation, workflows, reporting, and CRM. Think of it as replacing the Design Manager and drag-and-drop email editor for campaign building, not HubSpot itself. -
How do HubSpot personalisation tokens work with Modular Mail?
You build and export the campaign HTML from Modular Mail, then add personalisation tokens (like{{ contact.firstname }}) directly in HubSpot's code editor after uploading the template. Modular Mail handles the design and structure; HubSpot handles the personalisation and sending. -
What about HubSpot smart content?
Smart content is a HubSpot feature applied after the template is uploaded. Export your HTML from Modular Mail, upload it to HubSpot, then add smart content rules in HubSpot's editor. The two work alongside each other. -
Do I still need Design Manager?
Not for template creation. Modular Mail replaces the template-building step. You upload the exported HTML to HubSpot as a custom coded template. Design Manager is no longer the place where templates are built or maintained. -
What HubSpot plan do I need?
You need a HubSpot plan that supports custom coded email templates. This is available on Marketing Hub Professional and Enterprise. Modular Mail has no HubSpot plan requirement of its own. -
Can I use my existing HubSpot templates with Modular Mail?
Yes. A developer can convert your existing HTML templates into Modular Mail's module system by addingmm-editabletags. We also offer professional template conversion as a service. -
Is Modular Mail ESP-agnostic?
Yes. Modular Mail is an email CMS that exports clean HTML. That HTML works with HubSpot, Klaviyo, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Marketo, Mailchimp, and any other platform that accepts HTML. No platform-specific syntax in the output.