Design Your Newsfeed Template

Create Branded Email Layouts That Elevate Your Communication #

With the built-in BeeFree Editor, you can visually design reusable email layouts for your Newsfeeds — helping you work faster, stay on brand, and elevate the impact of your communication. These templates define how your media monitoring results (e.g. Medienspiegel) appear when shared via email — ensuring clarity, consistency, and a professional look for your audience.

Easily align each template with your corporate design by customizing fonts, colors, logos, and layout styles — so that every email you send reflects your organization’s visual identity.

Step 1: Open the BeFree Editor #

To get started, click “+ Create New” in the top action bar and select “Newsfeed Template”
(Screenshot: Create a Newsfeed Template from the Main Action Bar). This will open a new, blank layout and take you directly into the BeFree Editor, where you can begin building your custom email design. You’ll later use this template when creating a Newsfeed with Email as the selected output type.

Alternatively, you can also navigate to “Email Templates” via the left-hand navigation: Under the “Sendings” section, open the “Manage” area and click on “Email Templates.” Here, you’ll find all your saved templates — and you can also start a new one by selecting “Newsfeed Template” from this view (Screenshot: Start a New Template from the Email Templates Overview).

Once you’ve opened a new template, the BeFree Editor launches — a clean, intuitive drag-and-drop interface built directly into the ARGUSintelligence platform. You can design your email layout by visually arranging and customizing content blocks. No coding required.

Step 2: Available Templates #

We provide a selection of ready-made templates for all our customers to help streamline the setup of their newsfeed or content views. These templates are designed to cover common use cases and can be used immediately.

Purpose: Templates offer a quick and efficient way to get started with a structured layout. They are fully customizable, allowing users to adapt them to their specific needs and preferences. All provided templates are included in the service—there are no additional costs for using or modifying them.

Step 3: Build Your Layout Visually #

On the left side of the screen, you’ll find the editor canvas, where you drag and arrange your content Explore the Editor Interface

On the left, you’ll find the editor canvas, where you place and arrange content blocks.
Above the canvas, toggle between desktop and mobile preview to see how your layout adapts to different screen sizes (Screenshot: BeeFree Editor).

On the right side, the interface is divided into three functional tabs: Content, Rows and Settings.

1. Set up the Structure of Your Layout

Start by deciding how your layout should be structured – for example, single-column, two-column, or 1. Set Up the Structure of Your Layout. Before you start adding content, you’ll define the overall layout of your email — including where elements like your logo, header text, article list, buttons, or social media links should appear.

In the “Rows” tab on the right-hand side of the BeeFree Editor, you’ll find structural building blocks for your layout.

Here, you have two main options:

• Use the preconfigured article layout:
  This ready-made block is designed specifically for displaying your media monitoring results (e.g. article title, source, date) in a repeatable format. You can drag and drop this directly into the editor to define where the dynamic article list should appear. (Screenshot: Preconfigured Article Row)
• Or start from an empty layout:
  If you want to create a fully customized template that includes elements like:
  • Your company logo in the header
  • A hero image or introductory paragraph
  • Call-to-action buttons
  • Social media icons
  • Colored background sections or dividers
    …then switch the dropdown to “Empty” and build your layout from scratch using the available row formats.(Screenshot: Rows Dropdown Switched to Empty)

To proceed:

1. Choose the desired row layout (e.g. one full-width column, two columns, etc.).
2. Drag and drop the row into the editor canvas to add it to your layout.
   (Screenshot: Drag Row into Editor Area)

You can repeat this process to stack multiple rows and define your structure exactly how you want it. Rows can be repositioned later by dragging them up or down.

Whether you start with a predefined article row or an empty layout — you can always adjust and combine rows to create a fully branded newsletter-style template. The article list is just one part of the final message.

Once your structure is in place, you’ll continue by adding content blocks like text, images, buttons, and Merge Tags to bring your template to life.

2. Add Content Blocks to Your Layout

Once your structure is defined using rows, the next step is to fill each row with content. You do this by dragging content blocks into the layout — similar to how you might build a classic newsletter. Go to the “Content” tab (the first tab in the right-hand menu) to access all available block types.

Available content blocks include:

• Text – Titles, paragraphs, lists
• Image – For logos, banners, or illustrations
• Button – Ideal for call-to-action elements
• Table – Useful for organizing media content or highlights
• Divider – Adds a horizontal line to separate sections
• Spacer – Adds vertical space between blocks
• Social – Add icons with links to your social media pages
• Video – Embed video content or links
• Icons & GIFs – Visual elements to support your message

How to add content:

1. Simply drag the desired content block (e.g. Text, Image, Button) into one of your previously defined rows in the editor.
2. Place it wherever it fits best in your layout — e.g. an image at the top for your logo, followed by a text block, then a divider.
3. You can move blocks up or down anytime by dragging them to a new position within a row or between rows.

Tip: Plan your layout with your branding and communication goals in mind — for example, start with a logo and greeting, then introduce the article list from your media monitoring, and close with a footer including social links. (Screenshot: Drag Content Blocks into Editor Area)

Next, you’ll customize each content block — for example, uploading your logo, changing background colors, or adjusting fonts — to align the template with your corporate design.

Ready? Let’s move on to customizing your design in the next step.
Want to add a short intro? → Drag a Paragraph block below it.

3. Customize the Content (e.g. Uploading an Image)

Once you’ve added a block (like an image), click on it. The editing panel will appear on the right.

To upload an image: #

1. Click “Browse” in the image block. (Screenshot: Browse Button)
2. This opens the ARGUS Webspace – your image storage.
3. You now have three options:
   • Upload: Select an image from your device. (Screenshot: Upload Button)
   • Import: Import from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.
   • Search free photos: Browse free stock images.
   • Or simply choose an image you’ve already uploaded before.
4. Click “Insert” to add it to your layout.
5. You’ll return to the editor with your image in place.
6. In the settings panel, you can now:
   • Align the image (left, center, right)
   • Add a clickable link
   • Adjust image size (e.g. full width on mobile)
   • Add alt text (for accessibility and fallback)

4. Insert Dynamic Content Using Merge Tags

To personalize your template with live content from your ARGUS newsfeed (like article titles, publication names, or the date), you’ll need to use Merge Tags. Merge Tags are dynamic placeholders that are replaced with real content when your email is sent. For example:

• {{Newsfeed.Date}} → becomes the distribution date of the newsletter.
• {{Article.Title}} → becomes the title of an article in the newsfeed.

You can start either with an empty layout or by selecting a preconfigured template that already includes standard Merge Tags such as {{Article.Title}} and the required Group Name.

To insert a Merge Tag, simply drag the template element (e.g. from the “Group: Article List” tab) directly into your layout. There’s no need to create a Text Block first — the necessary content block is inserted along with the tag. (Screenshot: Merge Tags Inserted via Drag and Drop)

Note: Merge Tags can only exist within text-based elements and won’t work inside buttons, images, or structural containers like rows or columns.

Important: Every template that includes newsfeed articles must contain a Group Name Merge Tag.
This tag tells the system which block should repeat automatically for each article in the newsfeed. Without it, the template cannot be saved.

Merge Tags can only be used inside Text Blocks — not in buttons, images, or other layout elements. You don’t need to insert a separate block beforehand: simply add the tag into any empty line within a Text Block.

1. Click inside a Text Block
   Place your cursor in an empty line where you want the dynamic content to appear (e.g. article title, recipient name).
2. Click the Merge Tags icon
   Use the toolbar above the Text Block to click the Merge Tags symbol.
   (Screenshot: Merge Tags Icon Clicked)
3. Search and select your tag
   The Search Merge Tags window will open. You can filter or search by:
   • Type (e.g. Monitoring, Sendings)
   • Property (e.g. Group, Source, Enrichment)
   • Tag (e.g. Group Name, Article Title)
     (Screenshot: Merge Tags Search Window)
4. Insert the tag
   Choose your tag (e.g. {{Article.Title}}) and click Add.
   The tag will now appear in your text and be replaced with real content when the email is sent.

How Merge Tags Are Structured
Every Merge Tag has 3 parts:

Element	Description	Example
Type	The data source (e.g. Monitoring)	Monitoring
Property	The data field (e.g. Group, Source)	Group
Tag	The actual placeholder used in the layout	{{Group.Name}}

5. Assign a Group Name (Required!)

To repeat content for each article in your newsfeed, your layout must include a Group Name. This tells the system: “Loop this block for each article.”

Here’s how:

• If you used the Grouped Article List, the Group Name is already set.
  (Screenshot: Group Name in Suggested Block)
• If you’re building your layout manually:
  1. Add a Text Block where the articles should loop
  2. Open the Merge Tags window
  3. Go to the Group: Article List tab
  4. Choose a tag like {{Article.Title}} and insert it
     → This will automatically assign a Group Name to the block
     (Screenshot: Group Article List Tab)
     (Screenshot: Group Name in Block Settings)

If no Group Name is defined, you’ll see this error when saving your template:
“Group name is missing — please define before saving.”

Step 6: Save and Reuse Your Template

Once your layout is complete and the required Merge Tags (including the Group Name) are in place, you’re ready to save your template.

1. In the top right corner of the editor, click Save.
2. Give your template a clear name — especially if you plan to reuse it later.
3. If the system detects a missing Group Name, it will block saving and show an error message:
   “Group name is missing — please define before saving.” (Screenshot: Group Name Missing Error)

After saving, you can find your templates here:

• Go to the Templates section of the ARGUS Editor.
• Your saved templates will appear in a list — click on one to edit, preview, or use it as a base for a new campaign. (Screenshot: Select Newsfeed Template in Email Templates Section)

Pro Tip:

If you often use the same layout (e.g. daily summary, grouped articles, greeting + article list), save a template version called “Starter” or “Base Layout” — then duplicate it whenever you start a new campaign.