Marketing Cloud Template Editing

I’m encountering an issue with editing email templates in Salesforce Marketing Cloud. There’s a lock icon in the top-left corner of the template, which prevents me from making any changes directly to the template. Strangely, when I add a new block to the email, it seems to get added to the template. Currently, I want to add custom CSS to the section, but I can’t. ESPs don’t support inline media queries, so I have no way of adding this. Is there a way to create emails using a template that allows full editing, like adding CSS to the ? The only solution I can see right now is creating the email in full HTML without a template, which allows me to edit the entire code in “Code View.” Any help would be greatly appreciated!

It sounds like you’re working with a Template-Based Email in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and you’re encountering a locked template that limits direct edits. The lock icon in the top-left corner indicates that you can’t modify certain elements directly within the email editor.

When you add a new content block, it appears to be added on top of the existing locked template, but this doesn’t give you the flexibility needed to add custom CSS, including media queries, which ESPs typically don’t support inline. As a workaround, creating the email entirely in HTML with “Code View” allows full control over the code, including CSS, but it bypasses the template’s structure.

Suggested Solution: Editing the Underlying Template

To achieve the edits you want, you’ll need to modify the underlying template itself rather than the Template-Based Email. Here’s how:

Locate the Template: Open the email in the editor, and navigate to the Properties tab. Here, you should see the name of the template used for that email.
Edit the Template: Once you have the template’s name, locate it in your template library. Open it to make any necessary CSS changes, such as adding media queries directly to the template.
Apply Changes to the Email: After saving the updated template, go back to the Properties tab within the email editor and select Update Email Now. This will apply your template changes to the email.

This method should allow you to use media queries and other custom CSS within the template framework, rather than creating the email entirely from scratch in HTML.