Chimpmatic brings Mailchimp email template development directly into VS Code. 25+ ready-to-use HTML snippets for building responsive email campaigns, complete with merge tags, conditional content, and layouts tested across every major email client.
Install from VS Code Marketplace
Why Build Mailchimp Templates in VS Code?
Mailchimp’s drag-and-drop editor works for simple campaigns. But when you need pixel-perfect control over your Mailchimp email template — custom layouts, branded components, conditional content for different audience segments — you need to write HTML.
The problem is that Mailchimp HTML email templates require table-based layouts, inline CSS, and specific merge tag syntax that’s tedious to write from scratch. Every campaign needs the same boilerplate: responsive wrappers, CAN-SPAM compliant footers, preview text, and MSO conditionals for Outlook.
Chimpmatic eliminates that repetition. Type mc- and get production-ready Mailchimp template code instantly.
Complete Mailchimp Email Template Snippets
Campaign Templates
Start with mc-template for a complete responsive Mailchimp email template. It includes a header with logo, body with headline and CTA button, and a footer with all required Mailchimp merge tags — ready to paste into your Mailchimp campaign.
The template uses table-based layouts for Outlook compatibility, inline styles for Gmail, and responsive breakpoints that stack columns on mobile devices.
Layout Components
| Snippet | What It Creates |
|---|---|
mc-template |
Complete responsive email campaign with header, body, CTA, and footer |
mc-two-column |
Side-by-side content blocks that stack on mobile |
mc-three-column |
Three equal columns for feature highlights or product grids |
mc-image-text |
Full-width hero image with text content below |
mc-button |
Bulletproof CTA button that renders in every email client including Outlook |
mc-coupon |
Promotional discount block with dashed border and coupon code |
mc-social |
Social media icon row using Mailchimp’s hosted icon set |
mc-footer |
CAN-SPAM compliant footer with unsubscribe, update preferences, and company address |
mc-divider |
Clean horizontal separator between content sections |
mc-spacer |
Precise vertical spacing that works across email clients |
mc-preview |
Hidden preview text that appears in inbox before the email is opened |
Mailchimp Merge Tags
Every Mailchimp campaign uses merge tags for personalization. Instead of looking up the syntax each time, type the shortcut and the correct merge tag appears:
| Type This | Get This | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
mc-fname |
*|FNAME|* |
Subscriber’s first name |
mc-lname |
*|LNAME|* |
Subscriber’s last name |
mc-email |
*|EMAIL|* |
Subscriber’s email address |
mc-subject |
*|MC:SUBJECT|* |
Campaign subject line |
mc-date |
*|DATE:Y/m/d|* |
Current date |
mc-company |
*|LIST:COMPANY|* |
Your company name and address |
mc-unsub |
Unsubscribe link | Required by CAN-SPAM — lets subscribers opt out |
mc-update |
Update preferences link | Lets subscribers manage their email preferences |
mc-archive |
View in browser link | Opens the email as a web page |
mc-forward |
Forward link | Lets subscribers share the email |
Conditional Content
Mailchimp supports conditional content blocks that show different content to different subscribers based on merge field values or interest groups. Two snippets handle this:
mc-if— Show content based on whether a merge field has a value. Includes an else fallback for subscribers missing that field.mc-ifgroup— Show content only to subscribers in a specific interest group. Useful for sending targeted product announcements within a single campaign.
RSS Campaign Automation
Building automated RSS-to-email campaigns in Mailchimp requires special merge tags that pull content from your RSS feed. Two snippets handle the structure:
mc-rss-header— Pulls the feed title and description into your email headermc-rss-item— Creates a repeating block for each RSS item with title, date, link, and full content
Email Client Compatibility
HTML email development is harder than web development because every email client renders HTML differently. Outlook uses the Word rendering engine. Gmail strips <style> tags. Yahoo adds its own styles. Apple Mail handles most modern CSS but has quirks with dark mode.
Every Chimpmatic template uses techniques proven to work across all major email clients:
- Table-based layouts for Outlook 2007-2021 and Windows Mail
- Inline CSS for Gmail, which strips
<style>blocks from the<head> - Responsive media queries for mobile clients (iOS Mail, Android Gmail)
- MSO conditionals where needed for Microsoft Office rendering
- Bulletproof buttons using padding and background colors instead of images
- Proper image handling with explicit widths, alt text, and display:block
How to Use
- Install Chimpmatic from the VS Code Marketplace
- Open or create an HTML file
- Type
mc-to see all available snippets - Select a snippet and press Tab to insert it
- Tab through the highlighted placeholders to customize colors, text, and links
- Copy the final HTML into your Mailchimp campaign (under “Code your own”)
Start with mc-template for a complete campaign, then add sections with mc-two-column, mc-image-text, or mc-coupon as needed.
Requirements
- Visual Studio Code 1.80 or later
- A Mailchimp account (free or paid) to send campaigns
Built by Chimpmatic
This extension is made by the team behind Connect Contact Form 7 and Mailchimp — the most popular Contact Form 7 to Mailchimp integration for WordPress, trusted by over 50,000 websites with 9.9 million downloads since 2014.
We build tools that make working with Mailchimp easier for developers. Whether you’re connecting WordPress forms to Mailchimp audiences or building custom email templates, Chimpmatic has you covered.