---
name: postmark-templates
description: Use when creating, managing, or sending with Postmark server-side email templates — Handlebars syntax, layout inheritance, template validation, and cross-server pushing.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: postmark
  version: "1.0.0"
---

# Email Templates with Postmark

## Overview

Postmark templates are server-side email templates using Handlebars syntax. Templates are rendered on Postmark's servers — no client-side rendering library needed.

| Feature | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **Syntax** | Handlebars (Mustache-compatible) |
| **Rendering** | Server-side — no React, no client library |
| **Types** | Standard templates and Layout templates |
| **Inheritance** | Standard templates can inherit from a Layout |
| **Validation** | API endpoint to test-render templates before sending |
| **Cross-server** | Push templates between servers (staging → production) |
| **Limit** | 100 templates per server (contact support for more) |

## Quick Start

1. **Create a template** via API or the [Postmark dashboard](https://account.postmarkapp.com)
2. **Define variables** using Handlebars syntax: `{{variable_name}}`
3. **Send with template** using `POST /email/withTemplate` or `POST /email/batchWithTemplates`
4. **Pass data** via `TemplateModel` — Postmark renders and sends

## Template Syntax (Handlebars)

```handlebars
Hello {{name}},                            {{! variable }}
{{{html_content}}}                         {{! unescaped HTML }}
{{#if premium}}Premium member{{/if}}       {{! conditional }}
{{#each items}}{{this.name}}{{/each}}      {{! iteration }}
{{customer.address.city}}                  {{! nested object }}
```

See [references/handlebars-syntax.md](references/handlebars-syntax.md) for the full syntax reference including conditionals, iteration with index, nested objects, and common mistakes.

## Template Types

| Type | `TemplateType` | Sendable | Purpose |
|------|---------------|----------|---------|
| **Standard** | `"Standard"` | Yes | Defines subject, HTML, and text body |
| **Layout** | `"Layout"` | No | Reusable wrapper injected via `{{{@content}}}` |

Standard templates can reference a Layout via `LayoutTemplate: "layout-alias"`. The Standard template's body replaces `{{{@content}}}` in the Layout at send time.

See [references/layout-templates.md](references/layout-templates.md) for layout creation, assignment, and examples.

## API Endpoints

### Template CRUD

| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|----------|--------|-------------|
| `/templates` | `POST` | Create a new template |
| `/templates` | `GET` | List all templates (`?count=100&offset=0&templateType=Standard`) |
| `/templates/{idOrAlias}` | `GET` | Get a single template |
| `/templates/{idOrAlias}` | `PUT` | Update a template |
| `/templates/{idOrAlias}` | `DELETE` | Delete a template |
| `/templates/validate` | `POST` | Validate template rendering |
| `/templates/push` | `PUT` | Push templates to another server |

### Sending with Templates

| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|----------|--------|-------------|
| `/email/withTemplate` | `POST` | Send single email with template |
| `/email/batchWithTemplates` | `POST` | Send batch with templates (up to 500) |

## Send with Template

Always use `TemplateAlias` over `TemplateId` — aliases survive re-creation and work across environments:

```javascript
const postmark = require('postmark');
const client = new postmark.ServerClient(process.env.POSTMARK_SERVER_TOKEN);

await client.sendEmailWithTemplate({
  From: 'hello@yourdomain.com',
  To: 'customer@example.com',
  TemplateAlias: 'welcome-email',
  TemplateModel: {
    name: 'Jane Doe',
    product_name: 'Acme App'
  },
  MessageStream: 'outbound'
});
```

## Validate a Template

Test-render without sending — useful in CI/CD before deploying template changes:

```javascript
const validation = await client.validateTemplate({
  Subject: 'Welcome {{name}}',
  HtmlBody: '<h1>Hello {{name}}</h1>',
  TextBody: 'Hello {{name}}',
  TestRenderModel: { name: 'Test User' }
});

console.log('Valid:', validation.AllContentIsValid);
console.log('Rendered:', validation.Subject.RenderedContent);
```

See [references/template-api.md](references/template-api.md) for full CRUD operations (create, list, update, delete), batch sending, validate, and push between servers.

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Using `{{html}}` for HTML content | Use triple braces `{{{html}}}` for unescaped HTML |
| Forgetting `{{{@content}}}` in Layout | Layout templates must include `{{{@content}}}` placeholder |
| Deleting a Layout with dependents | Remove layout association from Standard templates first |
| Using Template ID across environments | Use `TemplateAlias` — it survives re-creation and works across servers |
| Not validating before deploy | Use `/templates/validate` to test-render before sending |
| Sending a Layout directly | Layouts are wrappers — you can only send Standard templates |
| Missing TemplateModel fields | Handlebars renders missing variables as empty strings — validate your data |
| Exceeding 100 templates | Contact Postmark support to increase the per-server limit |

## Notes

- Templates use Handlebars (Mustache-compatible) syntax — no React or client-side rendering needed
- Template aliases are strings; template IDs are integers — prefer aliases for portability
- `TemplateType` is either `Standard` (sendable) or `Layout` (wrapper)
- Layout inheritance: Standard template body replaces `{{{@content}}}` in the Layout
- Push templates between servers using the Account Token (not Server Token)
- Maximum 100 templates per server by default
- Template validation (`/templates/validate`) lets you test-render without sending
- Both `TemplateId` and `TemplateAlias` work for sending — use one, not both


---
Source attribution: ActiveCampaign
Original project: https://github.com/ActiveCampaign/postmark-skills/blob/269553ee297376a3011694caec88f0f3c6bce4aa/postmark-templates/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 ActiveCampaign, LLC

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Dave AI resource metadata

Creator / publisher: ActiveCampaign
Original project: https://github.com/ActiveCampaign/postmark-skills/blob/269553ee297376a3011694caec88f0f3c6bce4aa/postmark-templates/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Marketing
Roles: Content Marketer, Email Marketer, Growth Marketer
Specialties: API
Tools: Tool not specified
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: cc0624a1f4a024007bf10fc63b7b6855eb2d917ccde5a109b37ceaa1e54c1ef4