Updated: 2026-08-03 22:34:21 UTC

Using the legacy post editor

This article covers the legacy post editor, the two-panel Write and Style tab experience used when creating posts and building newsletter templates. The legacy post editor stopped receiving new features and bug fixes on July 16, 2026, and all workspaces will move to the Visual Editor later this year. 

Starting August 3, 2026, all newly created beehiiv workspaces launch directly into the Visual Editor by default, and workspace admins can switch an existing workspace over to the new experience at any time.

This legacy feature is still the only editing experience for automation emails, welcome emails, double opt-in emails, and upsell emails, since the Visual Editor is not yet available there. The steps below apply to those editors as well as to legacy newsletter posts and templates.

Is this article for you

If your post editor opens on a live canvas where clicking any element (text, image, button, section) brings up its styling options directly, in the same place you're writing, you're already on the Visual Editor. This article doesn't apply to you. See Introducing the Visual Editor for posts instead.

If your post editor instead shows two separate tabs on the right side (Write and Style) and you have to switch tabs and click Preview to see your finished design, you're on the legacy editor, and the rest of this article is for you.

Your editor experience is set at the workspace level. If you're new to beehiiv but joining a workspace that hasn't switched to the Visual Editor yet, you'll use the legacy post editor described here until a workspace admin switches it.

To check or change which experience you're on, open the post editor and click the Options icon > Change editor experience.

How the legacy post editor is laid out

Opening the Post Builder brings you to the Compose page. On the right side of the canvas, you'll see two panels:

  • Write: Active by default. This is where you draft your content, title, subtitle, thumbnail, content tags, and authors, and where you use the post editor's slash menu ("/") to add images, buttons, sections, and other blocks.
  • Style: Where you customize how your post looks. Nothing you change here renders on the Write tab itself, so you won't see your styling take effect until you preview the post.

Across the top of the canvas, you'll also find icons for profile initials (who else is editing), word count, undo/redo, search and replace, backlink setup, commenting, version history, saving as a template, and help. See Options on the Compose page of the post flow for what each one does.

The Compose page is one of five tabs in the post flow (Compose, Audience, Email, Web, Review). Only Compose uses the Write/Style split described here. The other four tabs work the same regardless of which post editor experience you're on. See How to create and publish a post for the full flow.

Using the post editor to build your content

Easily add or adjust your post content on the canvas by typing "/" to access the Slash menu options. Or, to add text content, simply start writing on the canvas.

Design options in the post editor

The Slash menu provides countless ways to design your newsletter, organized into 5 sections:

Basics

  • Bulleted List
  • Numbered List
  • Button
  • Image
  • Code Block
  • Table
  • Blockquote
  • Content Break
  • Section
  • Columns
  • Subscriber Break
  • Table of Contents (TOC)
  • File Attachment
  • Merge Tags

Headings

  • H1 - H6

Embeds

Embeds are web and social media links included in your posts. You can customize their appearance in the Style panel.

  • Embed Link
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Stocktwits
  • Bluesky
  • Audio

Dynamic Tags

  • Footnotes

Premium

Paid accounts also have access to these options in the post editor:

  • Advertisements / Ads from the Ad Network (when enabled)
  • AI Image and AI Writer
  • Referral Program
  • Paywall Breaks
  • HTML Snippet (code)
  • Recommendations
  • RSS

Switching between the Write and Style tabs

  1. Open a new post draft, or select to edit one of your saved posts or templates.
  2. The Post Builder opens on the Compose page with the Write panel active by default.
  3. Click Style to switch panels.
  4. The Style panel opens on the Basic tab. 

    Click Advanced to switch to more granular settings.
  5. Changes made in the Style panel sync instantly to the underlying post data, but you won't see them reflected visually until you preview. To go back to drafting, click Write.

To revert a change, switch to the Write panel and click the Version history icon at the top of the Compose page.

Basic and Advanced style options at a glance

The Style panel is organized into two tabs:

Basic Style Panel options

Colors: Click the arrow next to Colors to reveal the following customization options:

  • Outside Background: Sets the background color behind your post content.
  • Post Background: Sets the background color of the post itself.
  • Text on Background: Defines the color of text placed on the post background.
  • Primary: Sets the background color for the email footer and its social links, buttons, blockquotes, table cells, embedded content areas, and the post byline.
  • Text on Primary: Controls the text color for the post title, subtitle, byline, footer text, and embedded content link titles. This color helps guide readers through your most important content.
  • Secondary: Defines the border color for horizontal dividers, the top border of the email footer, blockquotes, embedded content, buttons, and post backgrounds.
  • Links: Sets the color of all hyperlinks within your post content.

Typography: Click the arrow next to Typography to reveal the following customization options:

  • Heading font family: Controls the font used for H1–H6 elements, including post titles and section headers.
  • Heading font weight: Sets the thickness (e.g., regular, bold) of heading text.
  • Paragraph text font family: Defines the font used for body text, lists, tables, blockquotes, button text, and other in-post content.
  • Paragraph text font weight: Sets the weight of paragraph and body text for better readability and emphasis.

Spacing: Click the arrow next to Spacing to reveal the following customization options:

  • Margin: Defines the space between the post and the background. Think of this as outer spacing.
  • Padding: Controls the space between the post content and its container edges. Think of this as inner spacing.

Border: Click the arrow next to Borders to reveal the following customization options:

  • Corner radius: Controls how rounded the corners of your post elements appear. A value of 0 results in sharp corners, while higher values increase the curve for a softer, rounded look.
  • Border thickness: Sets the width of the borders around your content. Thicker values create more prominent borders.

Advanced Style Panel options 

Background: Click the arrow next to Background to reveal the following customization options:

  • Color: Set separate colors for the canvas, post, and post border. 
  • Margin: Adjust the margin of the background in pixels, either individually or all sides together.
  • Padding: Adjust the padding of the background in pixels, either individually or all sides together.
  • Radius: Adjust the corner radius of your post in pixels, either individually or all sides together.
  • Border: Adjust the border thickness of the background in pixels, either individually or all sides together.

Email Header: Click the arrow next to Email Header to reveal the following settings:

  • Title: Set the font family, weight, size, and color for the email header title. You can also adjust title alignment and vertical spacing in pixels.
  • Subtitle: Set the font family, weight, size, and color for the post subtitle. You can also adjust title alignment and vertical spacing in pixels.
  • Image: Upload or replace the email header image. The recommended size is 1200px × 630px.
  • Byline: Toggle on or off the Show byline and Show reading time options. When enabled, you can further customize:
    • Fonts: Set the font family, weight, size, and color for the byline. 
    • Avatar: Select the pixel size for the author’s profile picture in the byline. 
    • Gap: Adjust the spacing around the byline, either per side or uniformly.
    • Reading time font color: Choose the font color for the reading time.
    • Reading time label: Define the label text (default is Estimated Reading Time:).
    • Underline author links: Toggle this on or off to underline author links.
    • Date format: Choose between Long, Long Ordinal, Short, or None for the date appearance.
  • Topline: Enable options for Show date, Show read date, and Show reading time. 
  • Alignment: Left or center justify the alignment of the content. 
  • Padding: Adjust the padding of the email header in pixels, either per side or uniformly.
  • Code: Add custom CSS specific to the email header. Be sure to preview and test your changes before sending.

Body: Click the arrow next to Body to reveal the following customization options:

  • Text: Set the font family, weight, size, line height, and paragraph color for the body text. Also adjust the gap or padding around the body in pixels, either individually or together.
  • H1 - H6: Adjust the font family, weight, size, line height, and paragraph color for each header size. Also adjust the gap or padding around the header in pixels, either individually or together.
  • Colors, Typography, Spacing, Borders. Quick, high-level adjustments.
  • Advanced: Background, Email Header, Body, Widgets, Email Footer. Granular control over individual elements.

Widgets: Click the arrow next to Widgets to reveal the following customization options:

  • Links: Set the link style using bold, italics, or underline. Choose the font and underline colors.
  • Images: Customize the font family, size, color, and style used for captions. Adjust image padding and gap in pixels, either individually or together.
  • Buttons: Set the font family, weight, and size. Adjust the font, background, and border colors. You can also modify the pixels of the padding, gap, corner radius, and border thickness, either individually or together.
  • Breaks: Customize the color and style of content breaks. You can also adjust their thickness, width percentage, and gap, either individually or together.
  • Lists: Set the font family, weight, size, line height, and list color. Choose a style for bulleted and numbered lists. Adjust the padding or gap around lists in pixels, either individually or together.
  • Quotes: There are 3 quote variants available in the post editor. Each can be customized individually in the Style panel under Quotes. If you're using a quote as a testimonial, you can include an author name using the Author field in the editor. This is referred to as Byline styling in the Style panel.
    For each quote variant, you can customize:
    • Fonts: Set the font family, weight, size, and color for the quote text.
    • Alignment: Choose the text alignment: left, center, or right. 
    • Background color: Set the background color of the quote.
    • Margin: Adjust the outer spacing of the quote in pixels, individually or all sides together.
    • Padding: Adjust the inner spacing of the quote in pixels, individually or all sides together.
    • Corner radius: Control how rounded or sharp the quote’s corners appear, individually or all sides together.
    • Border thickness: Set the thickness of the quote border in pixels, individually or all sides together.
    • Border color: Choose a color for the quote’s border.
    • Byline styling: Customize the font family, weight, size, and color for the quote’s author. You can also adjust the byline alignment (left, center, right) and the gap around the byline, individually or together. 
  • Embeds: Customize the appearance of embedded web and social media links in your posts. You can adjust the font family, background color, border color, margin, padding, corner radius, and border thickness, individually or together. 
    For social media embed links, additional options include:
    • Show title: Toggle this on to display the platform name (e.g. TikTok).
    • Title look: Set the font size and color for the title.
    • Show description: Toggle this on to display the platform’s meta description.
    • Description look: Set the font size and color for the description.
    • Show URL: Toggle this on to display the full URL (e.g. https://www.tiktok.com/).
    • URL look: Set the font size and link color for the URL.
  • Tables: Customize how tables appear in your post. 
    You can adjust:
    • Table headers: Modify the font family, header color, and header background color. 
    • Table cells: Modify the font family, header color, and header background color. 
    • Heading gap: Set spacing above, below, or both together.
    • Gap between cells: Adjust vertical spacing between cells, above and below, or both together. 
    • Border thickness: Adjust the border thickness, individually or all sides together.
    • Border styling: Choose the color of the table borders.
    • Gap: Adjust spacing around the entire table, above, below, or both together.
  • RSS: Customize how an RSS feed appears in your post. 
    You can adjust:
    • Title font: Set the font family, weight, line height, and color for the title of the RSS feed.
    • Body font: Set the font family, weight, line height, and color for the body content of the RSS feed.
    • CTA button: Set the font color, background color, and border color. 
    • Corner radius: Adjust the corner radius in pixels.
    • Border thickness: Adjust the border thickness in pixels.
    • Link formatting: Set the underline and font color. 

Email footer: Click the arrow next to Email Footer to reveal the following customization options:

  • Colors: Customize the background color of the footer.
  • Text: Choose the font family and font color for the footer text.
  • Border: Adjust the top border’s thickness, width, and color.
  • Margin: Modify the footer margin, either individually or all sides together.
  • Alignment: Left or center justify the alignment of the footer. 
  • Padding: Adjust the padding around the footer, either individually or all sides together.
  • Socials: Set the icon color and background color for social media links in the footer.
  • Copyright Text: Change the default copyright text just for the post. (The copyright text is set in your Publication settings.)
  • Address: Change the default address just for the post. (The address is set in your Publication settings.)
  • Links: Set the look of hyperlinks, choose the link format, underline color, font color, divider color, and adjust the padding in pixels. 
  • Custom: Add your own content to the footer by clicking Add/Edit custom content to open the post editor where you can add or edit your own content.
  • Logo: Enable this to display your publication logo in your footer. 

Customizing your post byline

  1. Open a new post draft, or select to edit one of your saved posts or templates.
  2. On the Compose page, click Style to switch from the Write panel.
  3. The Style panel opens on Basic. Switch to Advanced.
  4. The Background section is open by default. Click to close it.
  5. Open Email Header, then click the Byline icon to reveal the Header byline styling options: Show byline, Font selections, Avatar size, Gap, Show reading time, Reading time font color, Reading time label, Underline author links, and Date format.
  6. Click Preview at the top of the Post Builder to check how your byline looks. From Preview, you can switch between Web, Email, Desktop, and Mobile views, and use the dropdown to check different subscriber tiers.

For what each byline setting does, see Post byline customization options.

Customizing your newsletter footer

If you'd rather apply one consistent header and footer look everywhere at once, without customizing post by post, go to Settings > Emails, scroll to Email layout, and toggle on Apply new email layout. You can still use the Style panel below to customize individual posts beyond that default.

To customize a footer for a specific post:

  1. Open a new post draft, or select to edit one of your saved posts.
  2. On the Compose page, click Style to switch from the Write panel.
  3. The Style panel opens on Basic. Switch to Advanced.
  4. Close the Background section (open by default), then open Email Footer.
  5. From here you can edit Colors, Text, Border, Margin, Alignment, Padding, Socials, Copyright Text, Address, Links, Logo, and Custom (which opens the post editor so you can add your own footer content using the same "/" slash menu you use elsewhere).

The Logo option only appears once Apply new email layout is turned on in Settings > Emails.

For the full option glossary, see How to customize your newsletter footer. That article also covers updating which social platforms appear (a separate setting from the footer's icon styling) and customizing the welcome email footer, which uses its own, separate editor and isn't affected by anything in this article.

Building templates in the legacy Newsletter Template builder

The Newsletter Template builder uses the same Write/Style pattern as the Post Builder.

Creating a template from scratch

  1. From the left panel, click the arrow next to New, select Template post, then My templates, then New template.
  2. The Post template builder opens on the Compose page. You can also switch to the Audience tab to set a default email and web audience for the template (see below).
  3. To the right of the canvas are Write and Style tabs, working the same way as in a regular post: Write for content structure, Style (Basic and Advanced) for the template's default look.
  4. Switch to Write to build out your template as desired, then use Preview to check it on desktop and mobile.
  5. Changes save automatically (look for the Synced label). Exit with the back arrow in the upper-left corner.
  6. New templates are named "New template" by default. Rename it via the 3 dots menu > Rename template so it's identifiable later.

Style tab options for templates

The Style tab in the template builder mirrors the Post Builder's Style panel exactly: Basic (Colors, Typography, Spacing, Borders) and Advanced (Background, Email Header, Body, Widgets, Email Footer). 

Creating a template from an existing post

  • From your Posts list, use the 3 dots menu > Save post as template. This is a straight menu action and doesn't touch the Write/Style panels.
  • Or, from inside the Post Builder while editing a post (on the Write panel by default), click the Save as template icon in the top icon row.

Managing existing templates and setting a default audience

Neither of these touches the Write/Style panels, so they work identically regardless of which post editor experience you're on:

  • The 3 dots menu on any saved template gives you Use template, Edit template (reopens the Post template builder above), Preview, Rename template, Set as default post style, Duplicate, Duplicate to publications, and Delete template.
  • Templates have their own Audience tab, separate from Write/Style, where you set which subscribers a post created from that template goes to by default.

For quick-start template browsing and best practices, see Creating and using newsletter templates.

Previewing your changes

Because the legacy Write and Style tabs don't render your final design as you edit, previewing before you publish matters more here than it does in the Visual Editor. Click Preview in the top right corner of the Post Builder at any point to see your post as Email, Web, Desktop, or Mobile, simulate specific subscriber tiers or conditions, and send yourself a test email. See Previewing and sending test emails of your post for the full walkthrough. This works the same way whether you're on the legacy editor or the Visual Editor.

Moving to the Visual Editor

When you're ready to switch, open the post editor and click Options icon > Change editor experience. Your existing posts, templates, and designs carry over with no migration needed. See Introducing the Visual Editor for posts for what changes and what stays the same. 
 

Using the Visual Editor will update the experience for everyone in your publication. There is currently no way for each team member to work in a different editor.