Marketing Cloud Content

Builder Implementation Guide

Salesforce, Spring ’24

Last updated: March 22, 2024

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CONTENTS

CONTENT BUILDER IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

SET UP CONTENT BUILDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Content Builder Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Content Builder Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Import Content Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Content Builder Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

CONTENT BUILDER IMPLEMENTATION BEST PRACTICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Content Builder Import Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
CONTENT BUILDER IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Content Builder is a cross-channel content management and content building tool that allows you to consolidate messaging content
in a single location for use in the Marketing Cloud. Content Builder uses an easy drag-and-drop interface and is more efficient than classic
and editing tools.

Who This Guide Is For

This guide is for Marketing Cloud admins to configure administration features, review user permissions, and import classic content into
Content Builder.

Before You Start

No additional products are required to use Content Builder.

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SET UP CONTENT BUILDER

Review the administration, permissions, and migration from classic email information required to use Marketing Cloud Content Builder.

Content Builder Administration

Access Content Builder setup from the Marketing Cloud toolbar by hovering over your username and selecting Setup, then searching
for Content Builder Settings.

Email Autosave
Users who want to be more intentional about when edits are saved can disable Email Autosave. Disabling Email Autosave prevents
Content Builder from saving accidental edits. We also disabled the timestamp and modified by fields from being updated when you
made no changes, whether you have Email Autosave enabled or disabled.
When enabled, Content Builder automatically saves all changes in the editor. When disabled, Content Builder does not autosave when
you edit and exit an email before clicking Save, or when you open and close an email without editing. Content Builder still autosaves
when you navigate to a different step of the wizard.
Email Autosave is enabled by default to minimize disruption. Autosave is only available for editing emails.
Click Edit, check or uncheck EnableEmail Autosave, then click Save.

Across Enterprise Sharing

This setting allows all users to share content with existing and future business units. Click Edit to enable or disable, then click Save.

Predictable File URLs

Enable this setting to generate a friendlier and more informative name as part of the URL path for published content by using the file
name. By default, Content Builder generates a random number at the end of the URL. After uploading, you can edit the file name on the
properties page, but you can’t edit the URL. You can disable this setting after enabling. The URL uses the structure of the setting at the
time of upload.
If Predictive URL is enabled and you want to update an image but use the same name, use Replace rather than Delete. Deleting a file
removes it from the Content Builder library but the file remains published by our third party.

Editor Configuration
Administrators can select the editor options they want available for their business unit. You can configure these editor and block tabs:

Tab Where

Blocks Editor

Content Editor

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Set Up Content Builder Content Builder Administration

Layout Editor

Design Editor

Code View (for Templates) Editor

Code View (for Template Based Emails) Editor

Block Settings Block

HTML Editor Block

• Editor Tabs - Click Edit to configure the tabs that are available in the editor, then click Save.
• Block Tabs - Click Edit to configure the tabs that are available in the editor, then click Save.

Note: Before the January 2020 release, you could create layouts from the Create menu and edit them in emails even when
the permission was disabled. After the release, ensure that the permission is enabled to continue creating and editing layouts.

Block Group Configuration

Admins can select the blocks they want available for their business unit. Click Edit in any section to configure block visibility in the editor,
then click Save.
You can configure these blocks:

Block Name Block Group Editor Availability

Button Basic Email and CloudPages

Free Form Basic Email and CloudPages

HTML Basic Email and CloudPages

Image Basic Email and CloudPages

Text Basic Email and CloudPages

Code Snippet Basic Email and CloudPages

Smart Capture Basic CloudPages

A/B Test Advanced Email

Dynamic Content Advanced Email

Enhanced Dynamic Content Advanced Email

External Content Advanced Email

Einstein Content Advanced Email

Live Image Advanced Email

Reference Content Advanced Email and CloudPages

Image Carousel Interactive Content Email

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Set Up Content Builder Content Builder Permissions

Email Form Interactive Content Email

Social Follow Social Media Email and CloudPages

Content Builder Permissions

As you get started with Marketing Cloud Content Builder, it is important to review permissions for the users in your account.
If your users have the standard Marketing Cloud roles, those permissions in Content Builder match their permissions in the classic Emails
tools. Assign these permissions under Setup > Users > Mange Roles > Permissions.

Note: Denying permissions for a user doesn’t remove their access to Content Builder.

For users with custom roles, you can assign new Content Builder permissions as follows:
• Content Builder > Assets: These permissions are for managing uploaded files and content blocks. You can specify which users can
create, edit, and delete these assets in Content Builder. The permissions in this section apply to assets within Content Builder, not
the classic Email tools.
• Content Builder > Folders: These permissions are for managing folders within Content Builder. You can control who can create, view,
move, rename, and delete Content Builder folders. There are no permissions for individual folders.
These permissions for Content Builder reference the Email application permissions. If you use the classic Email tools, these permissions
aren’t added.
• Email > Content > Template: The permission to manage Content Builder templates reside under the Email application permissions.
If a user has permission to create, modify, or delete templates within the classic Email tools, they have permission to perform the
same actions within Content Builder.
• Email > Content > Email: The permission to manage Content Builder emails reside under the Email application permissions. If a user
has permission to create, modify, delete, and send emails within the classic Email tools, they have permission to perform the same
actions within Content Builder.
Content imported from Sitecore is saved in the Sitecore subfolder. You can't edit this content, but you can delete it with this permission:
Content Builder > Third-Party Content Administrator Access.

Share Content Permissions and Roles

Review the permissions and roles for Marketing Cloud Content Builder sharing.

Content Permissions
You can assign each content item in a shared folder its own edit permission. The edit permission determines how recipients can edit
the content. The options for edit permissions are:
• View and Send: Recipients can view the shared content and select it to be sent in a message, but they cannot edit the content.
Recipients can edit the content in a message, but those edits are not saved to the shared content item.
• Edit Globally: Recipients can edit the shared content, and any edit made in one business unit appears in the other business units
that have access to the content.
• Edit Locally: This option is available for emails only. Recipients can create a local edit of the email, which appears only in their business
unit as a separate asset with its own Customer Key and ID. This edit does not overwrite the shared email in other business units.
When you create a local edit, the original shared email no longer appears in the recipient's business unit. However, if you delete the

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Set Up Content Builder Shared Content Edit Permissions

local edit, the original shared email appears again. If the business unit that shared the original email deletes or unshares the original,
local edits are deleted.

Note: For Enterprise 1.0, shared emails can only be shared with the Edit Locally permission. To send the shared email, first
create a local edit.

Folder Permissions
Actions taken on this folder structure are controlled by these permissions under Content Builder > Shared Folders.
• View
• Create
• Move
• Rename
• Edit Sharing Properties
• Delete

Inherited Roles
Standard Marketing Cloud Roles inherit these Content Builder permissions by default. Administrators can configure custom roles for
each role.

Marketing Cloud Role Inherited Content Builder Role

Marketing Cloud Viewer View

Marketing Cloud Content Editor/Publisher All Shared Folder permissions

Marketing Cloud Administrator All Shared Folder permissions

Shared Content Edit Permissions

While Marketing Cloud Content Builder business units that create content can take all actions on content, business units that receive
shared content can only take these actions based on their edit permissions. Review the different Content Builder edit permissions.

Edit Properties Send Preview Duplicate Delete Move Share

and Test
View and No, read-only Yes, but Yes Yes Yes No No No
Send read-only

Edit Locally - No, read-only Yes, but Yes Yes Yes No No No

Locally read-only
shared email

Local Edit Yes Yes, cannot Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
edit Location

Edit Globally Yes Yes, cannot Yes Yes Yes No No No

edit Location
or Sharing

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Set Up Content Builder Import Content Overview

Inbox Preview Validate Content Detective Save as Template

View and Send Yes Yes Yes Yes

Edit Locally - Locally Yes Yes Yes Yes

shared email

Local Edit Yes Yes Yes Yes

Edit Globally Yes Yes Yes Yes

Import Content Overview

Learn what to expect when importing content from classic content into Marketing Cloud Content Builder.
• Edit content in the editor used to create it: Content created in classic is edited in classic, and content created in the new editor is
edited in the new editor.
• Edit content created with the classic editor with the classic editor. Edit content created with the new editor with the new editor.
• You can import content into Content Builder over time. For example, move the content you are using for messaging and import
more content later as needed.
• After importing a folder from classic content to Content Builder, that content is available in both places. New content created in the
folder must be imported into Content Builder for it to be available in both applications.
• Images imported from classic are renamed in Content Builder using a random number for the end of the URL.
• Changes to images and documents in classic content or Content Builder are affected in the other.
• Changes to content areas or content blocks in classic content or Content Builder are not affected in the other.
• You can place content in any folder in Content Builder. For example, you can place all content like images, text, HTML, and more for
a campaign into a single folder.
• The import process cannot be stopped or undone once started.
• The import takes time to complete. You can close the import assistance once the import begins. We notify you when the import
completes.
• Text + Image content areas are converted to Freeform content blocks in Content Builder.
• Content imported from Sitecore is saved in the Sitecore subfolder. You can't edit this content, but you can delete it with the Third-Party
Content Administrator Access user permission in Setup > Users > Roles Permissions > Content Builder.
View the Add and Import Content video.

Content Builder Experience

As you switch from Marketing Cloud Email Studio classic content to Content Builder, explore the new features available.
Icon Descriptions
•

- Feature Not Available

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Set Up Content Builder Content Builder Experience

- Feature Replaced
•

- Feature Changed

Table 1: Administration
Feature New Tools
Granular Permissions and Managing Roles for non-Enterprise 2.0
Account

Provisioning for Child Accounts

Product Support Environment

Table 2: APIs and AMPscript

Feature New Tools
SOAP APIs and Partner or Custom Solutions

Table 3: Approvals
Feature New Tools
Bypass Approval Rule

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Set Up Content Builder Content Builder Experience

Feature New Tools

Prevent Approval Withdraw when Email Jobs are Scheduled

Table 4: Distributed Sending

Feature New Tools
Emails and Sends - Content Builder Emails

Table 5: Email Studio

Feature New Tools
Content: Appending Headers and Footers

Content: Copy and paste from a third-party text editor, such as

Microsoft Word or Google Docs

Content: Dynamic Content

Content: Facebook Like

Content: Simple Automated Emails

Content: Surveys

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Set Up Content Builder Content Builder Experience

Feature New Tools

Content: View Pending Sends to Cancel a Job

Interactive Content: Live Offers

Send: Guided Send Recurring Send Option

Send: Guided Send Select Tracking Option

Send: Send Preview

Send: Guided Send to a Test Data Extension

Send: Simple Send

Send: Test Send

Send: Guided Send Test Options

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Set Up Content Builder Content Builder Experience

Feature New Tools

Subscribers: Welcome Emails from a List

Subscribers: Send Option from Lists, Data Extensions, Groups

Upload Images: Ability to Overwrite Images

Upload Images: Predictable Image URLs

Table 6: Playbooks
Feature New Tools
Playbook Campaign - Content Builder Emails

Table 7: Reports
Feature New Tools
Custom reports - email-specific content

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CONTENT BUILDER IMPLEMENTATION BEST PRACTICES

Review best practices when migrating from classic tools to Content Builder.

Content Builder Import Best Practices

Review these tips to help guide you through importing classic content into Content Builder.
As you get started, any emails you created with the new editor automatically appear in Content Builder. Select which classic content
you would like to import over to the new tools. You can import content from your Portfolio, My Contents, My Templates, My Documents,
and My Images folders, and their Shared counterparts, using our import process. Here are tips to help guide you through the import
process.
1. Each piece of content can only be imported once.
To prevent importing duplicate copies of content, Content Builder only imports content items from the classic Email Studio tools
one at a time. However, if a content item is deleted, it can be reimported from the classic tools later.

2. Consider how you want to create your folder structure before starting the import process.
Content Builder allows any content to be stored in any folder. That means you can place all your images, content blocks, templates,
and emails in a single folder. Shared content can also be integrated into the same folders as non-shared content. You have the
flexibility to structure your folders the way you want them, rather than being forced to use separate folder hierarchies.

3. Think Cross-Channel.
Integrated into Journey Builder, CloudPages, and mobile applications, Content Builder allows for a single piece of content to be used
across channels, breaking down organizational silos and enabling you to speak to your customers with one voice across all channels.
As you strategize how to best structure your folders, consider where content designed for individual channels is located.

4. Import shared content into Content Builder.

You can import shared folders into Content Builder. Any business unit the content has been shared with can perform the import.
Once imported, the person or business unit who imported the content within a particular shared folder is the owner of all content
in the folder. All business units who could access the file retain access. The shared content's permissions remain the same as they
were in the classic Email Studio tools. They can now be accessed in the Shared field on the content's Properties pane. Folder sharing
settings are combined with the content sharing settings. You no longer verify whether both the folder and the content have the
proper sharing settings.

5. Optimize your content for search.

Content Builder provides a robust search tool to cut down on time locating your content. As you create your folder structure and
import and create your content, use a naming convention that maps to how others search for content. This naming helps as team
members join your team after the content was created and are not familiar with the folder structure.

6. Only import content as you need it.

While it is possible to import all content at once, we recommend that you import few folders at a time. Import only the content you
plan to reuse in the new editor. Take this opportunity to get rid of content that isn’t valuable to your customers. You can complete
as many imports as you would like over time, so it is not a one-time function. We do not have a timetable for how long this import
option is available.

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Content Builder Implementation Best Practices Content Builder Import Best Practices

Note: If you want to import your folder structure from the classic Email Studio tools, choose to import with the Folders and
Content option. Folders are created beneath the Content Builder root folder to match your folder structure in the classic Email
Studio tools. However, any content can now be stored in any folder. If you import over your classic Shared Portfolio folder,
users can add templates and emails to this folder. You don’t have to share them. We strongly recommend creating a folder
structure that is campaign-based, rather than one based on file type.

7. Choose the right import option.

When importing content into Content Builder, you have two options: Import Folders and Content, and Import Content Only. In either
option, you are able to complete multiple imports, so you can bring over content as needed in the account.
a. Importing folders and content lets you to maintain your Email Studio folder structure. However, content inside your Portfolio,
My Contents, My Images, and My Documents are merged into the All Content folder in Content Builder. Any identically named
child folder underneath those four legacy folders is merged into a single folder of that name. For example, if you have folders
called Portfolio > Summer and My Contents > Summer, your content in Portfolio and My Contents appears in All Content, while
your content in both Summer folders appears in a single Summer folder beneath All Content.
b. If you want to have more control over which content is sent to which destination folder, Importing Content Only is the best
option. Users can choose one or more folders from their Email Studio folder structure to be placed in an individual folder created
in Content Builder. No folder structure is imported with this option. The content from the selected Email Studio folders is placed
in a single Content Builder folder. Users with permission to Create, Rename, and Move Content Builder destination folders from
the Import Assistant.

8. You can create Content Builder emails using classic emails as a starting point.
While you can’t import classic emails into Content Builder, you can use a classic email as a starting point for an email in the Content
Builder editor. To edit a classic email in the new editor, click Create, Email Message, then select Existing Email from the Create
Email dropdown and select the email from the Classic Emails tab. This process saves the email in Content Builder. You can use the
new email send flow to schedule the message for delivery. Your original emails in the classic tools are unaffected and remain available
for use.

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