Test and export your Canva Email

Before sending your Canva Email to your audience, it’s a good idea to preview how it looks, and choose how you want to export it for use with your preferred email platform.

Preview your design with a test email

Email designs can display differently depending on the platform or device (e.g., Gmail vs. Outlook, mobile vs. desktop). Send yourself a test email to catch broken links, layout issues, or formatting errors before it lands in inboxes.

Pro tip: Test your email on at least one desktop and one mobile device. This gives you a more accurate view of how your audience will experience your email.

Select
Send test email to check how the design will look.
- Note: Test emails can only be sent to your Canva login email address.
Select the
Preview button to check how the email renders on desktop and mobile.
Enter a subject line and add an email address to send it to.
Open your inbox and look for the preview email from no-reply@preview.canva.email.
- If you don’t see it, check your spam or junk folder.

Export your Canva Email

If you’re sending via Gmail, Canva can open your design directly in a Gmail draft, no export needed. Learn more about this in Send Canva Email via Gmail.

If you’re sending with an Email Service Provider (ESP), you can either:

Copy the HTML code directly, or
Download a ZIP file containing the HTML and image asset

When to use Copy HTML vs Download as HTML

Use Copy HTML if your ESP:

Has a code editor, and
Allows you to paste raw HTML directly.

Use Download (HTML and images) if your ESP:

Requires you to upload an HTML file, and
Needs a folder that includes both the HTML file and its image assets.

Copy your Canva Email’s HTML code

If your email platform allows you to paste raw HTML directly, you can copy your email’s code instead of downloading a ZIP file.

From the editor, select Share.
Select Copy HTML.
After the HTML is generated, select Copy to clipboard.
Open your email platform.
Create a new campaign or email.
Switch to the platform’s HTML editor or Code view.
Paste the copied HTML code.
Preview and send a test email before publishing.

I can’t find my HTML/Code editor

If you can’t find where to paste your code, you’re probably in your platform’s visual editor. Switch to the HTML or Code view instead.

In your email platform, look for the HTML editor, it may be labeled as:

Code editor
HTML editor
Source
Code view
Custom HTML
Code your own

It is usually found when creating a new campaign, selecting a template or choosing a Custom HTML or Code-based template instead of a visual template.

Open the HTML editor.
Delete any existing placeholder code.
Paste the copied HTML.

Download your Canva-designed email as HTML

Download the ZIP file (HTML and images)

After sending a test email, you can download your Canva-designed email as a ZIP file containing an HTML file and image assets. This is helpful when uploading your email to platforms like Mailchimp, or custom Email Service Providers (ESPs).

Select the Share button, then select Download.
- If your email design has layout problems, missing links, or font issues, fix them before proceeding.
Under File type, select HTML and images.
Select Download to save the ZIP file to your computer or device.

Important:

If you open the HTML file directly from inside the ZIP, the images won’t load because the browser cannot access the linked image files while they’re still compressed.

ZIP files act as containers, and most browsers are unable to read internal image paths unless the contents are fully extracted.

Pro tip: Always extract the ZIP first to ensure the email renders as intended, with all images visible.

Check the exported file

Open the downloaded ZIP file to check for layout issues, broken links, or missing assets, before uploading it to your email platform.

This is currently available in Desktop only.

Locate the ZIP file you downloaded from Canva.
Right-click and select “Extract” or “Unzip”.
Double-click the .html file from the extracted folder to open it in your default web browser. This gives you a local preview of how your email will look.
Check for:
- Correct image placement
- Functional links (they should open the correct destination)
- Consistent fonts and spacing
- Overall responsiveness and layout

Once your email is tested and exported, it’s time to send it out using your preferred email platform.

Next step: Send Canva Email via email platforms

FAQs

Why does my email design export as one long image?

Design elements like banners, grouped graphics, or text saved as part of an image will export as a single flat image.To avoid this, build your design using text boxes, frames, and layout blocks that ESPs can interpret as HTML.

Will my font carry over when I export?

Only email-safe fonts are preserved. Non-email-safe fonts may render differently across email clients or be replaced by fallback fonts. Canva will show a warning if a non-supported font is used. Always test your exported email in different email clients before sending.

Why don’t I see images when I open the HTML file on my computer?

If you open the HTML file directly from inside the ZIP folder, your browser won’t be able to find and load the images, so they won’t show up. To fix this:

Unzip the file: Right-click and select “Extract” or “Unzip”.
Open the HTML file from the unzipped folder. Your images should display correctly.

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