How to use Draftship with Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM's email templates accept pasted HTML in raw mode. Wire merge fields against leads or contacts, then send via SalesIQ or hand off to Zoho Campaigns for bulk.
Zoho CRM is the email surface for sales reps inside the broader Zoho One suite. For bulk marketing, the path is Zoho Campaigns. Templates in CRM are reusable across Mass Email, individual sends, and workflow automations. The HTML editor accepts pasted Draftship exports cleanly.
Where Zoho CRM accepts pasted HTML
From the CRM: Setup → Customization → Templates → Email Templates → Create Email Template. In the editor, click Insert HTML to switch to raw HTML mode. Paste your Draftship export.
Merge field syntax
Zoho CRM uses dollar-curly-brace merge syntax with module names.
| Draftship | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|
{{ first_name }} | ${Leads.First Name} (or ${Contacts.First Name}) |
{{ last_name }} | ${Leads.Last Name} |
{{ email }} | ${Leads.Email} |
{{ company }} | ${Leads.Company} (or ${Accounts.Account Name}) |
| Deal name | ${Deals.Deal Name} |
| Owner | ${User.First Name} |
The merge picker in Zoho's editor lets you click to insert from the current module's fields. Field names are exact strings from your CRM customization, including spaces.
Mass Email and the Email Opt-Out field
Zoho CRM's Mass Email feature sends a template to a list view. It respects the Email Opt Out field and excludes opted-out recipients automatically. Workflow rules can also send templates as part of automations.
Image hosting
Zoho's media library exists at the CRM template level. Upload there for hosted CDN URLs in the Zoho subdomain. External URLs work but aren't auto-mirrored.
What Zoho does to your HTML
The HTML mode preserves pasted markup. Two things to know:
- Zoho injects a tracking pixel for opens (configurable per template).
- The CRM composer wraps your HTML in a basic shell when the rep clicks Send Email. The wrap is minimal but check rendering.
- Custom CSS in
<style>blocks survives.
Test send checklist
- Send to yourself from a real lead or contact record.
- Run the size checker on the output.
- Confirm merge fields resolve against the test record.
- Verify Email Opt Out filtering when running Mass Email.
Zoho CRM vs Zoho Campaigns
- CRM templates: 1:1 sales, Mass Email to small lists, workflow-triggered sends.
- Campaigns: bulk marketing, segmentation, A/B, nurture.
Build for the right tool. Zoho CRM templates can be exported and re-imported in Campaigns, but the merge syntax differs slightly. Plan once.
For broader compliance context, see Email merge tag fallbacks.