Templates Not Loading in Gmail? Here’s the Fix!

Templates not loading in Gmail? Been there! This has been one of the major bugs that causes a lot of timesink. 

Some of the most frequently reported challenges include:

• The white wall issue. Upon clicking on Templates in Gmail, templates don’t load, showing a white pop-up instead.
  
• Browser incompatibility, with Edge being notably difficult.
  
• Templates imported from your CRM are not insertable into a new email. 

If you are facing any of the above, or other issues while trying to load templates in Gmail, this post is for you. 

1. The White Box Issue

The white wall issue, where instead of templates a white pop-up is displayed, can be due to a number of reasons: 

• Lapsed extension: Remove and re-install your CRM extension. Having the most up-to-date extension is crucial.
• Check for updates: In many cases, the issue has been traced to vendor-side snags. Raise it to the support team, and request them to verify your suspicion. Back-end software updates can cause such troubles.
• Browser cache: Clear browser cache, and check if the problem persists. 
  
• Multiple extensions: Other extensions might be the culprit. So, try opening the Templates option incognito. 

If multiple extensions are trying to modify a single interface, their codes can clash, triggering a functionality hitch. 

2. Browser Incompatibility

Many users have reported successful loading in Chrome, but not in Microsoft Edge. Two potential reasons stand out:

• Chrome continues to enjoy a bigger market share than Edge, leading to extension developers prioritizing development and testing for Chrome, not Edge. Your ESP may just have done the same thing, which you’ll want to verify.
  
• While both Chrome and Edge are based on Chromium, there can be differences in how they apply browser APIs.
  

Verify with your ESP if they have a dedicated Edge extension yet. If not, you should consider switching to Chrome. 

Keep checking with your platform’s day-to-day service updates. If you prefer Edge, submit feedback on the platform’s community forum or support channels. There have been instances where user requests have led companies to introduce new features. 

3. Templates Not Insertable 

Another frequent challenge is where you cannot insert templates from a contact record into Gmail. The templates are at least accessible, though, the problem arises when you’re composing an email directly from the contact record. 

Possible reasons for this may include the following: 

• Integration issues: The integration between your CRM, email composition tools, and templates might have glitches.
  
• Permission issues: User permission may be limited. You might have general access to templates, but you’re not allowed to use them inside a specific contact record in the CRM.
  
• Data discrepancy: Incorrect data might cause hindrance to the template insertion process.
  
• Code issues: As templates are accessible from the library, there could be coding errors within the template. 

First and foremost, check if you have the necessary permissions. 

Second, verify if the issue persists with all the contacts or is limited to just one contact. If it’s the latter, there must be some data issues. But if the problem recurs across all contacts, you may have a larger integration issue on your hand. 

You may also want to test the functionality in a different browser. Review the template code as well. One other possible fix could be trying to do the insertion using a simple template. This may reveal whether the issue is caused by the complexity of the template itself. 

If none of these leads you to the source of the problem, do flag it to your ESP’s support team. 

Related post: Pre-made Email Templates: Tools, Examples, & Tips

4. Missing Personalization Tokens

Sometimes, templates won’t load if you haven’t imported contacts in the first place. Your ESP then may interpret the tokens as code, and not load the template. 

So, if there’s no data to reference, the templates may not load with just the relevant placeholders in order. Make sure you have imported all the contact records so that your ESP can populate the personalization tokens. This is basic, but users often miss this.

5. Broken Images

Even when templates did load successfully, users have encountered broken images inside templates. 

In fact, sometimes the images appear as separate file attachments. 

The problem typically occurs during the sending process. Consider the following recommendations: 

• Verify if the image links are correct and working properly. 
• You may want to simplify your templates. 
• Explore alternative image hosting solutions. 
• Go through email client settings before sending the email. 

If none of the above works, consult your ESP’s support team.

Related post: Image-only vs Image-also: Email’s Image Issues In Focus

Key Takeaways

Whenever you face template loading issues in Gmail, consider the following best practices before raising a ticket:

• Update your browser to the latest version. 
• Sign out and clear your browser cache, and sign in again. 
• Disable all browser extensions and restart the browser.
• Test on another ESP-supported browser.
• Antivirus applications can disrupt Gmail functionality. Test by disabling virus checkers if the issue persists.
• Consider loading templates from a proxy Gmail account. 
• Try loading templates on another device. 
• Consider resetting Chrome settings, and check again. 
• Run a malware scan to check if other programs are interfering with Chrome.
• Try loading templates in Guest mode or Incognito mode. 

Speaking of templates, with our design, coding, and testing, all pre-send and post-send client snags are taken care of from the get-go. With expertise in over 50+ ESPs, and all templates tried and tested across 40+ email clients, we ensure a fail-proof post-delivery experience for your subscribers. For all design and coding needs, get in touch with our design and dev team.