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Troubleshoot HTML Email Template Issues

While Divi Form Builder’s HTML email templates are self-managed by customers, we can suggest a few debugging steps to help resolve common formatting problems. One proven fix is to minify the HTML before pasting it into your form settings.

Why Minify HTML?​

When WordPress processes HTML, it may insert extra whitespace or convert line breaks into escaped tags (e.g. </br>), breaking your layout.

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Minifying HTML removes unnecessary whitespace and line breaks, ensuring that your email template stays intact when saved.

Step-by-Step: Minify Your HTML​

  1. Copy your raw HTML.

    • In your favorite code editor, select all of the HTML you’ve built for your template.

  2. Use an HTML minifier tool.

    • Open an online minifier (e.g., HTML Minifier or similar).
    • Paste your HTML into the input field.
    • Enable options like “Remove comments,” “Collapse whitespace,” and “Minify inline CSS.”
    • Click Minify.

  3. Copy the minified output.

    • The tool will produce a single-line (or tightly-packed) version of your HTML.
    • Copy this cleaned-up code.

  4. Paste into Divi Form Builder.

    • In your form’s Email settings, locate the HTML Template field.
    • Replace the existing content with your minified HTML.
    • Save the form and send a test email to verify layout.

Common Symptom: </br> in Output​

  • Cause: WordPress filters sometimes escape closing <br> tags when HTML contains new lines.
  • Impact: Instead of a line break, the email shows the literal string &lt;/br&gt;.
  • Resolution: Minification removes raw line breaks so WordPress cannot misinterpret them.

Need More Help? Try Divi Email Template Buddy​

We’ve built a custom GPT to assist with HTML email templates—automatically troubleshooting and even generating starter code:

Use this sidekick to get instant feedback on your HTML, spot broken tags, and generate email-ready templates in seconds!

Divi Email Template Buddy GPT

Troubleshooting Checklist​

  • HTML has been minified (no line breaks).
  • No unescaped <br> or other tags.
  • Test email renders correctly in at least two email clients.
  • Consider using the Divi Email Template Buddy for advanced checks.