If your Litmus account is a mess of half-named emails, random tests, and a dozen versions of the same template, you’re not alone. Most teams start out with the best intentions—then a campaign (or five) later, it’s chaos. Organizing your email assets in Litmus isn’t glamorous, but if you want to save your future self hours of hunting for “final_final_v4.html,” you need a system. This guide is for anyone who wants practical, no-nonsense advice on using folders and tags in Litmus to keep things tidy (and avoid meltdowns before deadlines).
Why Bother Organizing? (It’s Not Just About Being Tidy)
Let’s be real: searching for files sucks, especially when you’re under pressure. A loose approach to organizing your Litmus assets might work for a while, but eventually you’ll:
- Waste time digging for the latest version of an email
- Accidentally use the wrong template or test
- Make embarrassing mistakes because old assets get mixed in
A little upfront work setting up folders and tags saves you hours later and keeps your team on the same page. It’s not about creating an elaborate system—it’s about making things findable and reducing stress.
Step 1: Know What You Can Organize in Litmus
Before diving in, let’s clarify what you’re actually organizing. In Litmus, the main “assets” are:
- Emails (drafts, tests, proofs, and published versions)
- Folders (for grouping emails)
- Tags (labels you can add to emails for flexible sorting)
You can create folders and tags in the “Emails” section. That’s where all the action happens. There’s no magic, but once you get the hang of these tools, you’ll move faster.
Step 2: Set Up a Folder Structure That Makes Sense (Don’t Overthink It)
Folders in Litmus are like regular desktop folders: they’re for broad, stable categories. Here’s what doesn’t work: having a folder for every single campaign or splitting things up so much you forget what’s where.
What works: - Organize by type (Newsletters, Campaigns, Templates) - Or by function (Drafts, Proofs, Final) - Or by date (2024, 2023, etc.) if you have lots of legacy stuff
What doesn’t: - Nested folders five levels deep (no one will remember) - Folders with one or two emails (just clutters things up) - Re-creating your entire marketing plan in folder form
Example Folder Setups
Simple Team Example: - Newsletters - Promotions - Transactional - Templates
Agency Example: - [Client Name] – Newsletters - [Client Name] – Campaigns - [Client Name] – Templates
Don’t get fancy. If you’re not sure, start broad. You can always split folders later, but merging is a pain.
Step 3: Put Folders to Use
Once you’ve set up folders, move your existing emails into them. In Litmus, just drag and drop, or use the “Move to folder” option. If you have a backlog of random emails, don’t stress about sorting everything perfectly—just organize what you actually use.
Pro tip: Archive or delete obvious junk or duplicates as you go. You’ll thank yourself later.
Step 4: Use Tags for Flexible Sorting
Folders are great for structure, but tags are where the real power is. Tags let you label emails with anything—from campaign names to status (“QA,” “Ready to Send,” “Holiday 2024”). Unlike folders, you can add multiple tags to a single email.
This is where you avoid the “which folder does this belong in?” headache.
Good Uses for Tags
- Status: Draft, QA, Approved, Needs Revision
- Campaign/Theme: Black Friday, Spring Sale, Welcome Series
- Audience: B2B, B2C, Internal, VIP
- Channel: Marketing, Transactional, Product Updates
What to ignore: Don’t use tags for stuff already covered by folders (like “Newsletter” if you already have a Newsletter folder).
Step 5: Apply Tags to Existing and New Emails
Tags are easy to add in Litmus—just open an email, find the tag field, and type in what you need. If you’re cleaning up, batch-select emails and apply tags all at once.
Honest take: It’s tempting to go wild and tag everything with a dozen labels. Resist. Stick to what helps you find things fast.
Pro tip: Write down (somewhere visible) the tags your team should use. Otherwise, you’ll end up with “QA,” “qa,” and “QualityCheck” all meaning the same thing. Consistency beats creativity here.
Step 6: Make Search and Filtering Work for You
Once you’ve got folders and tags going, searching in Litmus gets way easier. You can filter by tag, folder, or both, so you don’t have to scroll through hundreds of old campaigns.
Typical workflows: - See “all emails tagged ‘Black Friday’ in the Promotions folder” - Filter for “Approved” emails only - Quickly find all “Welcome Series” drafts, regardless of folder
If you work with a team, make sure everyone knows how to use these filters. Don’t assume—it’s worth a two-minute walkthrough.
Step 7: Keep It (Relatively) Clean Over Time
Honestly, even the best systems get messy. The trick is not to aim for “perfect,” but to do a little maintenance:
- Delete/archive old test emails every month or quarter
- Merge duplicate tags when you spot them
- Rename folders if your needs change
- When in doubt, ask: does this make finding things faster?
Don’t turn it into a project management nightmare. The goal is to spend less time organizing, not more.
A Few Things That Don’t Matter (Much)
Litmus gives you the tools, but it’s easy to get hung up on details that don’t make much difference:
- Exact naming conventions: Don’t lose sleep over “2024_SpringSale” vs “Spring_Sale_2024.” Just pick something and stick with it.
- Color-coding or emoji folders: Fun, but not necessary.
- Documenting every move: Unless you’re running a huge team, a simple “How We Organize” note is enough.
Focus on what helps you get your real work done.
Troubleshooting: When Things Go Sideways
- Folders or tags are a mess? Spend 10 minutes cleaning the highest-traffic areas. Don’t try to fix everything at once.
- Too many similar tags? Consolidate and delete. Litmus doesn’t merge tags automatically.
- Can’t find something? Use the global search bar—sometimes it’s easier than digging through folders.
- Team not following the system? Show them the benefits, not the rules. People follow what saves them time.
Wrapping Up: Start Simple, Iterate Later
You don’t need a fancy system—just one that works for you and your team. Set up a few folders, pick a handful of useful tags, and start from there. If things get cluttered, tweak your setup. The biggest win is being able to find what you need, fast.
If you’re feeling stuck, remember: even a half-decent system beats digital chaos. Keep it simple, and let the tools do the heavy lifting.