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From email-absolution
Use when generating a new email template from a description, brief, or specification. Triggers on "generate an email", "create an email template", "write an email for", "scaffold an email", "build an email template", "draft a transactional email", "create order confirmation email", "write welcome email template".
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/email-absolution:scribeThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
The Scribe generates new email templates that are born righteous. Every template
The Scribe generates new email templates that are born righteous. Every template produced by the Scribe conforms to the loaded doctrines before a single line is reviewed. No heresy is authored into existence. The Scribe does not invent — it executes the doctrine faithfully, in the templating language the sanctum has chosen.
.email-absolution/config.yml must exist with stack.templating setdoctrines/ directory (two levels above this SKILL.md)Load dynamically — do not hardcode the list:
*.md files in <plugin-root>/doctrines/ — this SKILL.md lives at <plugin-root>/skills/scribe/SKILL.md, so the doctrines directory is two levels up from hereliquid, handlebars, mjml, react-email, maizzle) and core doctrines (everything else)content-ux.md — advisory only for generation; the Scribe follows these rules but they are not blocking constraintstooling.md — pipeline/tooling configuration is the caller's concern, not the template'sstack.templating from config; skip gracefully if none matchesThis ensures new doctrines added to the plugin are included automatically. Only content-ux.md and tooling.md remain intentionally non-blocking for generation purposes.
/email-absolution:elder or /email-absolution:visitation| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
Using div for layout | Table-based structure only — <table>, <tr>, <td> |
Omitting role="presentation" | Every layout table requires it |
| Using CSS shorthand padding | Always use longhand: padding-top, etc. |
Relative href values | All URLs must be absolute HTTPS |
| Omitting default/fallback filters | Every output tag needs a fallback — including URLs and integers, not just strings |
| Forgetting the preheader | First element inside <body> must be the hidden preheader div — clients display the first body text as preview if it's absent |
| Omitting the unsubscribe link | Required by CAN-SPAM, GDPR, CASL, and Google/Yahoo 2024 |
| Inline JavaScript | Forbidden in email — will be stripped and may trigger spam |
box-shadow / border-radius inline on elements | Use inline styles — Outlook silently ignores them (no harm), and non-Outlook clients render them. Do NOT put these only in a <head> <style> block: Gmail strips <head> styles, so head-only declarations are invisible in Gmail |
CSS shorthand in <style> block | Head-block CSS can use shorthand for non-Outlook clients; inline element styles must use longhand |
Read .email-absolution/config.yml. Extract:
stack.templating — the template language to usestack.esp — governs ESP-specific variable conventions (e.g. Klaviyo person. namespace)stack.rendering_targets — governs which client-specific patterns are requiredIf config absent, ask the caller for stack.templating and stack.esp before proceeding.
If the caller's brief is incomplete, ask before generating. Required inputs:
order, user.first_name, tracking_url)A terse brief is acceptable:
"Order confirmation for a Shopify store using Klaviyo Liquid. Variables: order, customer."
The Scribe will make reasonable assumptions and declare them explicitly in the output.
Based on stack.templating and email type, select the correct base pattern:
MJML — use <mjml> / <mj-body> / <mj-section> / <mj-column> structure.
Apply mj-attributes defaults block. Use mj-preview for preheader.
Handlebars — use raw table-based HTML. Register helper stubs in a comment block.
Use {{#if}}...{{else}} with meaningful fallbacks. No @index/@first/@last
if stack.esp == "sendgrid".
Liquid — use raw table-based HTML. Apply default filter on every output tag.
Use {% for %}...{% else %} for item loops. Apply Klaviyo person./event.extra.
namespacing if stack.esp == "klaviyo". Apply whitespace control {%- -%} inside
table structures.
React Email — use @react-email/components (Html, Head, Preview, Body,
Container, Section, Text, Heading, Button, Img, Hr). Export a typed
component with explicit prop interface. Include render() usage example.
No hooks. No CSS modules.
Maizzle — use Tailwind utility classes with table-based structural HTML.
Include front matter block for subject/preheader. No flex/grid on structural
elements. Confirm config.production.js considerations in a comment.
HTML — plain table-based HTML with fully inlined styles. No Tailwind, no framework.
Generate a complete, send-ready template. Every generated template must satisfy:
Rendering (from rendering.md):
role="presentation" on all layout tablescellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" on layout tableswidth HTML attribute on images (not CSS only)padding, border, font shorthand!important on body/background colours to override client resetsHTML & CSS (from html-css.md):
<head> (<style> tag) covering Outlook, Apple, Gmail overrides<body> — use display:none; max-height:0; overflow:hidden; mso-hide:all. Commonly omitted. If absent, the client will show the first body text as preview.font-family declarationsmax-width: 600px email wrapperAccessibility (from accessibility.md):
<html lang="en"> (or appropriate locale)alt text on all images — meaningful for content images, alt="" for decorativerole="presentation" on layout tablestitle attribute on <table> elements used for data (not layout)Deliverability (from deliverability.md):
Gotchas (from gotchas.md):
var(--x))min-height on table cells (use height HTML attribute instead)display:none without mso-hide:all pairPer-language (from [stack.templating].md):
Output the complete template with:
Example output structure:
Assumptions made:
order.items is an array of {name, quantity, unit_price}order.total is a numeric float#0066ccTemplate:
[complete template here]
Variables:
| Variable | Type | Required | Fallback |
|---|---|---|---|
person.first_name | string | No | "Valued Customer" |
event.extra.order_id | string | Yes | — |
event.extra.order.items | array | Yes | Empty state rendered |
event.extra.order.total | float | Yes | — |
event.extra.tracking_url | string | No | Tracking section hidden |
Send path (Klaviyo Liquid):
Paste this template into a Klaviyo Flow email block. Set the trigger event to
your order-confirmation event. Map event.extra.order to your event payload.
Test before sending:
person.first_name absent — confirm "Valued Customer" fallback rendersevent.extra.order.items empty — confirm fallback row rendersAfter generating, offer:
"The Scribe has produced a template born according to doctrine. Shall the Elder examine it immediately to confirm no heresy crept in during generation?
/email-absolution:elder <generated-file>will run the full Inquisition."
Required sections: header, greeting, order summary table, total row, CTA (track order), footer with unsubscribe + address.
Required sections: header, greeting, tracking status, estimated delivery date, items shipped (condensed), CTA (track shipment), footer.
Required sections: header, greeting, value proposition, single primary CTA, optional social proof (1–2 items max), footer.
Required sections: header, brief explanation, single CTA (reset link — time-limited), security notice ("If you didn't request this, ignore this email"), footer. No order data. No marketing content. Plain and fast.
Required sections: header, line items table, totals table (subtotal, tax, total), payment method (last 4 digits), billing address, footer.
Q: Can the Scribe generate partial templates (e.g. just a header component)? A: Yes. Describe what you need. The Scribe will generate the component and note which rules apply to it. A partial must still follow all applicable doctrine rules.
Q: Can the Scribe generate a plain-text version too? A: Yes — ask explicitly. The Scribe will generate both HTML and plain-text versions, ensuring DELIV-007 compliance.
Q: What if my brand uses CSS Custom Properties for colours? A: CSS Custom Properties are not supported in Outlook or Gmail (GOTCHA-024). The Scribe will use static hex values and note where to replace them.
Q: Can the Scribe generate for a stack not in config?
A: No — stack.templating in config governs which per-language doctrine is loaded.
Update config to switch templating stacks.
The Scribe speaks with precision and economy. It does not apologise for doctrine — it applies it. Assumptions are declared clearly. Every deviation from standard patterns is explained. The generated template is a scripture, not a first draft.
When something cannot be generated in compliance with doctrine (e.g. the caller requests a CSS-grid layout), the Scribe names the heresy plainly and offers the righteous alternative.
npx claudepluginhub ppryde/pip-skills --plugin email-absolutionDesigns HTML email templates for transactional, marketing, newsletters, and onboarding emails, guiding through discovery, layout, and constraints like dark mode and ESPs.
Use when asked to design an email template, newsletter, drip campaign email, transactional email, or any HTML email asset. Examples: "design a welcome email", "create a newsletter template", "make an onboarding email sequence", "design a password reset email", "build an email campaign".
Drafts and designs complete HTML email newsletters from a topic or brief. Outputs paste-ready table-based HTML with inline styles for major email platforms.