# Wrap Emails in a Template File From Your Theme

> Wraps every plain-text WordPress email in an HTML template file stored in your theme, so designers can edit the email layout like any other template.

- Type: PHP
- Runs: Run everywhere
- Category: [Email](https://wpide.com/library/category/email/)
- Tags: email, html, templates
- Author: WPIDE Team
- Installs: 0
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Page: https://wpide.com/library/email-theme-template-file/

## Code

```php
add_filter( 'wp_mail', function ( $atts ) {
    $template = locate_template( 'emails/wrapper.php' );
    $headers  = is_array( $atts['headers'] ) ? implode( "\n", $atts['headers'] ) : (string) $atts['headers'];

    if ( ! $template || false !== stripos( $headers, 'text/html' ) || preg_match( '/<(html|body|p|div|table)\b/i', (string) $atts['message'] ) ) {
        return $atts;
    }

    $subject = wp_strip_all_tags( (string) $atts['subject'] );
    $content = make_clickable( nl2br( esc_html( (string) $atts['message'] ) ) );

    ob_start();
    include $template;
    $html = trim( (string) ob_get_clean() );

    if ( '' === $html ) {
        return $atts;
    }

    $atts['message'] = $html;
    $type            = 'Content-Type: text/html; charset=' . get_bloginfo( 'charset' );

    if ( is_array( $atts['headers'] ) ) {
        $atts['headers'][] = $type;
    } else {
        $atts['headers'] = trim( $headers . "\n" . $type );
    }

    return $atts;
}, 20 );
```

## Notes

Create emails/wrapper.php in your (child) theme using $content (safe HTML) and $subject; without the file emails are unchanged, and do not combine it with another HTML wrapper snippet.

## How to use it

Install the free WPIDE plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/), find "Wrap Emails in a Template File From Your Theme" in its snippet library and add it in one click; or create a new PHP snippet in WPIDE (or any code snippets plugin) and paste the code above. More snippets: https://wpide.com/library/