How do embedded interactive forms or AMP in email impact deliverability?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 29 Jun 2025
Updated 19 Aug 2025
7 min read
Email marketing continues to evolve, and one of the most exciting recent developments is the incorporation of interactive elements directly within emails. This includes embedded forms, quizzes, surveys, and the broader implementation of AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) for email. These features promise a richer user experience, potentially leading to higher engagement and conversions by reducing friction and keeping recipients within their inbox.
However, with new technologies come new questions, particularly regarding email deliverability. Will adding complex, interactive elements impact whether your messages land in the inbox or get flagged as spam? This is a crucial consideration for any sender looking to leverage these advanced capabilities without compromising their sender reputation.
Traditional HTML forms versus deliverability
Before AMP, attempts to embed traditional HTML forms (using the FORM tag) directly into email bodies were largely ill-advised. Most email clients either didn't support the functionality, leading to a broken or unusable experience for recipients, or, more critically, security filters would view them with extreme suspicion. This often resulted in emails being sent straight to the spam folder or being outright blocked.
The primary concern with conventional HTML forms in email is security. Mailbox providers (MBPs) like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook are vigilant about phishing attempts. A form that solicits data directly within an email can easily be mimicked by malicious actors, making it a red flag for spam filters, which might lead to your emails being placed on a blacklist (or blocklist).
Instead of embedding a full HTML form, the standard and safer practice has been to use calls to action that link to an external landing page where the form is hosted. For pre-filled information, passing data as URL parameters to a landing page is a common and secure method. This approach ensures that personal identifiable information (PII) is handled securely on your server, not within the email itself, mitigating privacy concerns and avoiding spam flags. Discover more about how landing pages impact deliverability.
The rise of AMP for email
AMP for Email (officially AMPHTML) represents a significant leap forward. It allows for rich, interactive experiences similar to a webpage, directly within the email client. This technology supports dynamic content, live updates, carousels, and, crucially, embedded forms that users can interact with and submit without leaving their inbox. This frictionless interaction can lead to greatly higher engagement rates.
AMP emails are delivered as a third MIME type alongside the traditional HTML and plain text versions. This means that if an email client does not support AMPHTML, the recipient will simply see the HTML fallback version of the email, ensuring a consistent experience across all clients. Major providers supporting AMP for Email include Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Mail.ru. If you're wondering who else uses AMP in email, it's a growing list.
The framework of AMPHTML is designed to be highly secure and parseable. This inherent structure means that AMP messages are, in theory, easier for email filters to understand and process compared to custom or malformed HTML. This can potentially reduce the chances of being blocked on general principles, such as containing a form that might otherwise be deemed suspicious.
Deliverability and AMP: The direct impact
In general, AMP for Email does not have a significant direct negative impact on deliverability. According to some reports, AMP emails should not have a substantial impact on email deliverability. However, it is crucial to understand that deliverability is primarily driven by sender reputation, which is influenced by factors like sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), email content quality, and recipient engagement. If you are a sender with a poor reputation, even the most perfectly coded AMP email might struggle to reach the inbox. Conversely, if you have a strong sender reputation, AMP emails can enhance your email program.
One of the most notable benefits of AMP (and interactive elements in general) is the potential to increase recipient engagement. When users can interact directly within the email—filling out a survey, RSVPing to an event, or browsing a product catalog—they are more likely to spend time with your email and take action. This increased engagement sends positive signals to MBPs, which can, in turn, boost your overall sender reputation and improve inbox placement over time. For example, AWeber reported a 225% increase in engagement using AMP.
While AMP itself is unlikely to trigger spam filters directly, poor implementation or misuse can still negatively impact deliverability. Issues such as malformed AMPHTML, excessive code complexity, or reliance solely on interactive elements without a solid HTML fallback can lead to rendering issues and a negative user experience. This can increase complaints or reduce engagement, which indirectly harms your sender reputation. It's important to understand whether AMP code can cause spam placement, particularly with non-AMP supporting clients.
Best practices and key considerations
To ensure that interactive forms and AMP emails positively impact your deliverability, adhering to best practices is crucial. Here are some key considerations:
HTML fallback version
Always provide a well-designed, functional HTML fallback for recipients whose email clients don't support AMP. This ensures everyone has a good experience and reinforces positive engagement. This is critical for maintain a good sender reputation.
Optimized content
Keep your AMP and HTML versions as lean as possible. Large file sizes can increase load times and may be viewed negatively by MBPs. Be mindful of how images affect deliverability too.
Test thoroughly
Before sending to your full list, perform extensive testing to ensure your interactive elements render correctly across various email clients and devices. Validate your AMPHTML to catch any errors that could lead to deliverability issues.
Monitor engagement
Track key engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates for your interactive emails. Positive engagement signals contribute significantly to your sender reputation and inbox placement. If you observe a drop in engagement, it's a sign to reassess your strategy and understand why your emails are failing.
While AMP offers exciting possibilities for email marketing, it's not a magic bullet for deliverability. Its primary impact is often indirect, stemming from increased engagement rather than direct algorithmic boosts. MBPs prioritize user experience. If interactive elements lead to a more valuable experience for your recipients, your deliverability will likely benefit. However, neglecting fundamental email best practices, like sending relevant content to engaged subscribers and maintaining a healthy sender reputation, will quickly negate any potential gains from interactivity. For a deeper dive into deliverability, explore technical solutions for top performing senders.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Ensure your HTML fallback version is robust and provides a clear path to engagement for recipients using non-AMP supporting clients.
Prioritize user experience above all else; a poor interactive experience will lead to negative engagement signals and harm your sender reputation.
Regularly monitor your email deliverability metrics and feedback loops to quickly identify and address any issues related to interactive content.
Segment your audience to send AMP emails only to those using supported clients, while sending standard HTML to others.
Common pitfalls
Embedding traditional HTML FORM tags directly into emails, which can trigger spam filters and cause display issues.
Neglecting the HTML fallback, leading to a broken experience for a significant portion of your audience and increased complaints.
Overly complex AMP designs that increase email load times or cause rendering inconsistencies.
Assuming AMP alone will fix existing deliverability problems; a bad sender reputation impacts all email types.
Expert tips
Use AMP to enable single-window experiences, allowing users to complete actions like purchases or form submissions without leaving the inbox.
Leverage the dynamic capabilities of AMP for real-time content updates, such as live event schedules or product availability.
Consider how AMP can streamline customer journeys and reduce friction points in your email campaigns.
Focus on the increased engagement AMP provides, as this indirectly strengthens your sender reputation.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says: I would not advise using an HTML FORM tag in an email message, as many filters will assume it is a phishing attempt. Furthermore, many email clients will not allow a user to submit data through a form in an email.
2022-06-22 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says: AMP is supported by Yahoo! and Mail.ru, in addition to Gmail. In theory, AMP messages should be easier for filters to understand, reducing the chances of being blocked for containing a form.
2022-06-22 - Email Geeks
The future of interactive email
Embedded interactive forms and AMP emails offer powerful ways to enhance user engagement and streamline the customer journey directly within the inbox. While traditional HTML forms carry significant deliverability risks, AMP for Email provides a robust and secure framework for rich interactivity, provided it's implemented correctly.
The key to success lies not just in adopting the technology, but in maintaining a strong sender reputation, providing a seamless experience for all users (with a reliable HTML fallback), and continuously monitoring engagement. When these elements align, interactive emails can indeed boost your email program's effectiveness without negatively impacting deliverability.
Gmail, 
Yahoo, and 
Outlook are vigilant about phishing attempts. A form that solicits data directly within an email can easily be mimicked by malicious actors, making it a red flag for spam filters, which might lead to your emails being placed on a blacklist (or blocklist).
