Summary
Gmail email clipping, which occurs when emails exceed 102 KB, negatively impacts deliverability, open rates, and user experience. Clipping can hide critical elements such as unsubscribe links and calls to action, leading to increased spam complaints and reduced engagement (lower click-through rates). It also affects the accuracy of open rate tracking because tracking pixels may be clipped. Clipping is more prevalent on mobile devices, exacerbating user experience issues. Preventing clipping involves optimizing images, reducing HTML, using external CSS, ensuring visible unsubscribe links, and testing email rendering in Gmail.
Key findings
- Deliverability: Hiding unsubscribe links due to clipping increases spam complaints, negatively affecting deliverability.
- Open Rates: Clipping affects open rate tracking if the tracking pixel is located beyond the 102KB limit.
- User Experience: Clipping requires recipients to click a link to view the entire message, leading to a poorer experience and potentially missed content. This is even more prevalent on mobile devices.
- Engagement: Clipped emails can hide calls to action, reducing click-through rates and overall engagement.
- HTML Specificity: Clipping primarily affects HTML emails exceeding the size limit, whereas plain text emails are less susceptible.
Key considerations
- Optimize Images: Compress and optimize images to reduce email size significantly.
- Reduce HTML: Streamline HTML code and remove unnecessary elements to lower email weight.
- External CSS: Employ external CSS stylesheets instead of inline CSS to decrease email size.
- Unsubscribe Visibility: Ensure the unsubscribe link is prominently displayed and within the first 102 KB of the email.
- Email Testing: Thoroughly test email rendering in Gmail to ensure critical elements are not clipped and that the email displays correctly.
- Mobile Optimization: Optimize email templates for mobile devices, considering that clipping is more frequent on mobile platforms.
What email marketers say
15 marketer opinions
Gmail email clipping, which occurs when emails exceed 102KB, negatively impacts deliverability and open rates. The primary issues stem from user experience degradation, inaccurate open tracking, and increased spam complaints. Clipping can hide crucial elements like unsubscribe links and calls-to-action, leading to recipient frustration and potential spam reports. Additionally, if the tracking pixel is clipped, open rates become unreliable. To mitigate these issues, optimizing email size through image compression, streamlined HTML, and visible unsubscribe options is crucial. Mobile users are especially affected.
Key opinions
- Deliverability Impact: Clipped emails can increase spam complaints as users struggle to find the unsubscribe link.
- Open Rate Accuracy: If the tracking pixel is beyond the 102KB limit, opens are not tracked, skewing open rate metrics.
- User Engagement: Users must take an extra step to view the entire message, potentially missing critical content and reducing engagement.
- Mobile Issues: Email clipping is more prevalent on mobile devices leading to an even greater level of issues.
Key considerations
- Optimize Email Size: Reduce email size by compressing images, minimizing HTML code, and using external CSS.
- Prioritize Unsubscribe Link: Ensure the unsubscribe link is visible within the first 102KB of the email.
- Test Email Rendering: Test emails in Gmail to ensure critical content and calls-to-action are not clipped.
- Tracking Pixel Placement: Consider moving the tracking pixel to the top of the email to ensure it's loaded before clipping occurs.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that email clipping doesn't seem like a good practice in bulk campaigns. It could affect the spam rate if recipients are unable to unsubscribe and mark the email as spam.
29 Apr 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit shares that email clipping can hide the unsubscribe link, which can lead to recipients marking the email as spam. Keeping the unsubscribe link visible in the upper part of the email is crucial.
5 Oct 2024 - Reddit
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Gmail email clipping, caused by emails exceeding size limits, negatively impacts engagement. Hiding key content like CTAs and unsubscribe links can lead to lower click-through rates and increased spam complaints. Reducing HTML, optimizing images, using inline CSS and reducing overall email weight can help prevent clipping.
Key opinions
- Engagement Impact: Clipped emails may hide key content, reducing click-through rates.
- Spam Complaints: Hidden unsubscribe links increase the likelihood of spam complaints.
- HTML and Image Optimization: Reducing HTML and optimizing images can help prevent email clipping.
Key considerations
- Content Placement: Ensure important content like CTAs and unsubscribe links are within the visible area.
- Code Optimization: Reduce HTML code and optimize images to decrease email size.
- Email Weight: Use inline CSS and reduce overall email weight.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Gmail clipping can affect engagement if key content, such as calls to action or unsubscribe links, are hidden, leading to lower click-through rates and higher spam complaints.
30 Oct 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains reducing HTML, and optimising images can prevent Gmail clipping. This involves using inline CSS and reducing overall email weight.
1 Dec 2022 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Gmail clips HTML emails exceeding 102 KB, displaying only the initial portion and adding a 'view entire message' link. This impacts the end-user experience, potentially breaking the message's layout, preventing image display, and hiding the unsubscribe link. Plain text emails are less susceptible. Solutions involve optimizing images, reducing HTML, and employing external CSS to maintain emails below the size threshold and ensure proper display and tracking.
Key findings
- Size Limit: Gmail clips HTML emails larger than 102 KB.
- HTML Specific: Clipping primarily affects HTML emails, not plain text (unless exceptionally large).
- User Experience Impact: Clipped emails can lead to broken layouts, missing images, and hidden unsubscribe links.
Key considerations
- Optimize Images: Compress and optimize images to reduce email size.
- Reduce HTML: Streamline HTML code and remove unnecessary elements.
- Use External CSS: Employ external CSS to reduce inline code and email size.
- Plain Text Fallback: Incorporate plain text fallbacks as an alternative for recipients.
Technical article
Documentation from Postmark explains if an email is clipped, it impacts the end user experience. This means the message is broken, the images may not display and the unsubscribe link can be hidden. To avoid clipping, they recommend using external CSS, plain text fallbacks and reducing image sizes.
29 Oct 2022 - Postmark
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support explains that Gmail clips messages larger than 102 KB. When a message is clipped, only the first 102 KB of HTML is displayed, and a link is added to view the entire message.
12 Oct 2023 - Google Support
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