What is the new layout of the Gmail promotions tab and how do annotations help?

Key findings

• dynamic layouts: Gmail is actively testing and deploying new layouts for the Promotions tab across various clients, including mobile and desktop web, leading to different user experiences.
• top bundles: A key feature of the new layout is the 'Top Bundle,' which groups relevant promotional emails together, sometimes labeled as 'Top Picks,' 'Fashion,' or 'Travel'.
• increased ad prominence: Ads appear more integrated and prominent within these new layouts, potentially blurring the lines between paid content and organic promotional emails.
• annotations as a solution: Email annotations (or schema markup) are becoming increasingly vital for marketers to enhance the appearance of their emails in these bundled sections, helping them stand out.
• mobile-first rollout: The 'Top Bundle' and associated annotated email displays were initially rolled out on Gmail's iOS and Android apps, with desktop web client implementation following later.

Key considerations

• visibility strategy: Marketers must adapt their strategies to ensure their emails are still noticed amidst increased competition and prominent ads in the Promotions tab.
• leveraging annotations: Implementing Gmail annotations allows for richer email previews, including images, deals, and expiration dates, which can significantly boost engagement.
• user perception: Some users find the new layouts and increased ad presence disruptive, potentially leading them to disable the Promotions tab altogether. This highlights the ongoing debate about where promotional emails should land.
• staying updated: Given Gmail's continuous testing of new features and layouts, marketers need to stay informed about these changes to maintain optimal inbox placement and engagement. You can learn more about how Gmail's annotation system works directly from Google.
• technical implementation: Correctly implementing JSON-LD schema for annotations is essential for emails to qualify for these enhanced displays.

Key opinions

• initial confusion: Many marketers initially mistook the bundled promotional emails for ads due to their prominent placement and visual styling.
• user annoyance: Some users, including marketers themselves, reported being annoyed by the new layout, accidentally clicking on ads, or finding the tab less organized.
• annotations as differentiator: There is a strong consensus that email annotations are crucial for promotional emails to gain visibility and impact within the updated Promotions tab, distinguishing them from generic listings and ads. This is a key factor in how Gmail's Top Promotions feature works.
• mobile-to-desktop evolution: Marketers noted that the 'Top Bundle' and annotations started appearing on mobile long before they began to roll out on the desktop web client, indicating Gmail's phased approach.
• adaptive strategies: Successful marketers emphasize the need to adapt email design and coding to leverage these new Gmail features, rather than sticking to outdated practices.

Key considerations

• design for new layouts: Optimize email creatives and content to look appealing and informative within the condensed, visually rich bundles of the Promotions tab, not just the standard inbox view.
• prioritize annotations: Make the implementation of email annotations a high priority for all promotional campaigns to maximize visibility and click-through rates. This directly impacts how to increase email click-through rates.
• monitor engagement: Closely track engagement metrics specifically for Gmail's Promotions tab to understand how your audience interacts with the new layout and your annotated emails.
• avoid accidental ad clicks: While out of a marketer's direct control, the user frustration with ads underscores the importance of making your legitimate promotional content immediately distinguishable and valuable. More information about this can be found at Stripo's blog.
• educate clients/teams: Ensure that your marketing team or clients are aware of these Gmail changes and the necessity of annotations for promotional email success.

Key opinions

• adaptation is key: Experts believe that email programs must adapt to Gmail's evolving interface to remain effective, treating new features like annotations as essential components of their strategy.
• annotations are fundamental: There is a strong consensus that annotations are no longer a 'nice to have' but a fundamental requirement for promotional emails in Gmail to capture attention and convey value pre-open.
• visibility challenge: The increased prominence of ads and bundled content within the Promotions tab presents a clear challenge to visibility, which annotations are designed to counteract.
• user experience focus: While some users might find the new layout disruptive, experts suggest that Gmail's intent is to improve the user experience by providing more relevant and visually appealing promotional content.
• competitive advantage: Using annotations can provide a significant competitive advantage by allowing emails to present rich, actionable information directly in the inbox list view.

Key considerations

• strategic implementation: Beyond just technical implementation, marketers should strategically plan what information (e.g., deals, images) is highlighted via annotations to maximize impact.
• monitoring performance: Regularly monitor email performance within the Promotions tab, leveraging tools like Google Postmaster Tools to understand the effectiveness of annotations and layout changes.
• deliverability impact: While annotations directly impact presentation, overall email deliverability to the Promotions tab (and avoidance of the spam folder or other blocklists) still relies on a strong sending reputation and adherence to best practices. This also applies to general email deliverability issues.
• future readiness: Anticipate further changes from Gmail and other mailbox providers, building agile email programs that can quickly adapt to new inbox features and displays. This forward-looking perspective is shared by many experts at Word to the Wise.

Key findings

• structured data requirement: Annotations require senders to include JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) schema markup within the <script type="application/ld+json"></script> tags in the email's HTML head.
• rich content elements: Supported annotation features include discount codes, deal expiration dates, and image carousels, all displayed directly in the Promotions tab list view.
• mobile-first implementation: While annotations are expanding, their primary visibility and initial rollout have been on Gmail's mobile applications (iOS and Android).
• preview tool availability: Google provides a Preview Tool to help developers and marketers visualize how their annotated emails will appear and to detect any potential issues with their schema markup.
• dynamic bundling: Emails with annotations can be grouped into 'top bundles' (e.g., 'Top Picks') based on their relevance and user engagement, offering increased prominence.

Key considerations

• technical accuracy: Precise adherence to Google's JSON-LD schema specifications is critical for annotations to render correctly and be recognized by Gmail. Errors can prevent the enhanced display from appearing.
• testing is essential: Always test your annotated emails using Gmail's official Preview Tool or by sending them to test accounts to confirm proper display across various devices.
• content relevance: Ensure that the content promoted through annotations is genuinely relevant to the email and its overall campaign, as misleading information could negatively impact user trust.
• image optimization: For image carousels within annotations, optimize image sizes and formats to ensure fast loading times and visual quality without affecting deliverability or tab placement.
• dynamic content: Annotations enable a level of dynamic content directly in the inbox, offering a powerful way to update deals or highlight new products without requiring the user to open the email. More details on this are provided in Google's official preview documentation.