Sarbacane Campaigns: Truncated Emails on Gmail

As you may have noticed, Gmail can sometimes truncate your email, requiring recipients to click within the email to view it in full. Email marketing software cannot force the full display of your email. However, it's useful to understand why this happens and what best practices can optimize the display of your message.

First, consider the length of your message. Gmail has a size limit for emails displayed in the inbox. If the content exceeds this limit, Gmail shows only part of the message and adds a "View entire message" link. This limit is approximately 102 KB.

How to avoid this:

• Write Shorter Emails: Keep your message as concise as possible.
• Use Links: Instead of including all content in the email, use redirect pages (landing pages) that you can create in your account with the Page license.

Additionally, Gmail may impose a limit due to HTML formatting. Emails rich in HTML can become bulky due to tags, CSS styles, and embedded scripts, leading to an increased email size.

So:

• Simplify HTML: Use simple HTML tags and avoid complex CSS styles.
• Minimize Images: Use small, low-resolution images. Optimize images before embedding them in the email.
• Avoid Scripts: Scripts not only increase email size but can also cause security issues.
• Limit the Use of Iframes and Videos.

Expert Tips:

• Test Your Emails: Before sending an email to a large audience, send it to yourself and a few colleagues to check how it displays across different email clients, including Gmail.
• Use Preview Tools: Tools like Email On Acid can help you see how your email appears in various inboxes.
• Follow Email Provider Guidelines: Refer to best practices and recommendations from email service providers like Google to optimize your emails.

By following these tips, you can minimize the risk of your emails being truncated in Gmail, ensuring that your recipients receive and read your full message.