Truncated email, is it serious doctor?

Create a newsletter and discovering that it's been truncated by Gmail can be frustrating for the campaign creator. If an emailing's HTML file exceeds 102 Kb, Gmail automatically cuts off its content, forcing the recipient to click on the " [Truncated message] Display entire message "to see the full message. But what are the repercussions of a truncated email? What can you do about it? Is it really that problematic?

Which messengers truncate emails?

• Gmail is undoubtedly the strictest e-mail service on this point, with a limit of 102 Kb to display an e-mail in its entirety.
• Other services, such as OrangeThe new "email truncators" also seem to truncate emails, but with a slightly higher limit, around 120 or 130 Kb, although this is not always clear.
• Outlook on iOS cuts emails over 5,000 px high.

In any case, if you need to keep a reference in mind, keep Gmail's 102 Kb.

What are the consequences of a truncated email?

Beyond the frustrating aspect for the campaign manager, truncated emails can have more or less significant impacts on the performance of your campaign and on the legal compliance of your emails.

Aperture tracking pixel not loaded

The opening tracking pixel is generally placed at the bottom of the HTML code of the email by routing tools. If the message is truncated, there's a risk that the pixel won't be loaded. distorts data on opening rate. Even though with the arrival of Apple Mail Privacy Protection for emailsIf you're already seeing some bias in these statistics, it's still a problem. If you're seeing a drop in open rates and your HTML email templates are heavy, this could be an avenue to explore.

Invisible unsubscribe link

The unsubscribe link can be found in email footer. If your email is truncated, the unsubscribe link will be invisible. If this link is not present, the email no longer complies with the legal obligations imposed by the RGPD or CAN-SPAM in the United States. This can expose your company to legal risks. Although, to my knowledge, we've never yet seen a company get nailed for this.

On the other hand, a subscriber who doesn't find this link could more easily declare the e-mail as spam, which would damage your reputation as a sender. To avoid this, it is advisable to place the unsubscribe link in the email headerwhere it will always be visible.

Additional click to see the full message

We have no way of knowing whether or not users click on ". View full message "When the email is truncated. If you don't have the option of reducing the HTML file to less than 102 Kb (if you're using an email builder, you don't have control over the code), you can however work on prioritizing information. Ask yourself the right questions and set the right messages and the buttons you want your subscribers to click on at the top of the email.

How can you minimize the size of your HTML file to under 102 Kb?

To prevent your e-mails from being truncated, you need to optimize the weight of the HTML file. Several elements, such as HTML code, style sheets, links and tracking codes, can quickly increase the size of your email.

Here are a few tips for staying under the 102 KB limit:

Remove unnecessary code from your HTML file

Do you code your emails by hand or work with an agency/freelance?

One of the most frequent findings of HTML code audits is the presence of unnecessary lines of code such as :

• Margins created with empty table cells and rows instead of using proper CSS properties (margin, padding)
• The addition of unnecessary CSS properties on certain email builders (text-wrap, for example, or border-collapse)
• Unnecessary nested arrays
• Write CSS as shortcuts rather than in full. For example: padding: 40px; instead of padding-top: 40px; padding-bottom: 40px; padding-left: 40px; padding-right: 40px;
• Use tabs instead of 2 spaces to indent code
• etc.

Do you use an email builder?

If you use an e-mail editor, your optimization possibilities will be more limited. In general, these tools add extra HTML and CSS code to ensure compatibility with various e-mail clients, which increases the size of the HTML file. Nevertheless, you can choosing the right email builder upstream and reduce the amount of text and limit links to lighten your email.

Playing on copywriting

If you tend to be overly verbose (like me), try really hard to reduce text and get straight to the point. My dear fellow designers (cuckoo Pierre, cuckoo Thomas!) often find that my newsletter texts are long, that I say too much. And they're right.

Delete unwanted images

Even if the weight of images is not taken into account in the 102 Kb limit, deleting those that are not necessary will still lighten the HTML code that accompanies them! Fewer links and tags for images means a lighter HTML file.

Remove unnecessary links

Some senders put the same link several times in their creative: behind a title, a button (normal), an image. Leave the link behind the button, and remove it behind the other elements.

Note Always send a test email (BAT) from your routing platform rather than your email builder, to get an accurate idea of the weight of your email before sending. Some tools add tracking links that weigh down the final weight.

Should HTML weight be minimized at all costs?

The answer is not a resounding "yes". Of course, you have to bear in mind the limitations imposed by Gmail. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your creativity or message content altogether. In the case of a newsletter, if you have content with high added value for your contacts, it would be a shame to suppress it or increase the commercial pressure. Ideally, you should place the most interesting elements at the top and relegate those of lesser importance to the end of your e-mail. For example, in the case of the Badsender newsletter, I consider that if our readers don't consult the Agenda section, it's no big deal.

Conclusion

In reality, you've already got to get going to reach the 102kb limit. If your email reaches this limit, it's either because it contains a lot of content (in the case of a newsletter), or because the HTML code is poorly optimized (which often happens with email builders). For "classic", well-structured emails, staying below this limit is not a problem.