What Are Unsupported Properties in Email Marketing?
In the context of
email marketing, unsupported properties refer to CSS styles, HTML attributes, or other elements that are not recognized or rendered correctly by certain email clients. Due to the varied nature of email clients and their rendering engines, not all properties will appear as intended across different platforms such as Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail.
Why Should You Avoid Unsupported Properties?
Using unsupported properties can lead to a
poor user experience, as the email might look broken or unprofessional. This can negatively impact your brand's credibility and effectiveness of your
email campaign. Ensuring compatibility across different email clients is crucial for maintaining a consistent appearance and functionality.
How to Identify Unsupported Properties?
Identifying unsupported properties involves testing your emails across multiple email clients. Tools like
Litmus and
Email on Acid can help you preview how your email will render across various platforms. These tools also offer insights into which properties are unsupported and provide recommendations for alternatives.
Common Unsupported Properties in Popular Email Clients
While it varies by client, some properties are notoriously unsupported. For example,
background images are often problematic in Outlook. Similarly,
CSS3 animations and
JavaScript are generally unsupported in most email clients. It's essential to research the specific limitations of the email clients your audience uses most frequently.
Best Practices to Avoid Unsupported Properties
Here are some best practices for avoiding unsupported properties: Use Inline CSS: Many email clients strip out embedded or linked CSS. Using
inline CSS ensures better compatibility.
Stick to Basic HTML: Avoid using advanced HTML5 tags and attributes that may not be widely supported.
Fallbacks: Always provide fallback options for background images and other styles. For example, use a solid background color if the image fails to load.
Test Extensively: Before sending out your
email campaign, test it on multiple email clients to ensure it looks as intended.
Examples of Safe Properties
While some properties are unsupported, many are widely accepted and can be safely used. These include: Font Styles: Basic font properties such as font-family, font-size, and font-weight are generally well-supported.
Colors: Using color and background-color properties is usually safe.
Padding and Margin: Basic spacing properties like padding and margin are also widely supported.
What to Do If You Must Use Unsupported Properties?
If you find yourself needing to use an unsupported property, consider the following: Conditional Statements: Use conditional statements to target specific email clients and provide alternative styles.
Graceful Degradation: Ensure that if the property is unsupported, the email still remains functional and readable.
Conclusion
Avoiding unsupported properties in email marketing is essential for ensuring a consistent and professional appearance across different email clients. By following best practices, testing extensively, and being aware of the limitations of various platforms, you can create effective and visually appealing
email campaigns.