What is External CSS?
External CSS refers to the practice of linking a separate CSS file to your HTML document. This allows you to manage the
styling of your webpage or email from a single file. The CSS file is linked in the head section of the HTML document using the <link> tag.
Why Use External CSS in Email Marketing?
Using
external CSS can simplify the management of styles for your email campaigns. It allows you to make global changes quickly by updating a single file. This method can also reduce the size of your HTML emails, making them faster to load.
Challenges of Using External CSS in Emails
While external CSS has its advantages, it comes with significant challenges in email marketing. Many
email clients like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo do not support external CSS files. This lack of support can lead to inconsistent rendering of your email content across different platforms.
Best Practices
Given the challenges, it's often recommended to use
inline CSS for email marketing. Inline CSS involves placing the CSS styles directly within the HTML tags. This method ensures that your styles are applied consistently across all email clients.
How to Use External CSS Effectively (If Needed)
If you still prefer to use external CSS, consider using it in combination with inline styles. You can use external CSS for non-critical styles while ensuring that essential styles are applied inline. You can also use media queries in your external CSS to make your emails
responsive on different devices.
Tools for Inlining CSS
There are several tools available that can help you convert external CSS to inline CSS. Tools like Premailer, Juice, and Mailchimp’s CSS inliner can streamline this process. These tools parse your HTML and automatically move external CSS styles to the appropriate inline positions. Conclusion
While external CSS offers several advantages for managing styles, its limited support in email clients makes it less practical for email marketing. By understanding the limitations and employing best practices such as using inline styles, you can ensure that your emails render consistently across all
email platforms. Use tools to assist in inlining CSS when needed, and always test your emails across multiple clients to ensure compatibility.