Gmail is the most popular email client with more than 1.5 billion users. Gmail users are the majority of email marketers. It is easy to create promotional templates for them. Gmail’s one problem can severely impact the delivery of your emails. Gmail cuts emails larger than 102KB. To solve this problem, you can hire a Mailchimp developer or email specialist. This article will explain how to avoid Gmail Clipping.
What is Gmail Clipping?
Gmail evaluates email marketing files and renders only the first 102KB of code. Any code beyond the 102-KB mark will be cut or ‘clipped. Gmail does not consider images in an email when assessing its file size.
What does Gmail clipping do to you?
Gmail adds a prompt to notify you that the message has been clipped. It also gives you the option to view the entire mail. Mobile optimization for email clipping can be even worse, as it displays only three dots and doesn’t provide context or prompts.
Gmail clipping usually removes the footer from emails that contain links to social media platforms and contact information. If a reader wishes to unsubscribe from an email, they won’t be able find the correct links. This could lead to spammers marking your emails as spam and thereby affecting your reputation with your ISP.
Gmail clipping can also impact your email campaign metrics. Gmail clipping your unsubscribe links can cause your emails to be in violation of the CAN-SPAM laws. This reduces your email’s deliverability. Tracking pixels at the bottom of an email are rendered ineffective and you cannot track whether it was opened or not.
Finally, when an email is cut, it introduces an additional step or friction that discourages users from spending more time on it.
This problem can be solved if the email size is kept below 102KB
Technically speaking, it is no problem to limit the email size to 102KB. It is difficult to create a compelling promotional email with these restrictions. Email marketers can add tracking pixels, images, CTA buttons and HTML code to their emails. This will dramatically increase its size. Gmail will also prompt you to cut your emails if you create responsive or interactive emails. It is better to hire a Mailchimp developer to optimize your email templates.
These are the top tips to avoid Gmail Clipping
- Keep within the limits
The simplest tip is to keep your email under 102KB. Avoid adding unnecessary formatting and attributes to your HTML code.
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Use Inbox preview
After you have created the content, you can use the inbox preview to see how the email will appear in the subscriber’s inbox. This will allow you to adjust the content to improve the visibility of important information and hyperlinks. You can also send your email to a test mailbox to check how it looks if you’re not satisfied by the inbox preview.
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It should be concise
Emails should be used to promote your brand and direct traffic to your site. Keep it short and eliminate any unnecessary information. Engaging content can encourage customers to read the entire email even if they are cut by Gmail.
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Pre-defined templates are useful
Pre-defined Gmail templates can be used that have been optimized and don’t exceed the limit in size. These templates are easy to use. All you have to do is add your email copy and hit the send button. Your email campaigns will be visually consistent with pre-defined templates.
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Modify the subject line
Email marketers may send their emails to all their subscribers with the same subject line to test their new emails. Gmail will combine all test emails with the same subject lines. These emails eventually stack up, increasing the size of the template. You can avoid Gmail clipping by sending test emails with different subject lines.
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Do not copy and paste
Avoid pasting content into an email template. Although it might not seem obvious at first, copying adds multiple layers to your email template and bloats your file size. To prevent your template from adding formatting codes, you can use the “paste-as-plain-text” option instead.
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Cleanse your code
Remove any additional codes if you’re removing images from your code. This will reduce the size of your email files.
Conclusion
Let’s sum it all: Create emails that have the necessary content and are relatable to your readers. It is sometimes difficult to write concise emails that promote the many features of your product. For hassle-free campaign management, outsource your template creation to email marketing professionals.
