Email layout: what mistakes to avoid and how to simplify

Email layout refers to the structure and arrangement of elements in an email—such as text, images, and buttons—designed to ensure proper display across different email clients and devices. It emphasizes consistency, readability, and responsiveness within the limitations of email platforms.

How email layouts differ from website layouts

Although emails and web pages are accessed on the same devices, their display differs significantly: web pages load in browsers that support modern technologies, while emails are opened in email clients that impose layout limitations.

Key differences

1. Table-based layout. While web pages have long transitioned to flexible CSS grids, emails still rely on tables. This is because email clients process code differently. Tables are the only way to achieve consistent rendering everywhere.

2. No JavaScript. Email services block JavaScript and complex CSS properties to protect users from fraud. This means interactive elements, pop-ups, or complex animations like those on websites cannot be included.

3. Inline styles. Many email clients ignore embedded CSS files and the <style> tag in the <head> section, requiring styles to be written directly in the style attribute of each element. This is not done in web development, but without it in email layouts, the email will simply "break."

4. Code size limitations. Gmail and Yahoo cut off emails if the HTML code exceeds 102 KB. Therefore, it's necessary to minimize code, remove unnecessary styles, and monitor image sizes.

5. Adaptation features. Websites use media queries and SVG graphics for adaptation so that images remain clear on any screens. In emails, such technologies do not always work, so often, larger images need to be sent to all recipients. A balance between quality and size is required.

Due to these limitations, email layout requires a special approach and testing on various platforms. It’s not just a stripped-down version of web layout; it has its own specifics that are important to get accustomed to.

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What mistakes to avoid when laying out emails

Good layout affects not only the appearance of the email but also its deliverability, readability, and even the effectiveness of the campaign. Mistakes can spoil subscribers' impressions, break the email's logic, or even send it to spam.

Let's analyze common problems and ways to avoid them.

1. URL as link text. Some marketers insert the full address of the link (for example, https://example.com) in the body of the email. This seems logical, but in practice, it can cause problems.

Why this is a mistake: Email platforms automatically replace links to track clicks. As a result, the user sees one address but clicks on another. Email clients may interpret this as phishing and label the email as potentially dangerous.

How to avoid: Format links as ordinary words or buttons with clear calls to action ("Buy", "Go", "Learn more").

2. Code larger than 102 KB. Gmail truncates emails if the HTML code exceeds 102 KB.

What happens:

Part of the email does not load (for example, footer or buttons).
Open tracking does not work because the pixel typically resides at the end of the email.
Analytics for Open Rate can become unreliable.
Your subscriber base may suffer: Gmail gradually excludes inactive users from mailing lists (and due to this error, there will be more of them).

What is a tracking pixel? How to set it up? Read in the article.

How to avoid:

Minimize code: remove unnecessary styles, shorten CSS.
Compress images to reduce the overall size of the email.
Test the email size before sending and conduct trial mailings to Gmail.

3. Using CSS that is cut off by email clients. Web pages support modern CSS properties, but many just do not work in email clients.

Which properties to avoid:

position — responsible for element positioning, but does not work in emails.
background-image — some email clients do not display background images.
hover — hover effects are not supported in many mobile clients.

How to avoid:

Use only basic CSS properties and check compatibility in special services.

4. Non-responsive emails. Many check email on mobile devices. If the email does not adapt to the screen, users will have to manually zoom in on the text — which is inconvenient.

How to avoid:

Use responsive layout with media queries.
Check rendering on different devices.

5. Poorly thought-out alt text. Sometimes subscribers receive emails without images. This can happen due to settings in email clients (especially in the B2B segment) or in data-saving mode on mobile devices. In such cases, text from the alt attribute — the alternative description of the image — is displayed instead of pictures.

Why this is important:

If alt is not specified, the user will simply see empty blocks, which will spoil the email's perception.
Long alt texts can "overlap" and layer over each other if the image occupies a small area.
By default, clickable alt is displayed in bright blue, which may clash with the email design.

How to avoid:

Keep alt short and informative so it fits well within the email's structure.
Style alt with CSS (color, font-size) so it harmonizes with the design.
Test the email display without images in various email clients.

How to optimize layout

An optimized email layout for newsletters ensures stable rendering across different email services. Here are some ways to help simplify the work and enhance the quality of your mailings.

1. Master template. These are universal templates for emails that include all elements used in the brand's emails: banners, product grids, buttons, headers. Instead of creating an email from scratch each time, one can simply select the necessary blocks and fill them with content.

Advantages:

reduces mailing preparation time;
simplifies work for designers and layout specialists;
lowers the likelihood of errors.

2. Automated emails. You can set up the system so that emails are assembled and sent without human involvement. For example:

product selections based on user interests,
weekly digests,
reminders about incomplete orders.

3. Email frameworks. Frameworks allow for writing simplified code that is automatically converted into full HTML. This makes layout faster and more convenient. One modern option is the TJML Framework from Pixcraft. It generates both HTML and AMP versions of the email, and can also adapt the design for dark themes in various email clients.

How to choose the right font

Fonts affect the perception of the email just like design and structure do. If the text is hard to read, the subscriber will simply close the email. Therefore, it is important to select fonts that are both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

How many fonts to use

It is recommended to stick to two or three:

for body text — simple and readable,
for headers — more expressive,
sometimes — an additional one for accents, but without overdoing it.

What fonts are suitable

In email design, safe fonts are used — those that display correctly in any email service.

Reliable options:

Sans-serif (easy to read) — Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma.
Serif (suitable for classic style) — Times New Roman. If a non-standard font is used without specifying a fallback, the email client will substitute a standard option, which may spoil the design. To avoid display issues, always specify backup fonts.

Selection by style

Official and business emails — strict, neutral sans-serif fonts.
Entertaining content — more creative fonts are acceptable, but without losing readability.

How to simplify email layout

Email layout will be easier if convenient tools are used. One of them is the email builder in the Altcraft Platform. It is suitable for both beginners and professionals.

The editor works with any HTML templates. You can modify the corporate template or create a new one without structural limitations. Built-in AMP blocks, carousels, and accordions allow for making emails interactive.

Beginners will find it easier thanks to convenient settings. All block parameters can be edited without coding. There is a built-in image storage with search and auto-upload, and HTML validation helps avoid errors.

Professionals have access to navigation through the DOM tree, working with classes and styles, and previewing on different devices. The editor does not cut hacks for email clients and special characters and supports layers for box-shadow and background-image.

To save time, you can save your own blocks and use them in new emails. This accelerates the process of creating mailings and alleviates unnecessary routine.

Conclusion

Email layout is the process of creating emails that correctly display on different devices and in email clients. The quality of how the email is assembled affects reading convenience, button functionality, proper image display, and ultimately the effectiveness of the entire mailing.

For emails to look professional and deliver results, it is essential to avoid layout mistakes, select the right fonts, optimize the code, and test the final template before sending. Using ready-made solutions like email templates, frameworks, and builders helps speed up work and reduce the likelihood of technical issues. A good layout for email messages makes the message not only beautiful but also functional. This means that more readers will see it as intended, and are more likely to open, read, and take the desired action.