A web version of the email
Users open emails in a variety of browsers, mobile applications and email clients - Outlook, Yandex, Gmail, ThunderBird, Yahoo, etc. Each email service displays the email differently, sometimes not even close to the way you expect, so it's recommended to send a test email before bulk mailing.
Another way to "deliver" the perfectly displayed email to your customer is to share a link to the web version. A web version is a version of an email message that the user can view as a web page in a browser if it doesn't display correctly in email services.
An example of the newsletter with the “View in a browser” button
An example of the newsletter with the “View online version” button
How to add a link to the web version of an email
The link to the web version is automatically generated when the {webversion} variable is added to the href attribute of the <a> tag. The example of the code is like this:
<a href="{webversion}" title="Web version of the email" name="web_version">View in a browser</a>
As you can see, it's easy to make a link yourself. But if you suddenly forget the name of a variable or the attributes of a tag, and you do not want to deal with the documentation - use one of the following ways.
Option 1 - adding a link
Go to the template editor. Place the cursor where you want to add the link. In the toolbar, click the icon for inserting links:
In the window that comes up, configure the link:
Choose the URL type — Web version link.
Enter the title of the link — this is what a user views in the email. For example, View online version or View in a browser.
Specify the link name. It is put into the attribute name. With its help, you can find out which of your subscribers used the web version by clicking on the link. To do this, create a segment.
Push the Okay button. The link code is displayed in the message template.
Option 2 - adding a variable
You can create a link to the web version from the menu of variables. Open it by clicking </> on the toolbar. Select Tracking → Web version link.
The {webversion} variable will be added to the html editor, which, as you know, is responsible for the web version. Add this variable as the value of the href attribute.
<a href="{webversion}" title="Web version of the email" name="web_version">View in a browser</a>
FAQ: Web version of the email
1. Where can I view the web version of an email sent to a client?
The web version is displayed in the profile history.
2. I don't have the web versions saved. How do I activate the option?
The platform administrator should change the account settings, i.e., activate the "Enable email web versions" field. After that, links to view the web version of the sent message appear in the profile history.
3. How long is the web version of the email kept?
The default storage period for the web version of an email is 30 days. The storage period can be changed by the platform administrator in the account settings.
4. Is the web version of the email saved if there is no link to the web version in the sent message template?
No, if the link is not attached, the web version is not saved.
5. Why are the messages sent in the profile history displayed differently: in one case the template has a Preview signature, in another case it has a Web version?
The web version is formed for sent messages. The preview is available for other events related to the message - delivery, opening, clicking, reading.
6. I can't see a preview of an email message that contains API content.
API content is transferred via API request. Altcraft Platform does not save parameters transferred in API requests and does not substitute profile fields when previewing the message. To see how the sent message looks like, you need to add a link to the web version of the message. Later you'll be able to view web versions of sent emails in your profile history.
7. Is dynamic content displayed in the message preview?
No, but you can see the dynamic content in the web version of the email.
Conclusion
Nowadays, marketers rarely add a link to the web version, because newsletters in most cases are displayed correctly in emails. If a link is added, it is for the email to be more conveniently shared in messengers, social networks, etc.