How to create outlook friendly html mails
To create Outlook-friendly HTML emails, follow these best practices:
- Use a table-based layout: Outlook doesn't support CSS layouts, so use tables to structure your email content.
- Use inline styles: Outlook doesn't support external stylesheets, so define styles using the
style
attribute. - Use absolute font sizes: Outlook doesn't support relative font sizes, so use absolute font sizes (e.g.,
font-size: 12px
). - Use a consistent font family: Outlook doesn't support web fonts, so use a standard font family like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica.
- Avoid using too many images: Outlook has a limit on the number of images that can be loaded in a single email. Try to use images sparingly.
- Use alt text for images: Provide alternative text for images to ensure that they are accessible and can be displayed if the image fails to load.
- Use a plain text version: Provide a plain text version of your email for users who prefer to read emails in plain text.
- Avoid using too much JavaScript: Outlook doesn't support JavaScript, so avoid using it in your email content.
- Use a consistent color scheme: Outlook has issues with certain colors, so use a consistent color scheme to ensure that your email looks good in Outlook.
- Test in Outlook: Test your email in Outlook to ensure that it looks good and functions as expected.
Here are some specific tips for creating Outlook-friendly HTML emails:
- Use the following HTML structure:
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td> <!-- Email content here --> </td> </tr> </table>
- Use the following CSS structure:
<style type="text/css"> /* Define styles here */ </style>
- Use the following inline styles:
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td style="font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <!-- Email content here --> </td> </tr> </table>
- Use the following image tag:
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Image description" width="100" height="100" />
- Use the following link tag:
<a href="http://www.example.com">Link text</a>
Here's an example of an Outlook-friendly HTML email:
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td style="font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <h1>Welcome to our email!</h1> <p>This is an example of an Outlook-friendly HTML email.</p> <img src="image.jpg" alt="Image description" width="100" height="100" /> <a href="http://www.example.com">Learn more</a> </td> </tr> </table>
Remember to test your email in Outlook to ensure that it looks good and functions as expected.