Is it important to include a plain text version in emails?
Summary
What email marketers say13Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailjet notes that although plain text may seem outdated, it is important for increasing accessibility, improving deliverability, and ensuring message readability if the email client is set to not display HTML.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that plain text emails provide a more accessible option for users with disabilities or older devices. It ensures that all subscribers can engage with the email content.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that plain text can help with accessibility for people who use screen readers or use a permanent zoom, especially when HTML is image-heavy.
Email marketer from EmailGeek Forum shares that while not always necessary, including a plain text version is a considerate practice. It ensures readability for users on older devices and offers a fallback option, potentially aiding in deliverability.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign explains that providing a plain text version is a good practice because it increases deliverability, helps those using screen readers, and allows your message to be received if the email client is set to not display HTML.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus shares that while HTML emails offer branding and design, including a plain text version is important for deliverability. Some spam filters flag emails without a plain text alternative as suspicious, and some recipients prefer plain text.
Email marketer from HubSpot advises including a plain text version for improved deliverability and accessibility, as some users or email clients may block HTML emails. A plain text version ensures your message is still received.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains they've been disabling the text version of emails since ~2012, citing that most MUAs support HTML and outdated text versions can cause false positives in mail filters and sees only downsides in having the text version and no upsides.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that including a plain text version is a good practice for deliverability. While most email clients support HTML, having a plain text version as a fallback can help prevent your email from being flagged as spam by certain filters.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum recommends always including a plain text version for accessibility and spam filter avoidance. Older email clients, screen readers, and security settings can benefit from this alternative.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares they use `Content-Type: multipart/alternative` with only the `Content-Type: text/html` part, having removed the text/plain version with no visible impact.
Email marketer from Moosend shares that adding a plain text version helps deliverability and accessibility, but also helps avoid certain spam filters that are more aggressive against emails without it.
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that plain text emails are beneficial because they ensure accessibility for all subscribers, can improve deliverability by lowering spam scores, and consume less bandwidth which is ideal for mobile users.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares that even semi-decent HTML is better than typical plain text for screen readers because of proper semantics.
Expert from SpamResource explains that a properly formatted HTML email with a valid, readable text part is important. It helps spam filters that analyze both parts to determine legitimacy.
Expert from Email Geeks recommends plain text versions, stating they seem to help in some places.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that, in general, the text part does affect filtering. Specifically that a malformed text part can hurt your deliverability. But a good or even neutral text part would not necessarily improve it.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that their tool auto-generates a text version to lower the SpamAssassin score, mainly for protection against simplistic tool checks.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Litmus explains that providing a plain text version is vital for accessibility, ensuring people with visual impairments can access content. It also caters to older email clients and those with limited HTML support, improving overall deliverability.
Documentation from Campaign Monitor shares that including a plain text version alongside HTML ensures deliverability. ISPs often see HTML-only emails as suspicious. Additionally, some users prefer plain text or use email clients that can't display HTML.
Documentation from SparkPost details that including a plain text version is essential for accessibility and better deliverability. Some older email clients don't support HTML and require the text alternative to display the message correctly.
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that creating a plain-text version ensures your campaign is accessible, renders correctly across various email clients, and reaches contacts who prefer text-only emails. It also impacts your spam score and helps meet accessibility guidelines.