Who is using AMP in email and what are the roadblocks?

Summary

While AWeber uses AMP in most of its sends, AMP's adoption faces numerous roadblocks. These include the technical complexity of implementation (requiring specialized skills), limited support across email clients (mainly Gmail, Mail.Ru, and Yahoo Mail, necessitating fallback HTML versions), the requirement for sender registration and approval from mailbox providers, and stringent security and validation requirements to prevent abuse. Many marketers also lack the required skills, and some companies don't see enough value to justify the effort. Despite offering interactive experiences and dynamic content, these challenges prevent AMP from becoming a mainstream practice.

Key findings

  • Technical Complexity: Implementing AMP requires specific skills (HTML, CSS, JS, AMP-specific JS), creating a barrier for many marketers.
  • Limited Client Support: AMP email support is limited to a subset of email clients, making fallback HTML versions essential.
  • Registration Required: Senders must register and get approval from mailbox providers, adding complexity and time.
  • Stringent Validation: All AMP emails must pass strict validation to avoid rendering errors and ensure security.
  • ROI Concerns: Some companies don't find the benefits of AMP's interactivity worth the implementation effort.

Key considerations

  • Skillset Assessment: Evaluate whether your team has the skills needed to develop and maintain AMP emails.
  • Client Base: Consider whether your audience primarily uses email clients that support AMP.
  • Time Investment: Factor in the time required for registration, validation, and fallback creation.
  • Security: Prioritize adherence to security requirements and validation processes.
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis: Carefully weigh the potential benefits of AMP against the implementation costs and limitations.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

AMP for email, while offering interactive and engaging experiences, faces significant adoption roadblocks. These include the technical complexity of implementation, limited support across email clients, the need for sender registration and approval, and a lack of necessary skills among email marketers. While AMP can provide dynamic content and real-time updates, many companies don't see enough value to justify the development effort required, particularly given the fragmentation of email client support and the necessity for fallback HTML versions.

Key opinions

  • Complexity: Technical complexity is a major barrier, requiring specialized skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and AMP-specific technologies.
  • Limited Support: AMP email support is limited to a few email clients like Gmail, Mail.Ru, and Yahoo Mail, necessitating fallback HTML versions.
  • Registration Required: Senders must register with mailbox providers and obtain approval, adding time and complexity to the process.
  • Lack of Value: Some companies do not see the return on investment for interactive content to be worth the effort required.
  • Low Adoption: AMP adoption has been relatively low as its not a mainstream email marketing practice

Key considerations

  • Technical Skills: Assess whether your team possesses the necessary technical skills or resources to develop and maintain AMP emails.
  • Client Support: Consider the email clients used by your audience and whether the limited support for AMP justifies the investment.
  • Registration Process: Be prepared for the time-consuming registration process and the need to adhere to specific security requirements.
  • Fallback Options: Always include fallback HTML versions to ensure deliverability and a positive experience for all recipients.
  • Value Proposition: Carefully evaluate the potential benefits of interactive content for your audience and whether it outweighs the challenges of AMP implementation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that AWeber uses AMP in most sends to users. Explains the biggest roadblock is the individual mailbox provider sign up approval process and unknown turnaround time.

October 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid explains one roadblock is the complexity of AMP which requires a strong development background. They also mention limited email client support, requiring fallback HTML emails, and stringent registration requirements as other challenges.

September 2022 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow shares that AMP email support is limited to Gmail, Mail.Ru, and Yahoo Mail. Other email clients will require a fallback HTML version of the email, increasing development effort.

September 2023 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that many email marketers lack the necessary skills in AMP's required technologies (HTML, CSS, JS and AMP-specific JS) to implement AMP emails successfully.

January 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that while AMP for email offers interactive experiences, adoption is slow due to the technical complexity of creating and maintaining AMP emails, the limited support across email clients, and the requirement for sender registration with Google.

May 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot notes that the relatively low adoption rate of AMP for email is due to the technical hurdles, lack of widespread support across email clients, and the need for specific sender registration.

September 2021 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that AMP for email provides some innovative features, but the complexities and limitations have prevented it from becoming a mainstream email marketing practice.

March 2023 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from Slashdot responds to the question that only a small subset of email providers and clients support AMP, creating fragmentation and necessitating fallback options.

May 2021 - Slashdot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendgrid explains that use cases include interactive forms, dynamic content updates, and real-time information displays, but that some companies don't see the value add for their customers over traditional HTML emails.

December 2022 - Sendgrid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that some of the benefits of AMP email include increased engagement through interactive content and a more app-like experience, but highlights the complexity of implementation as a barrier.

November 2021 - Campaign Monitor

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Experts agree that AMP for email adoption is limited by complexity, lack of widespread client support, and stringent registration and validation requirements. The limited support, primarily confined to Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Mail.ru, necessitates fallback HTML versions for broader reach.

Key opinions

  • Limited Use: AMP email is not widely adopted due to its various hurdles.
  • Client Support: Email client support is a major roadblock, with only a few clients supporting AMP.
  • Fallback Required: Due to limited support, creating fallback HTML versions is essential.
  • Stringent Requirements: Stringent registration and validation requirements create barriers to entry.

Key considerations

  • Client Reach: Assess if targeting only supporting clients justifies the effort.
  • Fallback Strategy: Develop a robust fallback strategy for non-supporting clients.
  • Compliance: Ensure adherence to stringent registration and validation requirements.
  • Cost-Benefit: Weigh the benefits of AMP against the complexities and limitations.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that email client support is another adoption roadblock, with only Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Mail.ru supporting it. Thus it is necessary to have a fallback

June 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that AMP is not widely used due to concerns about its complexity, limited client support, and stringent requirements for registration and validation.

January 2023 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Official documentation highlights that sending AMP emails requires registration, authentication, and adherence to strict security protocols to prevent abuse. All AMP emails must pass validation to ensure compliance with the AMP specification, preventing rendering errors. While Yahoo is committed to supporting AMP, a fallback HTML version is necessary for non-supporting clients.

Key findings

  • Registration Required: Senders must register with Google to send AMP emails.
  • Validation Needed: All AMP emails must pass validation to adhere to AMP specifications.
  • Security Concerns: AMP emails require stringent security due to dynamic content.
  • Fallback Necessary: Fallback HTML versions are required for non-supporting email clients.

Key considerations

  • Compliance Process: Understand and comply with the registration and authentication requirements.
  • Validation Testing: Implement a rigorous validation process to avoid rendering errors.
  • Security Measures: Adhere to strict security protocols to prevent malicious code and abuse.
  • Client Compatibility: Ensure a fallback HTML version is created to cater to all email clients.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Developers details that senders must register with Google to send AMP emails, authenticating their emails and adhering to specific security requirements to prevent abuse and ensure a safe user experience.

December 2022 - Google Developers
Technical article

Documentation from AMP.dev details that all AMP emails must pass validation to ensure they adhere to the AMP specification. Validation errors can prevent emails from rendering correctly, creating a barrier to entry.

December 2021 - AMP.dev
Technical article

Documentation from Gmail details that there are security concerns because AMP emails use dynamic content so AMP email has strict validation and sender approval processes to prevent malicious code.

September 2022 - Gmail
Technical article

Documentation from Yahoo details that it's committed to supporting AMP for email, but also states that all AMP emails should have a fallback HTML version for non-supporting clients.

June 2021 - Yahoo