Why is Gmail not clipping my emails over 102kb?
Summary
What email marketers say13Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms calculation only takes HTML into consideration. States no background on the reputation stuff.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that sometimes the inclusion of tracking pixels or complex HTML tables can contribute to the overall size of the email. Simplifying the design and minimizing the use of tracking pixels can help prevent clipping.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that before sending an email to a large audience, always test the email in Gmail to see if it gets clipped. This will allow you to identify potential issues and make necessary adjustments before impacting your subscribers.
Email marketer from HubSpot explains testing in a real Gmail account is always the best way to ensure your emails render correctly and don't get clipped. Use different devices and email clients for thorough testing.
Marketer from Email Geeks says outlook displays resolved message size, i.e. including any downloaded images.
Email marketer from SuperOffice explains try to avoid using too many nested tables in your design, as they can increase the HTML size and trigger clipping. Use CSS for layout when possible.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains Gmail will clip if the HTML is greater than 102kb and if the sender reputation is shaky, but if the sender reputation is good it usually won’t.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that optimizing HTML code can reduce the size of the email and prevent clipping. Minifying CSS and HTML, removing unnecessary code, and using optimized images are some of the strategies you can use.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that to accurately determine if an email will be clipped, you need to check the HTML size of the email. They recommend using tools like Litmus or Email on Acid to analyze the HTML and identify areas for optimization.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog shares that Gmail's clipping behavior isn't solely based on size. Sender reputation and user engagement also play a role. Emails from trusted senders with high engagement rates may not be clipped, even if they exceed the 102 KB limit.
Marketer from Email Geeks found that the filesize is completely accurate. It really is over 200kb, and couldn't determine why it isn’t clipping for the sender but it is clipping for him.
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that while images themselves don't count toward the 102KB HTML limit, large image sizes can still impact email loading times and user experience. Optimizing images for web use and using appropriate compression techniques can improve email performance.
Email marketer from Stackoverflow user shares that using inline CSS instead of embedded CSS can sometimes increase the HTML size and lead to clipping. Consider using a combination of inline and embedded CSS to optimize the code.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from SpamResource explains that Gmail's clipping behavior can be influenced by sender reputation. A sender with a strong reputation may have emails exceeding 102KB not clipped, while a sender with a poor reputation may experience clipping even for smaller emails. This is because Gmail trusts emails coming from reputable sources.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains the reasons emails render differently are many. Your IP is one aspect that will impact the delivery path the email takes to the inbox. Also the user or ESP can be an aspect in what happens to an email. In terms of clipping it is likely a user may have settings on their side to enable or disable the clipping.
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that the 102kb rule for Gmail clipping only applies to the HTML size of the email.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Mailchimp explains Gmail checks the complete HTML code size. Elements that add to it include: text, HTML tags, inline CSS, comments, and tracking pixels.
Documentation from Litmus shares that Gmail specifically looks at the HTML body of the email when determining whether to clip a message. External CSS files or linked images do not contribute to the HTML size.
Documentation from Google Support explains that Gmail clips messages exceeding 102 KB in size. However, this limit applies to the HTML code of the email, not the total size including images.
Documentation from Campaign Monitor explains if Gmail thinks the content after 102kb is not important it may clip it. Try to add the most important content before the 102kb limit.