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Preview text is the snippet of text displayed alongside the subject line in email inbox views, giving recipients a glimpse of the email's content before opening it. Also known as preheader text, this element typically appears after the subject line and can range from 35 to 140 characters depending on the email client and device. When not explicitly set, email clients automatically pull the first visible text from the email body, which may result in unintended or unprofessional preview content.
Preview text directly impacts email open rates by providing recipients with additional context beyond the subject line. Studies show that emails with optimized preview text can see open rate improvements of 10-30% compared to emails with default or missing preview text. In crowded inboxes where recipients make split-second decisions about which emails to open, preview text serves as valuable real estate for convincing readers your email is worth their time. Beyond open rates, preview text affects your sender reputation and overall email deliverability. Professional, intentional preview text signals to recipients (and spam filters) that your emails are legitimate and well-crafted. Conversely, preview text that displays unsubscribe links, image alt text, or "view in browser" messages creates a poor first impression and may contribute to higher unsubscribe rates or spam complaints. Preview text also plays a strategic role in A/B testing and campaign optimization. By testing different preview text variations while keeping subject lines constant, marketers can isolate the impact of this element and develop data-driven best practices. This granular testing capability makes preview text a powerful lever for continuous improvement in email marketing performance.
Preview text functions as a hidden or semi-visible element within your email's HTML code. When you send an email, the recipient's email client scans for designated preheader content or, if absent, extracts the first text it encounters in the email body. This text then appears in the inbox alongside the subject line, creating a two-line preview that helps recipients decide whether to open the email. To implement preview text, marketers typically add a hidden span or div element at the very beginning of the email body, before any visible content. This element contains the desired preview text and is styled to be invisible when the email is opened (using techniques like zero font size or matching the background color). More advanced implementations include whitespace padding after the preview text to prevent email clients from appending additional body content. The display length varies significantly across email clients. Gmail shows approximately 100-140 characters on desktop but only 40-90 on mobile. Apple Mail displays around 80-100 characters, while Outlook shows 35-50 characters. Understanding these variations helps marketers craft preview text that delivers the key message within the first 40 characters while using additional characters to provide supplementary information for clients that display more.
Aim for 40-50 characters for your core message to ensure visibility on mobile devices, but write up to 100-140 characters total for desktop clients. Place the most compelling information first, as longer preview text will be truncated on smaller screens.
If you don't explicitly set preview text, email clients will automatically display the first text found in your email body. This often results in displaying navigation links, alt text, or 'View in browser' messages, which looks unprofessional and wastes valuable inbox real estate.
No, preview text should complement rather than duplicate your subject line. Use it to add new information, expand on a teaser, or provide additional context that gives recipients more reasons to open your email.
Use CSS to hide the preview text element by setting properties like display:none, font-size:0, or color matching the background. Additionally, add non-breaking spaces or zero-width characters after your text to prevent email clients from pulling subsequent body content into the preview.
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