Definition
Email image truncation — commonly called email clipping — is when an email gets cut off partway down the page by the receiving service or client. The most well-known form is Gmail's email clipping: messages whose raw HTML source exceeds roughly 102 KB are cut at that point, with a link to view the full email in a browser.
Truncation does not necessarily mean the email was wrongly filtered or blocked. It simply means the recipient can only see the portion of the email that fit within the service's technical limit, and anything below the cut is hidden.
Gmail Clipping Threshold
| Service | Approximate Limit | Behaviour |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | ~102 KB of raw HTML source | Cuts email, shows "View entire message" |
| Other webmail | Varies | May cut by complexity, not raw size |
| Desktop clients | Rarely truncates | Loads full message locally |
The limit applies to the HTML source size, not the rendered visual size. Heavily coded emails — with lots of repeated HTML, large embedded styles or complex tables — hit the threshold faster than lean ones.
Why Emails Get Truncated
- Large raw HTML size: Every byte of markup and inline style counts toward the clip threshold.
- Images embedded as base64: Inline-encoded images are enormous and push an email over the limit quickly.
- Repeated nested tables and cell padding: Complex legacy table layouts inflate source size.
- Heavy CSS: Large batches of styles repeated across every element add up.
- Very long visual emails: Substantial content simply crosses the line before the bottom is reached.
How to Prevent Email Truncation
- Host images externally: Upload images to a server or CDN and reference them with HTTPS image URLs instead of embedding base64.
- Keep code lean: Use clean, well-structured HTML and avoid unnecessary nesting and repetition.
- Trim CSS: Remove unused styles and consider simpler, lighter markup that renders the same.
- Use modular templates: Reusable, compact code blocks keep source size under control.
- Place key content above the fold: Whatever a recipient is most likely to act on should appear before the likely clip point.
- Add a prominent fallback: Include a styled "View in browser" link in case truncation still occurs.
Related Glossary Terms
Above the Fold in Email
Above the fold in email refers to the content visible to a recipient before they scroll, a critical area for first impressions and primary calls to action.
Accessible CTA (Email)
An accessible CTA is a button or link coded with sufficient colour contrast, visible focus states, descriptive screen-reader text, and a minimum touch target of 44×44 pixels.
Adaptive Design
Adaptive design in email uses predefined layouts that adjust to specific device or client widths, rather than fluidly resizing to every possible screen.
AI-Generated Content in Email
AI-generated content in email is copy, images, code or subject lines produced by artificial intelligence tools to speed up campaign production and testing.
Alt Text
Alt text is the written alternative to an image in an email, displayed when images are blocked, slow to load, or consumed by screen readers.
Autoplay Video in Email
Autoplay video in email refers to the limited ability to play video content automatically when an email is opened, using specific client-supported techniques.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gmail cuts emails whose raw HTML source is larger than about 102 KB. Any content below the clip point is hidden and replaced with a "View entire message" link. The threshold applies to the source code size, not the visual height of the email.
Test your emails by sending to Gmail and checking for the clipping notice. Online email test tools will also tell you the estimated rendered size and warn when an email is close to or over the clipping limit.
Not directly. Clipping is a display behaviour, not a spam signal. However, if truncation hides your call to action or key message, engagement suffers — and low engagement over time can indirectly affect deliverability.
Host images externally instead of embedding base64, simplify your table structure, remove unused CSS and templates, and trim redundant markup. Cutting even a few kilobytes can keep a large email under the clip threshold.