Definition
Progressive enhancement starts with a simple, universally supported email — table-based layout, inline CSS, and basic fonts — then adds enhancements for clients that support them. Enhanced features can include media queries for responsive design, web fonts, CSS animations, and interactive elements. The approach ensures every subscriber sees a functional email regardless of their email client, while those with modern clients get an improved experience. This contrasts with graceful degradation, which builds for modern clients first and then fixes issues for older ones.
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.
AMP for Email
AMP for Email is a technology that allows interactive, dynamic content to live inside an email message, enabling forms, carousels and live updates.