Email Text Version Best Practices

Definition

Best practices for the plain-text email version cover how to structure the alternative MIME part of a multipart email so that it communicates the full message value to subscribers in text-only environments. Every properly formatted marketing email sends both an HTML version and a plain-text version. Mailbox providers evaluate both, and a mismatch between the two can trigger spam filtering.

The plain-text version is not simply the HTML stripped of tags — it is a deliberately written version of the same message optimised for readability in a monospace environment, with links spelled out, images described and structure communicated through spacing and punctuation instead of visual design.

Key Best Practices

• Write the text version from scratch or carefully edit an auto-generated version rather than accepting the default
• Include the same core message and offer as the HTML version to avoid being flagged for content mismatch
• Spell out all URLs in full since plain-text environments do not support hyperlinked text
• Use line breaks and spacing to create visual hierarchy in place of design elements
• Place the unsubscribe link prominently rather than burying it

Best Practices

• Test the text version by viewing it in a plain-text email client to verify readability
• Keep character width to approximately 70 characters per line for comfortable reading
• Include alt-text descriptions of important images in square brackets so text-only subscribers understand what they are missing
• Treat the plain-text version as a distinct piece of content, not an afterthought stripped from HTML