Email Design & Troubleshooting
Email providers don't all display messages the same way. Differences between Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, mobile devices, and other email applications can affect how images, spacing, fonts, and other design elements appear to recipients.
DonorDock's email editor provides tools for building responsive marketing emails, but following a few email design best practices can help create more consistent results and improve deliverability.
Test Emails for Different Email Providers
An email that looks one way in the editor may display slightly differently depending on where the recipient opens it.
Email providers use different systems for rendering HTML, and some providers may:
Block images until the recipient chooses to display them
Apply their own font or spacing rules
Interpret copied formatting differently
Resize content for mobile devices
Limit or alter certain HTML formatting
Small differences between email applications are normal.
Building the email directly within DonorDock's editor and sending a test email before a larger send can help identify potential formatting issues.
Use a Balance of Text and Images
Images can make an email more engaging, but important information should not rely entirely on images.
Using text elements for your primary message helps ensure that the content remains readable when:
Images are blocked
The recipient has a slow connection
The email is viewed on a small mobile screen
The recipient uses accessibility tools
It also gives email content more flexibility to resize for different screen sizes.
Format Content Within the Email Editor
Copying text from Microsoft Word, Google Docs, websites, or previous emails can bring hidden formatting into the email editor.
That formatting may not be obvious while you are editing but can affect spacing, fonts, line breaks, or bullets after the email is sent.
When possible:
Remove formatting when pasting content from another source.
Apply fonts, alignment, bullets, and other styles using the DonorDock email editor.
Use separate content elements when you need more control over spacing.
Adjust padding within individual elements rather than relying on repeated spaces or line breaks.
Share Files with Links Instead of Attachments
Attachments cannot be included with emails sent through DonorDock.
Email attachments can increase message size and increase the likelihood that an email provider or spam filter treats the message as suspicious.
Instead, host the document online and link to it from your email using:
A button
A text link
A linked image
Again, Test Before Sending!
Before sending a bulk Outreach Email, we recommend sending yourself a test copy.
Review the test on the devices and email applications available to you and check:
Text formatting
Spacing
Images
Buttons
Links
Mobile layout
Subject line
Merge tags and personalization
Testing cannot guarantee that every email provider will display the message identically, but it can help catch common design issues before you send the email to your full audience.