49-html-email-template

Outlook desktop renders emails with the Word engine, so use table-based layouts only and avoid flexbox, grid, float, and position:absolute. Inline all CSS, use solid background colors instead of background images, and accept square buttons since border-radius is unsupported.

HTML emails should use a maximum container width of 600px on desktop and scale down to 100% on mobile screens around 375px. Use a media query with a 480px breakpoint to adjust padding, font sizes, and full-width CTA buttons.

Gmail can strip style tags in some contexts, so all CSS must be inlined on each element rather than placed in a style block. Media queries may also be ignored, so a single-column layout must remain readable without them.

Dark mode support is partial: Apple Mail honors prefers-color-scheme media queries, but Gmail often auto-inverts colors and ignores them. Use solid background colors on key sections, transparent PNG logos with sufficient contrast, and test on at least one dark mode client.

Marketing emails must include a working unsubscribe link and the company's physical address in the footer. The template reserves merge tags like {{unsubscribe_link}} and placeholders for the company address, adjusted to the sending tool's syntax.