Sending a responsive email through Outlook can cause issues with the 100% width tables

After using a boilerplate to create a responsive email that looks good across devices, there seems to be an issue with Gmail on Android. However, you can't always have everything perfect.

When forwarding the email in Outlook 2007 or 2010, the table breaks up into segments even though it was declared as 100% width. Attempting to wrap the entire email into a table did not solve the issue. Additionally, we do not have an email marketing ESP that can provide a forwarding link, so that option is unavailable. Is there a way to fix the code or any other solutions to this problem?

The email in question can be viewed here:

View the broken email below:

htmlcssemailresponsive-designhtml-email

Answer №1

Have you ever tried forwarding an email to a webmail service and then using the inspect element feature? If you do, you'll notice that the code is filled with MSO custom CSS properties like 

mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan;

Outlook automatically adds this CSS to any rich-text or HTML email sent through its platform, leading to the messy formatting issue you are experiencing. One workaround could be adding !important rules at the beginning of your stylesheets to override Outlook's default settings on various elements. However, it's also common for people to simply accept that forwarded emails may not display perfectly due to Outlook's handling of HTML. Keep in mind that Outlook is not the only email client that struggles with forwarded HTML content.

Answer №2

When you use Outlook to send emails, it completely transforms the HTML using its own rendering engine. Essentially, once Outlook processes your email, it becomes a Word document.

Sending responsive emails through Outlook is nearly impossible as it removes all media queries. The best option is to send scalable emails, but even that comes with limitations such as no percent width for images. To achieve responsiveness, it's recommended to use a different email client for sending.

One alternative is Thunderbird, which provides a more seamless sending experience by utilizing the Mozilla rendering engine for handling HTML in emails. While there may still be some quirks, Thunderbird offers more flexibility compared to Outlook.

For optimal results, consider using an Email Service Provider (ESP) like MailChimp or Exact Target to send out messages. Forwarding emails received in Outlook can lead to issues with CAN-SPAM compliance and impact on analytics. It's crucial to have opt-out options linked directly to the recipient rather than the sender.

If responsive design is not a priority, refer to this Email On Acid guide for tips on coding emails for Outlook: Outlook Tips. This resource may offer insights into addressing table spacing issues specific to Outlook coding.

Similar questions

If you have not found the answer to your question or you are interested in this topic, then look at other similar questions below or use the search

Is it possible to alter the background behind each word in a text using only CSS?

I have a question about styling quotes by highlighting each word in the text with a background color. The issue I'm facing is that when using a solid background, there are no gaps between the colors. How can I achieve a result similar to this, but wit ...

css

A guide on integrating a data deletion feature in Angular applications

On our website's edit page, there is a list of mat cards/workspaces with an edit icon in the top corner of each workspace. Clicking on the edit icon will take you to the edit page for that specific workspace. Within this edit page, there is a delete b ...

htmlcssangularfunctionfilter

What is the best way to display table headers for each record on mobile devices? Is there a way to create a stacked view

I recently started working with bootstrap, specifically version 3. I am currently trying to find a way to create a layout that resembles a regular table when viewed on desktop but switches to a stacked format on mobile devices. This is the design I am aim ...

htmlcsstwitter-bootstrap-3

Issue with SharePoint back-to-top functionality: unable to apply custom class during page scrolling

I am currently working on implementing a "back to top" functionality in the SharePoint master page. The back to top feature itself is functional, however, I am encountering an issue with adding a class that will show or hide the icon based on page scroll. ...

javascriptjqueryhtmlcsssharepoint

Using Javascript to dynamically update custom CSS properties

I am currently utilizing the paper-scroll-header-panel along with a custom CSS property paper-scroll-header-panel { --paper-scroll-header-panel-full-header: { background-image: url(images/abcd.jpg); }; } in order to customize th ...

javascriptcsspolymerpolymer-1.0

Creating a Sleek Horizontal Scroll Functionality for Multiple Rows with Bootstrap 5

The container allows scrolling for only half of its content. Afterwards, scrolling affects the navigation panel as well. CSS: .horizontal-scrollable { overflow-x: auto; white-space: nowrap; } HTML: <div class="container hori ...

cssbootstrap-4flexboxbootstrap-5bootstrap-grid

Leveraging Iterated Variable Names for Basic Calculations Within a JavaScript for Loop

I am encountering difficulties in creating and manipulating variables dynamically within a loop. Specifically, I need to create variable names in a loop and then perform simple math operations on them. Despite my efforts, these variables are being recogniz ...

javascripthtmlvariablesfor-loopdynamic

List items that are not in any particular order spilling over onto the next

Having an issue with an unordered list where the list items aren't all on the same line. The 5th element is dropping to the next line even though each item is set to 20% of the container. The math adds up, so not sure what's causing the problem. ...

css

I am curious to learn the best way to ensure that all the elements on my navigation are evenly spaced

I'm trying to figure out how to evenly space all the elements on my navigation bar. It's for a school project where I'm designing a website, but I just can't seem to get it right. None of the solutions I've tried so far have worked ...

htmlcss

Achieving consistent radiobutton width across various column widths

Struggling to match the size of the radio button area (input-group-addon) in col-sm-4 and col-sm-6 columns? Considering using min-width to achieve a consistent width but finding no success? Seeking uniform width for radio button controls? Check out this vi ...

htmlcsstwitter-bootstrap-3

Looking for a solution to fix parallax images appearing blurred or pixelated on an iPhone? Seeking guidance on

Currently, I'm facing an issue with my website. The background images appear pixelated on iPhone screens. This is the HTML code I am using: <div class="parallax img-overlay3" style="background-image:url(img/pictures/food02.jpg)" data-stellar-bac ...

htmlioscssiphonestellar.js

When you click on the "email" link, the Email app will automatically launch

Is there a way I can make the "EMAIL" text clickable in HTML, so that it automatically opens an email app or site and inserts the clicked email into the "To:" field? ...

javascripthtml

Restricting Horizontal Scrolling in Dash DataTable with multi-tiered header (without any additional empty gaps)

I'm currently developing a Dash application using Plotly that showcases two tables, specifically dash_table.DataTable, each with multiple columns. The initial table features a multi-level header. For both tables, the first few columns are fixed while ...

pythoncssplotly-dash

Troubleshooting Issue: Click functionality not functioning for button within Bootstrap dropdown menu

Issue The event handler does not get triggered when a button is clicked inside a Bootstrap dropdown menu. Desired Outcome I want the event handler to execute when the button with id repeat_booking_button in the dropdown is clicked. Attempted Solutions ...

javascripthtmljquerytwitter-bootstrapbootstrap-4

Execute a function when the selected option changes

Now I have implemented a code that dynamically changes the foreign key based on user input and retrieves data accordingly. Here is how it all comes together: Starting with the HTML page: <div class="large-6 columns"> {% csrf_token %} <in ...

javascriptjqueryhtml

The issue of background-attachment: fixed not functioning properly on Safari

Currently, I have the following code implemented on an element that extends 100% of the browser: #section_white { background-attachment:fixed; background-image:url(image_url_here.jpg); background-position:100% 100%; background-repeat:no-repeat no- ...

csssafaricross-browserbackground-attachmentbackground-size

CSS causing unexpected behavior in image slider

I am facing an issue with incorporating a code for an image slideshow into my website. The current CSS is causing the slideshow to malfunction. Without the slideshow code in the CSS, the image appears correctly on the screen and changes its source every 2 ...

htmlcssslideshow

Center-align the text in the navigation bar

Is there a way to center the text within my navigation and ensure it remains centered across all resolutions (left at 1920x1080, centered at 1420)? I understand that much of this code is inefficient and not working correctly, but for now I just want to fi ...

htmlcsswordpressnavigation

Having trouble with the find method when trying to use it with the transform

In my code, I have three div elements with different values of the transform property assigned to them. I store these elements in a variable using the getElementsByClassName method and then try to find the element where the value of the transform property ...

javascriptcss

Python: Utilizing HTML User Input to Search Database

I am currently working on a project that involves searching a database using HTML. Here is the code snippet I am using: <form action="/question/search" method="POST"> <input id="search" type="text" placeholder="Search.." name="s ...

pythonhtmlsqlpostgresqlpsycopg2