Inbox Preview Simulator
Review how your email may appear across common clients and devices
First Impressions Matter
The inbox preview is the first thing your recipients see - your sender name, subject line, and preview text. This combination determines whether your email gets opened or ignored. Different email clients display these elements differently, often truncating them based on character limits and device sizes.
How This Tool Helps
Our Inbox Preview Simulator gives you a practical preview of how your email may appear in common email clients and devices before you send it. This helps you review subject lines and preview text for likely truncation, layout differences, and readability across common clients.
Test Your Email Preview
Optimize Your Email's First Impression
What Is Preview Text?
Preview text (also called preheader text) is the snippet of text that appears after or below the subject line in most email clients. If you don't explicitly set preview text, email clients will pull the first text they find in your email body, which might not be ideal for engagement.
Tips for Effective Preview Text
- Complement your subject line: Don't repeat the subject line; instead, add information that builds upon it
- Include a call to action: Encourage recipients to open your email
- Create curiosity: Tease content that's inside the email
- Keep it concise: Use 40-90 characters as a starting range, then review how each client truncates the text
- Test on mobile: About 60% of emails are opened on mobile devices
How to Implement Preview Text
You can control your preview text by adding a specific HTML snippet at the very beginning of your email:
<div style="display:none; font-size:1px; line-height:1px; max-height:0px; max-width:0px; opacity:0; overflow:hidden; mso-hide:all;">
Your custom preview text goes here
</div>Client-Specific Considerations
| Email Client | Subject Limit | Preview Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail (Desktop) | ~70 characters | ~100 characters | Shows sender name, subject, and preview on separate lines |
| Outlook (Desktop) | ~55 characters | ~75 characters | Preview text appears in a lighter color below the subject |
| Apple Mail (iOS) | ~40 characters | ~90 characters | Shows more preview text than subject |
| Gmail (Mobile) | ~35 characters | ~55 characters | Limited space makes every character count |