There are electronic mail builders all all over the world with a couple of additional grey hairs and wrinkles because of challenges that Microsoft Outlook causes us. However take coronary heart my pals! There could also be an finish to the nightmare of coding emails for desktop variations of Outlook.
Final 12 months, Microsoft introduced it plans to launch a brand new Outlook for Home windows. The announcement was primarily geared towards Outlook customers, and it invited beta testers to begin enjoying round with the up to date model. Nonetheless, there was a line added to the article that was music to the ears of electronic mail geeks:
“Right now, we’re taking our subsequent step by sharing a preview of the brand new Outlook for Home windows, designed to convey consistency throughout our Home windows and net codebases…”
Margie Clinton, Microsoft 365 Insider article
The important thing phrase in that citation above is “consistency.” So, why is that such a giant deal? We’ll clarify.
Why Outlook for Home windows is a big headache
Should you’ve been within the electronic mail advertising and marketing world for some time, you’re in all probability conscious of the most important problem for individuals who code campaigns: electronic mail purchasers don’t render HTML and CSS constantly.
There are various ranges of assist for sure types of HTML and CSS. Meaning the way in which one thing appears to be like on Gmail could look fairly totally different in Yahoo Mail. To see simply how sophisticated this will get for electronic mail builders, try the web site CanIEmail.com and examine assist amongst electronic mail purchasers.
The largest wrongdoer of all has been the desktop variations of Outlook (for Home windows 2003 – 2019). That’s why our tongue-in-cheek article on electronic mail shopper stereotypes labeled Outlook “The Troublemaker.”
The principle purpose for all that bother is that Outlook for Home windows has been utilizing Microsoft Phrase as its rendering engine for years. And for those who suppose it appears odd to make use of a phrase processor to render electronic mail code, you’re not unsuitable. To be taught extra about this, try Rémi Parmentier’s publish on the present Outlook rendering engine.
It’s doubtless that Outlook customers make up a a lot smaller proportion of your checklist compared to mailbox suppliers like Gmail and Apple Mail. Nevertheless it’s an essential electronic mail shopper for B2B manufacturers and large enough that B2C senders can’t ignore it both.
Outlook coding points are such a giant drawback that they majorly affect the way in which we develop emails. Hussein Al Hammad defined why in a publish for the E-mail Markup Consortium (EMC):
“Given the broad use of Outlook for Home windows globally, electronic mail builders caught with patterns solely wanted to make sure their HTML emails render effectively on Outlook for Home windows. As a result of these patterns usually are not wanted for emails to render effectively elsewhere, it’s an Outlook-first strategy and never a user-first one.”
~ Hussein Al Hammad, E-mail Markup Consortium
The truth that we’ve typically needed to code what works for in Outlook relatively than what’s greatest for subscribers has been a bummer – to say the least. However that might change as folks and companies undertake the brand new Outlook for home windows.
What to anticipate from the brand new Outlook for Home windows
When Microsoft acknowledged that it was going to “convey consistency throughout our Home windows and net codebases,” it signaled that the brand new desktop model of Outlook would render code in the identical manner as web-based variations of Outlook.
Meaning the brand new Outlook for Home windows would use a web-based rendering engine identical to most different purchasers do. So, there can be extra assist for HTML and CSS, which is able to remedy fairly a couple of issues for electronic mail builders. Listed here are a few of the largest modifications to count on:
1. No extra utilizing tables to code emails
As soon as the desktop variations of Outlook are lastly laid to relaxation, the necessity to use tables to code electronic mail layouts will now not be a necessity. The first purpose electronic mail builders have been doing that’s due to Outlook and its Phrase rendering engine.
Tables supplied the easiest way to successfully dimension and place electronic mail components in Outlook for Home windows. However in addition they created quite a lot of additional work for electronic mail coders who could choose to make use of <div>s as an alternative. Sadly, since Outlook ignores inline styling, we will’t model <div>s with CSS.
The excellent news is, with the brand new Outlook for Home windows and its web-based rendering engine, we will count on fewer damaged layouts and the flexibility to make use of extra CSS. It will additionally imply the top of utilizing ghost tables to repair Outlook alignment points.
2. Coding margin and padding will get simpler
Among the many many issues Outlook brought on for electronic mail coding, points with spacing had been a few of the most irritating.
For starters, apart from Outlook 2003, builders are unable to make use of CSS properties like “margin” or “padding” in code for the opposite desktop variations. Outlook removes padding in some conditions. That may embody picture padding, which when ignored could trigger textual content to seem flush in opposition to an electronic mail graphic.
Because the margin and padding CSS properties have higher assist in Outlook net and cell purposes, it’s secure to imagine that we’ll be capable to use them for the brand new Outlook for Home windows.
3. Assist for CSS background photographs
As a result of Outlook.com and Outlook 365 use a web-based rendering engine, CSS background photographs aren’t any drawback in any respect. Nevertheless it’s been a distinct story for the desktop variations. Whereas Outlook does assist the background-color property, electronic mail builders have been pressured to make use of desk background picture attributes as an alternative of the CSS property background-image.
The opposite choice has been to make use of vector markup language (VML) for background photographs in Outlook emails.
As soon as the brand new Outlook for Home windows replaces its outdated ancestors, we’ll be capable to dimension and place electronic mail backgrounds and use bigger photographs for retina shows.
4. Fewer conditional statements in emails
When electronic mail builders need to embody code that’s just for sure variations of Outlook, or they need to conceal content material from Outlook subscribers (as a result of it received’t work), conditional statements have executed the trick.
As the present desktop variations fade away and make room for a brand new Outlook for home windows, electronic mail coding received’t require as a lot of these <!--if [mso]> statements. The truth is, that is one thing to bear in mind as issues progress, since you’ll need to take away these MSO conditional statements to simplify your code and cut back bloat.
What does this imply for the way forward for electronic mail coding and testing?
There are various different rendering points which will disappear together with adoption of the brand new Outlook for Home windows. However don’t get too excited simply but. First, companies and electronic mail customers might want to replace their variations of Outlook. And it ought to come as no shock that this received’t occur robotically. In spite of everything, that’s why we’re nonetheless ensuring emails look okay in Outlook 2010 proper now.
The date to mark in your calendars is October 2026. That’s when Microsoft says it’ll formally finish its assist for desktop variations that use the Phrase rendering engine. As soon as that occurs, those that are gradual to undertake should begin utilizing the brand new Outlook for Home windows.
Since its earliest days, E-mail on Acid by Sinch has taken on the mission of simplifying the complexities of electronic mail improvement. We’ve executed that by offering electronic mail testing instruments together with electronic mail previews that present you ways your campaigns render on dozens of purchasers and reside gadgets.
In fact, discovering and fixing Outlook points earlier than hitting “ship” are among the many largest causes folks use our platform. However the reality is, we’re excited that this transformation is coming. Identical to everybody concerned with the EMC, we consider that the e-mail business wants outlined requirements, and it is a huge step in the fitting path.
Within the meantime, desktop variations of Outlook will reside on, and different electronic mail coding and design challenges reminiscent of darkish mode and accessibility will nonetheless should be addressed. So, for those who’re prepared to begin placing your greatest electronic mail ahead, give E-mail on Acid a attempt.
Writer: Megan Boshuyzen
Megan is a graphic designer turned electronic mail developer who’s labored on all features of electronic mail advertising and marketing. She believes good emails for good causes make a constructive distinction on the earth. Megan is at present working as an electronic mail developer for Sinch E-mail. Go to her web site and be taught extra at megbosh.com.
Writer: Megan Boshuyzen
Megan is a graphic designer turned electronic mail developer who’s labored on all features of electronic mail advertising and marketing. She believes good emails for good causes make a constructive distinction on the earth. Megan is at present working as an electronic mail developer for Sinch E-mail. Go to her web site and be taught extra at megbosh.com.
