Iceberg. Dead ahead: How to Avoid Gmail Clipping
In case you didn’t already know, HTML characters count in email, especially to Gmail. New York Times frontend engineer Angie Siu explains the ins and outs of what developers, designers, and newsletter creators can do to avoid it in this article.
For those using templates and visual builders, it’s quite the challenge to stay close to the 102KB file size rumored to be Gmail’s clipping point.
“... the key is to understand how much HTML is needed to produce the content you have. This is especially important if you write emails using a template-based service like Mailchimp or an in-house one powered by a component library because, as an editor, you might not get to see the code that goes into making your email behind the scenes.
Think of each block of content in your email as an iceberg—the stuff you as an editor get to see and interact with is just the tip that’s above the surface of the water. But there’s the rest of the iceberg that’s beneath the surface, which is the HTML that the developers wrote so it will look the way the designers planned.
For each iceberg tip, there’s more iceberg underneath that keeps it afloat. And since an email will contain many such icebergs, you can imagine that there’s a lot going on beneath the surface that you can’t see. So every time you create a new block of content, you’re really creating a whole iceberg—not just what’s on the surface.”
One very real danger of not resolving a Gmail clipping problem is that the unsubscribe link in your footer will not show and people who want to unsubscribe will resort to reporting the email as spam in order to get off your list.
Image: Angie Siu
Ernie Smith from Facebook group Newsletter Nerds, provides some insights into why Gmail clips your emails.
You might recall another piece on this topic from an earlier issue of Opt In and want to refer back to it if this topic fascinates (or infuriates) you.
Related: Check out How to Please Gmail (discovered via Really Good Emails).
Sometimes The Click Is The Punchline: An Interview With Dave Verwer of iOS Dev Weekly
In this interview, I talk to Dave Verwer of the iOS Dev Weekly newsletter which goes out to 46,000+ people weekly.
He’s now nearing his 500th issue. But back when Dave began, he developed tools to support his newsletter workflow and eventually decided to turn them into a solution others could use, too.
That became Curated.
This series typically steers clear of promoting our software (I interview more people not using it than those who do), but this conversation gives a unique optic on the process of a veteran newsletter creator.
We discussed some intriguing topics, including his stance on sponsorships (build an audience first) and how he’s made decisions along the journey. It’s one part founder interview (like how he designed the product to avoid Gmail clipping) and another part newsletter strategy chat (how he finds links to include, what he writes about them, audience growth, monetization, and more).
Tip: Make Your Archives Easy To Browse And Search (+ Treat Opt In Weekly Like An Idea Repository!)
Last week, a friend posed a question about a topic I try to follow: ungated marketing content vs publisher paywalls. While I had an initial response (they’re different beasts to tackle), I’ve curated 6 articles concerning gating in this newsletter. I used the publication site search function to revisit those articles (and my commentary) to share one article with him.
I asked Seth to create a GIF showing how that works in case you want try it in your own newsletter. Or maybe you want to test it out to see what I’ve published in the past about topics like deliverability, Gmail clipping, and getting listed in newsletter directories.
Curated users who have publication sites enabled (issues can be published to the Curated.co domain or a custom domain) can show archives and allow search by going to Settings > Hosting, Subscriptions, and Publishing > Web.
Great search example in the GIF, Seth!
Need Inspiration? Check Out These 12 Newsletters
Producing a newsletter week after week can feel like a grind. Trust me, I get it. But, what if all you need is just a good cup of coffee, a little motivation, and a big dose of inspiration to get the creative juices flowing?
These 12 examples are good, but what’s even better is Kelly Forst’s breakdown of what makes them good. Dare you to find something to try in your next edition.
Related: Learn How To Create a Newsletter Design in 7 Steps. Note: Curated users have the luxury of customizing a template built to look good in all email clients and less “extra code,” which results in less to Gmail clipping.
