What Happens If an Email Has No Text Part?

What Happens If an Email Has No Text Part?

If an email has no plain-text part, several serious issues can occur affecting deliverability, accessibility, compatibility, and user experience. HTML-only emails are problematic and should be avoided.

Emails without plain-text versions may be filtered as spam, inaccessible to users with disabilities, unreadable in clients that don't support HTML, and provide poor user experience. Always include plain-text versions in multipart emails.

Extract and verify plain text from emails using our extract email text tool to ensure proper plain-text versions are included.

Spam Filtering Impact

Higher Spam Scores

HTML-only emails often receive higher spam scores. Spam filters penalize emails without plain-text versions as they signal poor email practices. Test emails with our SpamAssassin test to check spam scores.

Spam Filter Triggers

Missing plain-text versions can trigger spam filter heuristics that identify HTML-only emails as potentially malicious or low-quality.

Deliverability Penalties

ISPs may apply deliverability penalties to senders who consistently send HTML-only emails without plain-text versions.

Reputation Impact

Sending HTML-only emails can negatively impact sender reputation, affecting long-term deliverability rates.

Accessibility Issues

Screen Reader Problems

Screen readers and assistive technologies may struggle with HTML-only emails, making content inaccessible to visually impaired users.

Legal Compliance

HTML-only emails may violate accessibility requirements and legal compliance standards (ADA, WCAG), potentially leading to legal issues.

Universal Access

Without plain-text versions, users with disabilities or assistive technology needs cannot access email content.

Inclusive Design

HTML-only emails exclude users who require or prefer text-only content, violating inclusive design principles.

Compatibility Problems

Client Support Issues

Email clients that don't support HTML or have HTML disabled cannot display HTML-only emails, resulting in unreadable content.

Legacy Client Problems

Older email clients that don't support modern HTML features cannot render HTML-only emails properly.

Security Restrictions

Some email clients block HTML for security reasons. HTML-only emails are completely unreadable in these environments.

Mobile Compatibility

Some mobile email clients have limited HTML support, making HTML-only emails difficult or impossible to read.

Deliverability Impact

Spam Filtering

HTML-only emails are more likely to be filtered as spam, reducing inbox placement rates and deliverability.

Best Practice Violations

Sending HTML-only emails violates email best practices, signaling to ISPs that you may be a low-quality sender.

Reputation Damage

Consistently sending HTML-only emails can damage sender reputation, affecting long-term deliverability across all campaigns.

ISP Filtering

Some ISPs apply stricter filtering to HTML-only emails, reducing deliverability rates.

How to Fix

1. Always Include Plain-Text

Always include plain-text versions in multipart emails alongside HTML versions. This ensures universal compatibility and accessibility.

2. Match Content

Ensure plain-text and HTML versions contain the same information for consistent message delivery.

3. Format Plain-Text

Format plain-text for readability using line breaks, spacing, and clear structure.

4. Test Emails

Test emails with our email testing tool to verify both HTML and plain-text versions are included and properly formatted.

5. Extract and Verify

Use our extract email text tool to verify plain-text versions are properly included in your emails.

6. Follow Best Practices

Follow email best practices by always sending multipart emails with both HTML and plain-text versions.