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Email Design

Inbox Preview

How your email appears in the inbox list view, including subject line, preheader, and sender name.

Definition

Inbox preview refers to how your email appears in the recipient's inbox before opening - the subject line, sender name, and preview text (preheader) visible in the email list view. This first impression determines whether recipients open or ignore your email. Optimizing all three elements together maximizes open rates.

Why It Matters

The inbox preview is your email's headline in competition with dozens of other messages. Recipients scan quickly and decide in seconds. A compelling preview that works together (sender + subject + preheader) dramatically increases opens. A poor preview means your carefully crafted content is never seen.

How It Works

Email clients display sender name, subject line, and preview text in the inbox list. The preview text comes from your preheader or the first text content if no preheader is set. Different clients show different amounts - Gmail shows more preview text than Outlook. Sender name builds trust; subject creates intrigue; preheader adds context.

Example

Anatomy of an effective inbox preview:

From: Sarah at Sequenzy ← Recognizable, personal sender Subject: Your open rate dropped 📉 ← Creates curiosity Preview: Here are 3 quick fixes... ← Promises value

vs. poor preview:

From: [email protected] ← Impersonal, unrecognizable Subject: Newsletter #47 ← No value proposition Preview: View in browser | Unsub... ← Wasted on boilerplate

Best Practices

  • 1Write subject line and preheader together as a unit
  • 2Use a recognizable sender name (personal or branded)
  • 3Keep subject lines under 50 characters for mobile
  • 4Make preheader text extend the subject, not repeat it
  • 5Preview test across email clients before sending

Frequently Asked Questions

Subject lines: 30-50 characters show fully on most devices. Preheaders: 40-100 characters depending on client (mobile shows less). Write the most important content first since it may be truncated.

Email clients will pull the first text from your email body. This often results in 'View in browser' or 'Having trouble viewing this?' appearing as preview text - a missed opportunity. Always set intentional preheader text.