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Email Preview Text Generator

Craft the perfect email preview text with real-time previews across 8 email clients. See exactly how your preview text will appear in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and more, with character limit warnings and ready-to-use HTML code.

About this tool

Preview text is the snippet that appears right after (or below) your subject line in the inbox. It's effectively a second subject line — and most marketers waste it. When you don't set preview text explicitly, email clients pull in whatever text comes first in your email body, which is usually "View in browser" or a navigation menu. That's prime inbox real estate showing throwaway content. This tool lets you craft your preview text with real-time previews across 8 major email clients, see exactly where it'll get truncated, and generate the HTML code with built-in invisible padding.

Character limits by email client

Every client shows a different amount of preview text, and it changes based on the device, subject line length, and screen width. Here are the approximate maximums: Gmail shows about 90 characters on desktop and 40-90 on mobile depending on subject line length. Apple Mail (iPhone) displays roughly 90 characters. Outlook desktop shows only about 35-50 characters. Yahoo Mail gives you around 100 characters. Write your most important message in the first 40 characters to cover every client, then use characters 40-90 to add supporting detail for clients that show more.

The hidden padding technique

Here's a problem: if your preview text is shorter than what the email client wants to display, it'll pull in visible content from the email body to fill the space. The fix is the hidden padding technique — after your preview text, you add a long string of invisible characters (alternating zero-width spaces and non-breaking spaces) wrapped in a hidden div. This "fills up" the preview text space with invisible content, preventing the client from showing your email's header links or other body text. This tool generates the HTML snippet automatically with roughly 150 characters of padding.

Writing preview text that drives opens

Think of your subject line and preview text as a one-two punch. The subject line hooks attention; the preview text closes the deal. Don't repeat the subject line — that wastes space and looks like a mistake. Instead, add context ("Here's what changed"), create urgency ("Offer expires tonight"), or tease value ("Including the template we use internally"). Questions work well too. If your subject line is "Your March metrics are in," your preview text could be "Open rates are up 12% — here's what drove it."

Integrating preview text into your workflow

Write your preview text at the same time as your subject line, not as an afterthought. Test both together with our subject line tester to evaluate the combined impact. Use our preheader generator for quick inspiration if you're stuck. And always check how your preview text renders alongside spam-checked content — our spam word checker catches trigger words that might flag the entire preview in spam filters. Finally, check the subject line length to make sure the subject doesn't eat into your preview text space on mobile.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is email preview text?

Preview text (also called preheader text) is the text snippet shown next to or below the subject line in the inbox. In HTML emails, it's a hidden div placed at the very top of the email body. If you don't set it, email clients will pull in the first visible text from your email — usually 'View in browser,' navigation links, or image alt text. That's wasted real estate.

How long should preview text be?

Write 40-90 characters of meaningful content. Outlook desktop shows as few as 35-50 characters, so front-load your key message. Gmail and Apple Mail show up to 90 characters, so you have room for supporting detail. After your visible preview text, add invisible padding characters to prevent email clients from pulling in body content. The total with padding should hit about 150 characters.

What are the character limits for each email client?

Gmail desktop shows roughly 90 characters, Gmail mobile shows 40-90 depending on subject line length. Apple Mail on iPhone shows about 90 characters. Outlook desktop is the stingiest at 35-50 characters. Yahoo Mail shows about 100. Samsung Mail shows around 90. These numbers vary with screen size and subject line length, so always front-load your most important words.

What is the hidden padding technique?

After your preview text, you add invisible characters — alternating zero-width spaces (​) and non-breaking spaces ( ) — inside a hidden span or div. This fills up the preview text buffer so email clients don't pull in visible body content to fill the space. Without padding, you'll often see 'View in browser' or menu links appear after your preview text. This tool generates the padding HTML automatically.

Should preview text repeat the subject line?

Never. Repeating the subject line wastes your preview text space and looks like a template mistake. Instead, use preview text to complement the subject line — add context, create urgency, or tease a secondary benefit. Think of it as the second line of a two-line pitch. If the subject says 'Your March report is ready,' the preview could say 'Open rates jumped 14% — here's why.'

Does preview text affect open rates?

Yes. Studies show that optimized preview text can improve open rates by 5-10% compared to no preview text or default body content. It's one of only three things subscribers see before deciding to open: sender name, subject line, and preview text. On mobile, where over 60% of emails are opened, the preview text is especially important because it appears more prominently.

How do I test preview text before sending?

Use this tool to see real-time previews across 8 email clients. Then send a test email to yourself on multiple devices — check Gmail on desktop and mobile, Apple Mail on iPhone, and Outlook if your audience skews corporate. Preview text rendering can vary based on subject line length, so test with your actual subject line, not a placeholder.

Can I use emojis in preview text?

Yes, but use them sparingly — one emoji at most. Emojis render differently across email clients and can appear as empty squares on older Outlook versions. Place them at the beginning or end of your preview text, not in the middle of a sentence. And avoid emojis that might trigger spam filters, like the money bag or siren. Test rendering before sending to your full list.

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