Problems viewing Emails in Outlook

In this article, we explain the most common problems with viewing Emails in Outlook when sending Campaigns from Doppler and how you can minimize them.

You will also learn why an Email that displays correctly in the Editor may look different in Outlook, which cases are most common, and what best practices we recommend you apply before sending.

Why does my email look different in Outlook?

When you create a Campaign with the Doppler Editor, the design usually appears correctly in the Editor and in most Email clients. However, in some cases, especially with Outlook for desktop, the Email may render differently.

This occurs because Outlook does not use a web browser to interpret HTML Emails. Instead, it uses the Microsoft Word engine. As a result, Outlook’s compatibility with modern HTML and CSS is limited, which can lead to differences between what you see in the editor and what subscribers ultimately receive.

Below, we will discuss the most common issues and how to reduce their impact.

Most common display issues in Outlook

Margins not displaying correctly

Outlook often ignores or misinterprets the margin property in HTML emails. As a result, some content blocks appear without separation or too close together, affecting the readability and overall design of the email.

Misaligned or truncated text on buttons

In Outlook, buttons can have various display issues, such as:

• Unwanted line breaks
• Truncated or incomplete text.
• Vertical misalignment of content.

This is due to its limited support for advanced styles applied to buttons.

Images that are resized incorrectly

Some images may appear stretched, larger, or out of place within the email when:

• They do not have a defined width
• They are very large files
• They are not optimized for Email Marketing

Recommendations for improving display in Outlook

To reduce these issues when Sending Campaigns to Outlook, we recommend applying the following best practices:

• Define an alternative background color when using background images to ensure readability if the image does not display correctly.
• Limit the width of images and upload them already optimized, avoiding overly large files.
• Use padding instead of margins to separate blocks of content, as Outlook interprets internal spacing better.
• Use simple buttons with clear text and no complex styles.
• Avoid overly complex structures, prioritizing simpler and more orderly designs.
• Send test emails before launching the Campaign, checking how it displays in Outlook and other email clients.

Final considerations

The display differences in Outlook are not related to an error in the Doppler Editor, but rather to the limitations of this email client in interpreting HTML emails.

By applying these recommendations, you can achieve more consistent campaigns and improve your subscribers’ experience, even in environments with limited compatibility.

If you need help adjusting the design of your Emails, or have questions about the display of a Campaign, our Support team is here to help. Write to us at [email protected] and we will help you resolve it.