Why your media files should stay under 2MB (and how to do it)
You've just created the perfect email campaign and want to upload your high-resolution images, but you get an error message about file size. Sound familiar? We understand your frustration. Before you start cursing our 2MB limit, let us explain why these restrictions exist and – more importantly – how you can work with them instead of against them.
Why our media library is different from regular storage
Our media library is specifically designed to store files used in email campaigns. This means the requirements for performance, security, and reliability are different from, say, general cloud storage.
We currently limit:
- File sizes to a maximum of 2MB
- File types to safe formats that work perfectly in emails
These choices are based on a combination of email best practices, technical limitations of email clients, and overall platform stability.
Large files in emails cause the following problems:
Your emails load slower (especially on mobile)
Emails with large files load slower, especially on mobile networks. This leads to lower engagement: fewer clicks, higher bounce rates, more impatience from your recipients.
Imagine this: your subscriber checks emails during their commute. The connection drops just as your email starts loading. If your images are gigantic, they give up before that beautiful product photo even appears.
Email clients have strict limits
Many email clients have limits you might not know about:
- Gmail clips emails >102KB in HTML view
- Attachments or embedded content above ~5MB often cause delivery problems
- Images above 1MB are rarely needed for screen sharpness
Through optimization (like compression or downsizing) you can often reduce by up to 80% without visible quality loss.
Impact on deliverability
Large files don't just impact loading time, but also your deliverability. Heavy emails are more likely to end up in the spam folder or not arrive at all.
File type restrictions increase security and stability
By only allowing safe and commonly used file types, we reduce the chance of abuse (like scripts or malware in files).
Supported formats:
- Images:
.jpeg,.png,.gif - Documents:
.pdf,.csv,.xls(x),.txt,.doc(x)
The media library is not general file storage, but part of your email workflow, intended for content that's effectively used in campaigns.
Performance and scalability
Smaller and optimized files ensure that our storage, CDN, and email rendering stay fast, even with hundreds of thousands of campaigns running simultaneously.
Large, unnecessary files impact:
- Processing speed
- Storage costs
- Virus scanning
- Bandwidth
All of this ultimately affects the performance of your campaigns.
What do we recommend?
Optimize your images
Use tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh to reduce images without quality loss. These tools can work wonders - often 70-80% reduction without visible difference.
For PDFs you can use PDF Compressor to make them lighter without losing readability.
The link strategy for large documents
For larger documents (like extensive brochures or presentations): host them on your own website or external platform (like Google Drive) and add a link to your email instead of the file itself.
This actually works better:
- Your email stays light and fast
- You can track who's actually interested
- No technical problems with email clients
Focus on what's really needed
Only use what's really necessary in your email. Simple, lightweight campaigns usually deliver better results.
Think about:
- One strong product photo instead of an entire gallery
- Core message that's immediately clear
- Call-to-action that points to more extensive content
Practical optimization tips
Use images smarter
- JPEGs for photos and images with many colors
- PNGs for logos, text, and images with transparency
- GIFs only for simple animations
- Resize to correct dimensions before compressing
Prepare files
- Check file size before uploading
- Test how your email loads on different devices
- Use preview function to see how quickly everything appears
Alternative strategies
- Teaser approach: show a preview in the email, full content on your website
- Progressive loading: most important content first, details via links
- Mobile-first thinking: design for the smallest screens
We understand these limits can sometimes feel restrictive
But they're there specifically to ensure that your emails:
- Load quickly on all devices and connections
- Arrive properly at your target audience without technical problems
- Look reliable on all email clients
The goal isn't to limit you, but to make your campaigns more successful. Fast, well-functioning emails get more engagement, better open rates, and higher conversions.
Ready to optimize your next campaign?
Now that you understand why we enforce these limits, you can use them as a tool instead of an obstacle. Think of file optimization like fine-tuning a race car: you're not removing important parts, you're just making everything work more efficiently.
The result? Emails that aren't just beautiful, but actually perform where it matters: reaching your recipients and getting them to take action.