Benefits of a text version of a message
Any message with visual formatting contains HTML. When you send it, it arrives as a multipart message: one HTML version and one plain text version. The text version displays when an email client doesn't support HTML, or when a contact specifically prefers text-only emails. Flexmail generates a text version automatically, and it's always worth having one.
Deliverability
Spam filters run text-based checks on your email content. A message with only an HTML version gives spam filters less to work with, and some filters treat the absence of a text version as a mild negative signal. Having both versions available is best practice for inbox placement.
Compatibility
Most people read email in HTML-capable clients. But some email clients, particularly certain corporate email systems, some older clients, and device-specific readers like smartwatches, render the text version instead of HTML. Contacts using those clients will see a blank or broken message if you don't have a text version.
How to generate the text version
From your message list, click the gear icon next to any message and select "Edit text version". Flexmail creates a plain text version based on your HTML content, titles and body text are preserved, images are replaced by their alt text, and link URLs appear inline. After generating, review and edit the text version to make sure it reads clearly as a standalone email.
Support tip If your message changes significantly, regenerate the text version. It doesn't update automatically, it reflects your message content at the time you last generated it.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Generating the text version once and never updating it. As your HTML message evolves across campaigns, the text version can drift significantly out of sync. Regenerate it whenever you make substantial changes.
- Not editing the generated text version at all. The auto-generated version is a starting point. Placeholder text, awkward line breaks, and raw URLs often need manual cleanup to read well.
- Ignoring the text version warning on the campaign overview page. Flexmail flags missing text versions at step 3 of the campaign flow. This is a quick fix, don't skip it.
Next steps
- Generate a text version for any message that doesn't have one yet via the gear icon in your message list.
- See "The text version of a message" for more detail on what the text version includes and how to edit it.