The reading test
Most people don't read emails from start to finish, they scan. They look at headings, images, and bold text to decide if something is worth reading more carefully. If your email doesn't communicate its key message to a scanner in 3–5 seconds, you've already lost most of your audience. The reading test is a simple way to check whether your email works for scanners, not just careful readers.
How to do the reading test
Look at your email for 3 seconds, the same amount of time a distracted reader gives it. Then close it. Ask yourself:
- What was the email about?
- What was I supposed to do?
- Would I open this if I received it?
If you can't answer the first two questions clearly, your email isn't communicating at a scan level.
What helps scannability
Clear visual hierarchy
Use headings to signal the topic of each section. A reader who scans the headings should get the outline of your email without reading the body text. If all your headings are generic ("Introduction", "Our news", "Conclusion"), they're not doing their job. Use headings that communicate something specific about each section.
Short paragraphs
Blocks of text longer than 3–4 lines are skipped by most scanners. Break long explanations into shorter paragraphs, each with one clear point.
Meaningful images
Images draw the eye before text does. Use images that reinforce the message of the adjacent text, not purely decorative ones. A product image next to a product description is meaningful. A generic stock photo of people in a meeting is not.
One clear call to action
An email with five equally prominent calls to action is harder to act on than one with a single clear one. Even if you have multiple links, make one visually dominant and keep the others as secondary options.
Support tip Try the reading test on your last three campaigns with fresh eyes, ideally a day after you sent them, when you've forgotten the details. You'll quickly spot the patterns in what's working and what isn't.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using generic headings. "Update", "News", and "Information" tell the scanner nothing. Every heading should communicate a specific benefit or topic.
- Writing paragraphs that are too long. Email is not a long-form medium. If you need 8 lines to explain something, your message needs to be broken up or shortened.
- Having multiple equally prominent CTAs. Give readers one clear primary action. Everything else should be visually subordinate.
- Relying on images to carry the message. Scanners who have image loading disabled see only text and alt text. Your email should pass the reading test in text-only mode too.
Next steps
- Apply the 3-second test to your next email before sending. Close the preview after 3 seconds and see what you remember.
- Review your current message headings, do they communicate something specific, or are they generic labels?
- See "Balance between images and text" to make sure your text is strong enough to carry the message independently of images.