Email Preview Text Checker
Type your subject and preview text. See where Gmail, Apple Mail and Outlook cut them, what to change, and copy the hidden preheader code. Free, no sign-up, your text stays in your browser.
The checker needs JavaScript. The rules are below.
What Is Preview Text?
Preview text, also called the preheader, is the line an inbox shows after or under the subject. Without one, inboxes take the first text in the email, which is often a “View in browser” link or the logo’s alt text.
It sits in the HTML as hidden text at the very top. Readers see it in the inbox, not in the opened email.
Good preview text
- Adds to the subject: the date, the detail, the reason
- Front-loads what matters into the first 40 characters
- Ends with filler, so no body text slips in
- Repeats the subject or says “View in browser”
Try a Ready Example
Each one loads into the checker above.
- Example
Webinar: Pardot Scoring in Practice
Thursday, 2 pm CET, 45 minutes. Bring one scoring rule you want reviewed.
- Newsletter
October Notes From the Marketing Team
Three changes in Marketing Cloud Next and the one setting to check first.
- Too Short
Your Guide Is Ready
Two words leave room, and the inbox fills it with the start of the email.
- Repeats the Subject
Free Pardot Checklist
The reader sees the same words twice and learns nothing new.
- Browser Link First
No Preheader Set
What many inboxes show when the template starts with the browser link.
Add It to Your Email Template
Three steps, in Account Engagement (Pardot), Marketing Cloud Next or any builder that lets you edit the HTML.
- 1
Write It Here
Check it in the mock-ups until the first 40 characters carry the message on their own.
- 2
Paste the Code After the Body Tag
The hidden text must be the first text in the email, before the browser link and the logo.
- 3
Send a Test to Yourself
Look at it in the inbox on your phone and on your laptop. Inboxes change their layout, and only a real send shows the current one.
Where Each Inbox Shows It
There is no fixed character limit: the space depends on the layout.
| Inbox | Where it shows | What sets the length |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail on the web | On the subject’s line, after a dash | Window width; a long subject leaves less room |
| Gmail app | One line under the subject | Screen width |
| Apple Mail on iPhone | Up to two lines under the subject (default) | Screen width and the reader’s preview setting |
| New Outlook | One line under the subject | Width of the message list |
Four Preheader Mistakes
Each one costs the line that decides whether the email gets opened.
- No Filler. A short preview text followed by the start of the email: “Download now View in browser Hi Lea”. The filler characters in the code keep that space empty.
- Visible Preheader Text. Without display:none and mso-hide:all, some clients show the text at the top of the email.
- Same Text for Every Email. A preview text set once in the template repeats on every send. Change it with the subject.
- Personalisation Without a Default. A merge field that is empty for some recipients leaves “Hi ,” in the preview. Give it a default value.
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Preview Text Checker FAQ
Short answers to what people ask about preview text and preheaders.
How long should email preview text be?
Put the message into the first 40 characters, since narrow phone layouts show little more. The checker shows how much each inbox mock-up displays; past about 140 characters, inboxes hide the rest anyway.
What is the difference between preheader and preview text?
Usually none: both mean the line the inbox shows next to the subject. Some builders also call a visible line at the top of the email the preheader.
Why does my email show “View in browser” as the preview?
Because it is the first text in the HTML. Add hidden preview text as the first element after the body tag, before the browser link.
What do the ͏ and ‌ characters do?
They are invisible filler. After a short preview text they take up the rest of the preview line, so the inbox doesn’t pull in text from the email body.
Does preview text affect deliverability?
Not in a way you can measure from the text alone. It affects whether people open, and engagement is one signal mailbox providers use.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. The check runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent to us or anyone else.
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