Email Template Testing Guide
Never send an untested email. Learn comprehensive testing methodology to catch rendering issues, broken links, and other problems before they reach subscribers.
Why Testing Matters
Your email might look perfect in your design tool but break in Outlook. Images might not load. Links might be wrong. Personalization tokens might fail. Testing catches these issues before they damage your brand and waste your audience's attention.
Email Client Testing
Test across the email clients your subscribers actually use. At minimum, test Outlook (multiple versions), Gmail (web and app), Apple Mail, and major mobile clients.
Testing Tools
- Litmus: Comprehensive screenshots across 90+ clients
- Email on Acid: Similar coverage with different testing features
- Mailtrap: Development testing environment
- Manual testing: Send to your own accounts on different platforms
Content Testing
Link Verification
Click every link in your email. Verify they go to the right destinations and include proper tracking parameters. Check that UTM codes are correct for analytics.
Personalization Testing
Test with different data scenarios: complete data, missing fields, special characters, very long names. Ensure fallbacks work when data is missing.
Image Testing
Verify images load correctly. Check alt text displays when images are blocked. Ensure image sizes are reasonable and load quickly.
Spam Testing
Run your email through spam checkers before sending. Tools like Mail-Tester score your email's spam likelihood and identify potential issues with authentication, content, or links.
Accessibility Testing
- Test with screen readers (VoiceOver, NVDA)
- Verify color contrast meets accessibility standards
- Check that content makes sense in logical reading order
- Ensure interactive elements are keyboard accessible
Pre-Send Checklist
- Subject line and preview text are correct
- From name and reply-to are accurate
- All links work and track correctly
- Personalization displays properly
- Unsubscribe link is present and works
- Renders correctly across tested clients
- No spelling or grammar errors
Tested Templates from AI
Sequenzy generates templates that incorporate testing best practices and cross-client compatibility by default, reducing the testing burden significantly.