Plain Text Only Email Guide

  • Updated

Some audiences or systems require an email that contains no styling or HTML. Act-On allows you to create a pure plain text email for these scenarios, ensuring maximum deliverability and compatibility. Plain text emails contain only basic characters and support limited clickthrough tracking, but are fully supported in every mail client.

For information about the plain text version of an HTML email, see The Plain Text Version of an HTML Email Design.
Quick Reference (Advanced Users) – Click to Expand
  • Go to Outbound > New Message and choose Plain Text Message.
  • Write your content in the Plain Text Content tab.
  • Use the Insert menu to add asset links, headers, footers, or personalization.
  • Plain text emails cannot contain formatting, images, buttons, or HTML layout.
  • Tracking is limited to clickthroughs when a link is present.
Try it like this: Keep your message concise and scannable. Use short paragraphs, add clear line breaks between sections, and place your call-to-action as a full URL on its own line for visibility.

Create a New Plain Text Email

  1. Go to Outbound > New Message.
  2. Click the Plain Text Message tile:

Plain Text Only Email Guide 01.png

A blank email opens in the Email Composer with three tabs on the left: Settings, Plain Text Content, and Send Details.

Settings, Send Details, Preview Mode, Review, and Send work the same way as in HTML-based messages. Some features that rely on HTML formatting are not available.

Add Your Plain Text Content

  • In the Plain text email editor, type or paste the content of your message.

At the bottom of the editor, use the Insert menu to add commonly used elements:

  • Asset Links to:
  • Image – Adds a text hyperlink to an image (images do not render in plain text). Learn more
  • Dynamic Content – Inserts dynamic content indicators. Learn more
  • Header – Choose a default or custom email header. Learn more
  • Footer – Insert your default or custom email footer. Learn more
  • Click Personalize to add personalization fields. Learn more
  • Click Opt-out link to insert your required unsubscribe link. Learn more
  • Use Undo & Redo for quick corrections. Learn more

Autosave

Your work saves automatically. You can confirm your saved status in the top-right corner of the composer:

New Email Composer User Guide 01.png

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

  • Links look long or “messy”
    This is normal in plain text emails. Consider placing key URLs on their own line for visibility.
  • No tracking appears in reporting
    Plain text messages support click tracking only. Opens cannot be tracked.
  • Line breaks look different in the inbox
    Some clients wrap text at 72–78 characters. Keep paragraphs short to maintain readability.
  • Personalization not working
    Check that your send list contains the required field and that a fallback value is provided.
  • Cannot insert images or buttons
    Plain text emails do not support HTML. Insert hyperlinks instead of visual elements.

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