Why emails can't look exactly like your website
Most email clients don't support the modern HTML you see on the web. A browser can display animations, scripts, and menus—email clients take a simpler approach. That's true for every email platform, not just Kit.
Kit's email templates are built with these limits in mind, so your emails display reliably across inboxes. If you're writing your own HTML, use the guide below to know what's safe.
Website HTML vs. email HTML
Email clients are far behind web browsers when it comes to displaying content, and they update much less often. Here's what works in email and what doesn't.
Things you're safe to use
Static content like images and text.
Simple CSS for color, font size, line height, and similar styling.
Web safe fonts.
Things to use with caution
Not every email client supports these, so some subscribers may not see them:
Custom fonts - Custom web fonts need to be available on the reader's device, and may not display for all of your subscribers.
Background images - If you include a background image in your custom template, it may display differently, or not at all, depending on the email client.
Things you shouldn't use
Some types of web content won't work at all in emails. Avoid these—your subscribers likely won't see them.
Important: Some of these may appear when previewing your email in the browser, so send yourself an email preview to check anything you're unsure of.
Embedded video or audio - Most email clients block interactive media. Instead, take a screenshot of the video and link it to the original.
iframes - An <iframe> element embeds one website into another, and email clients often block them. A linked screenshot of the content works well instead.
Javascript - A programming language used for interactions on the web, but blocked by email clients.
Forms - Forms rely on Javascript to send information, so they won't be usable in an email. Link to a page on your site instead.
Flash content - Flash was discontinued in 2020 and email clients block it. Use a GIF for animation instead.