What is Email Preview Text?
Email preview text (also called preheader text) is the short snippet of content that appears next to or below the subject line in most email clients' inbox views. In Gmail, it appears in gray text after the subject line. In Outlook and Apple Mail, it typically shows below the subject.
If you don't deliberately set preview text, email clients will automatically pull the first line of your email body, which might be "Hi {first_name}," or worse, "View this email in your browser."
Why Preview Text Matters for Outbound
Preview text is your second chance to earn the open. After the subject line, it's the most visible element in the inbox. A compelling preview text can increase open rates by 10-20%, while a poor one (or a default auto-generated one) can make even a great subject line fall flat.
In cold email, where you have fractions of a second to earn attention, optimizing preview text is a low-effort, high-impact win.
Key Best Practices
- Complement the subject line: Don't repeat it, extend the story
- Keep it under 90 characters: Most clients truncate after 40-90 characters
- Create curiosity: Tease value without revealing everything
- Make it personal: Include the recipient's name or company when possible
- Use the first sentence strategically: In plain text emails, your opening line IS the preview text
Common Mistakes
- Ignoring preview text entirely: Letting the client auto-generate it from email body content
- Repeating the subject line: Wastes valuable inbox real estate
- Starting with greetings: "Hi John," is boring preview text, your value prop should come first
- Too long or too short: Under 30 characters wastes space; over 90 gets cut off
- Generic openers: "I hope this email finds you well" tells the prospect nothing useful
How FlowStrata Crafts Preview Text
FlowStrata writes every cold email with the preview text in mind. We structure opening lines to serve as compelling preview text that complements the subject line. In A/B testing, we've found that personalized preview text mentioning the prospect's company or a specific pain point consistently outperforms generic openers by 15-25% in open rates.