What is Plain Text vs HTML Email?
Plain text emails contain only raw, unformatted text, no images, no colored fonts, no buttons, no embedded links with anchor text. HTML emails use HTML code to render formatted content including colors, images, buttons, tables, and styled text.
In outbound sales, this distinction is more than cosmetic, it directly impacts deliverability, engagement, and how your email is perceived by both mail servers and human recipients.
Why This Matters for Outbound
Spam filters treat plain text and HTML emails very differently. HTML emails with heavy formatting, images, and tracking pixels are more likely to be flagged as marketing or promotional content. Plain text emails (or lightly formatted HTML that mimics plain text) signal a personal, one-to-one communication, which is exactly how you want cold email to appear.
Key Differences
- Deliverability: Plain text generally has higher inbox placement rates for cold email
- Tracking: HTML emails support open tracking pixels; pure plain text does not
- Appearance: HTML allows visual design; plain text relies on words alone
- Spam score: Complex HTML with images increases spam probability
- Loading: Plain text loads instantly on all devices and clients
Best Practices for Cold Email
- Use lightly formatted HTML: Minimal formatting (bold, line breaks) that looks like plain text
- Avoid images in first touch: No logos, no banners, no embedded images
- Limit links: 1-2 links maximum in cold emails
- Skip HTML templates: Newsletter-style templates scream "marketing email"
- Test both: Some audiences respond better to slightly formatted emails
Common Mistakes
- Using marketing templates for cold email: Beautiful templates belong in newsletters, not outbound
- Embedding company logos: Adds image weight and triggers promotional filtering
- Rich formatting overkill: Colored text, multiple fonts, and tables look like spam
- Forgetting alt text: If you must use images, always include alt text
How FlowStrata Approaches Email Format
FlowStrata sends all cold email campaigns as lightly formatted HTML that renders as plain text in the inbox. We avoid images, heavy formatting, and marketing-style templates entirely. This approach consistently achieves higher inbox placement rates and gives our emails the appearance of genuine, personal communication, because that's exactly what effective outbound should look like.