Email Compatibility Considerations

Video Support

Why Vine MA Doesn't Embed Videos in Emails

Vine MA doesn't support embedded videos in emails because most email clients do not support HTML5 videos. However, you can create video-like effects using the techniques described in the How to Add Videos to Your Email page.

Using Animated GIFs

You can use animated GIFs, which work well in most modern browsers. Please note that animated GIFs are supported in Outlook for Office 365 users only since 2019. Older Outlook versions do not support them. Additionally:

• In Outlook 365, animation is enabled by default but can be disabled in Windows 11 under Accessibility Settings > Visual Effects > Animation effects.
• Vine MA limits animated GIFs to a size of less than 700KB, while Outlook Office 365 has no such restrictions.

Using Web-Safe Fonts

Vine MA provides web-safe fonts for your email text, ensuring compatibility with nearly all email clients. However, Vine MA does not support Web Fonts since only a few email clients currently support those.

Images

Inserting Images in Vine MA

To insert an image in Vine MA, you need to use an Image block. By default, images are embedded in the email using the CID embedding method. However, you can choose to use linked images by enabling the  Use Linked Images option in Settings > Others. Linked images are recommended as they have broader support and reduce email size.

Image Display Settings

Most modern email clients allow images by default, but some may block external linked images.  For instance, Microsoft Outlook allows embedded images but blocks external linked images by default. Email recipients can adjust these settings if necessary, as shown in Microsoft Outlook Trust Center > Automatic Download tab:

Choosing Image Formats

Vine MA does not limit your options in selecting source image format as long as Vine MA can process and display it. When you save a loaded image to your Organization Library, it retains its original format. However, when adding an image to an email, it is automatically converted to PNG, GIF, or JPG, as these formats are widely supported and compatible with popular email clients.

Balancing Image Sizes

When adding images to your email, consider the image size carefully. While higher-quality images may look better, remember that many email clients, especially web versions or older mobile apps, may not handle large images well. For instance, there have been known issues with large images in Gmail and Outlook apps on Android devices.

The Importance of Testing

Ensuring your images display correctly on various devices and email apps is challenging due to the multitude of platforms available. It's nearly impossible to predict every issue your recipients might run into.

For instance, in our tests, we noticed an issue with Gmail on Android phones when reading Office 365 emails. Images that should appear in the email were displayed as separate attachments. To avoid such problems, we recommend using linked images.

That is why testing is crucial. You should verify how your emails appear on popular devices and email apps. If you know your audience's preferences, focus on testing those environments. Testing helps you find and fix problems early so that your emails look great no matter where they're viewed.