Email format options: HTML or plain text

Email can be sent in HTML or plain text. You can select either format for your invoice email messages.

Instead of straight HTML, the Contact Group Email includes another option, HTML/Text. This option allows you to send a multipart email or HTML only. A more detailed description of all three options is provided below to help you choose the best format for your message.

HTML

HTML format gives you a full tool set of formatting options. You can set text color, position, and weight. You can include variables that support Rich Text. In the Invoice Message you can insert your logo as a variable.

NOTE  If you want to include your company's logo in your Invoice Email Messages, you will need to use the HTML format. The Logo variable cannot be used in plain text messages. The email will use the Invoice/Survey logo.

In Contact Group emails you can insert your logo, or any other graphic images, as image files. You do not use a logo variable.

When you select the HTML format, the editing toolbar appears above the content field:

In features that allow you to insert an image, for example, the Contact Groups email editor, the toolbar includes the image icon.

Most, but not all email programs can interpret HTML code. If you know you have users who will not be able to render the code, you will want to use Plain Text or, if the option is available, HTML/Text instead (see below).

Plain Text

The plain text email format uses no text formatting at all. Plain text email is smaller, delivers and downloads quicker, and is less likely to be marked as spam. All email clients can handle plain text emails.

When you select this option, you will not see the formatting toolbar. You cannot insert logos or image files, but you can use variables to personalize the content.

If you select variables that support Rich Text content but have this option selected, the plain text version of those variables will be used in the email message.

HTML/Text

Some email message options, for example, the Contact Group Email option, offer the HTML/Text option. When you select this option you can send multipart email messages. This option is recommended when you are sending to a large number of recipients with mixed ability to display emails.

A multipart email transmission includes both an HTML and a plain text version in the same email. You must provide content in both formats. Only one version is displayed. Which version is displayed will depend on whether the recipient's email client and settings allow HTML. If the email client cannot display HTML, the recipient receives the plain text version.

NOTE   If you want to send HTML only, you can select HTML/Text and then provide only HTML formatted content. Do not add content to the Plain Text content field. To send multipart messages, you must provide content in both the HTML and the Plain Text content fields.