A clipped email is an email that an email client partially truncates because the message exceeds a size threshold. When an email is clipped, the client may hide part of the content and provide a link like “view entire message.” Clipping is a major UX problem because recipients may miss important content, legal elements, or the second CTA you expected them to see.
Why Emails Get Clipped
Clipping is usually driven by size. That is why email size limit is the first concept to understand. Large HTML payloads, heavy inline styles, and repeated markup can push you over the threshold. Some teams encounter clipping after switching template generators or adding more blocks, because the output becomes more verbose without anyone noticing.
Gmail and Common Clipping Scenarios
Gmail is one of the best-known environments for clipping behavior, so Gmail rendering is often referenced in clipping discussions. Clipping can hide unsubscribe links, preference links, and legal disclaimers, which creates compliance risk. It can also hide tracking pixels, which can affect analytics. The best mitigation is prevention: keep templates lean and measure output size during build or publish.
How Template Tooling Can Increase Size
Compilation and inlining steps can inflate email size. For example, MJML compilation can generate more markup than hand-written HTML, especially when templates include many nested modules. This does not mean compilation is bad. It means you should treat size as a first-class constraint. Strip unused markup, avoid repeated inline styles where possible, and keep your block system disciplined.
Practical Mitigations
Reduce image payloads with image compression and trim unnecessary HTML. Reuse modules instead of duplicating similar structures. Keep tracking minimal and avoid excessive hidden elements. If you must include long legal copy, consider whether you can shorten it or include only what is required. Most importantly, test a few representative templates regularly so clipping does not appear for the first time during a high-stakes campaign.
Clipped Email and Topol
Topol helps teams control template complexity with structured blocks and predictable output, making it easier to stay within client size limits and reduce clipping risk. Learn more at Topol or create an account at Topol signup.