What is a plain text email (and how to use it)?

A plain text email is a basic form of email that contains only text, without any embedded links, images, or stylistic elements such as bold or italicized text. Despite its simplicity, plain text emails have certain advantages, such as consistent appearance across devices, quick loading times, improved accessibility for visually impaired users, and potentially better deliverability to primary inboxes. They are often used for transactional messages like receipts or order confirmations. However, tracking engagement is more challenging compared to HTML emails, which offer richer features and easier tracking of click-through rates and user interactions. Marketers sometimes use "look-alike" plain text emails, which are HTML emails designed to resemble plain text, to create a more personal feel while retaining tracking capabilities. Users can switch to sending plain text emails through their email client settings, and services like Twilio SendGrid allow for sending true plain text emails by specifying the "content-type" as "text/plain" in API requests. Testing both plain text and HTML formats is recommended to determine which best suits the audience's preferences and engagement needs.