Should ecommerce emails be plain text or HTML?
Use designed HTML for product-focused campaigns and flows, and plain text style for personal, founder or service messages. Test both, because the better format depends on your audience and purpose.
HTML email lets you show products, use buttons and keep branding consistent, which suits most promotional sends. Plain text style emails feel personal and can work well for apology notes, feedback requests or founder letters.
Whichever you choose, include a clear call to action, working alt text for images and a readable layout on mobile. Many readers see images blocked at first.
Run an A/B test on a comparable send and judge by clicks and revenue per recipient rather than opens alone.
In practice.
A bag brand sends designed HTML campaigns for launches but tests a short plain text note from its founder as a post-purchase check-in. It keeps the HTML for sales and uses the plain note for relationship building.
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