Plain-text vs HTML cold emails

Plain-text vs HTML cold emails

The format of the email itself is a deliverability lever people forget.

Plain text Pros:
— Looks like a 1:1 personal email → lands in primary
— No image/CSS bloat for filters to flag
— Renders identically everywhere

Plain text Cons:
— No branding, no visual hierarchy
— Can't track opens via pixel cleanly

HTML / styled Pros:
— Branded, clickable buttons, visual polish
— Better for newsletter-style nurture

HTML Cons:
— Heavier code, more spam triggers
— Image-heavy emails land in Promotions/Spam
— 'Marketing' fingerprint

Verdict: Plain text 4.5/5 for cold, HTML 3.5/5 for warm/branded.

Who it's for: Send cold outreach as plain text, every time — a single tracked link at most, no logos, no signatures with banner images. Save HTML for newsletters and warm nurture to opted-in lists. The fastest deliverability win nobody uses: delete the image-laden signature block from your cold sequence today.