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seanpowell/email-boilerplate

★ 3,794HTMLAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

TLDR

A ready-made HTML template packed with cross-client CSS fixes so your marketing emails look consistent in Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail without hours of debugging.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((email-boilerplate))
    What it does
      HTML email template
      Cross-client CSS fixes
      Spam-safe structure
    How to use
      Copy relevant snippets
      Inline styles before send
      Skip internal comments
    Use cases
      Marketing emails
      Transactional emails
      Newsletter templates
    Audience
      Developers
      Designers
      Email marketers
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Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Start a new marketing email with a battle-tested HTML base that avoids common rendering bugs in Outlook and Gmail

USE CASE 2

Copy specific CSS fixes from the template to solve a layout problem in an existing email template

USE CASE 3

Build a newsletter design from scratch without guessing which CSS resets and hacks each email client needs

Tech stack

HTMLCSS

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

In plain English

This repository is a collection of HTML code snippets and templates for building email messages that display correctly across different email clients. Anyone who has tried to design a formatted HTML email knows that the same code can look completely different in Gmail versus Outlook versus Apple Mail, and this project exists to address that problem. The template is split into two sections. The header area holds global styles, some of which need to stay in the header and some of which should be moved inline before sending. The body section contains more targeted fixes for specific rendering issues you might encounter. The intended use is not to copy the entire file wholesale. Instead, you treat it as a reference: read the comments in the code, pick the pieces that fix your particular issue, and build your own template from there. The instructions inside the file are not meant to be included in the email you send, since that could trigger spam filters. This is a resource for developers, designers, or anyone building HTML email campaigns who wants a starting point grounded in real-world compatibility quirks rather than guesswork. It covers common pitfalls but is not a substitute for testing your actual email in the clients your audience uses.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I'm building an HTML email using this boilerplate. How do I add a two-column layout that holds up in Outlook 2016?
Prompt 2
Using the email boilerplate as a base, create a welcome email with a header image, body text, and a call-to-action button that renders correctly in Gmail.
Prompt 3
Which CSS properties in this boilerplate need to be inlined before sending, and which ones can stay in the header style block?
Prompt 4
I'm getting an unwanted gap under my image in Outlook when using this template. Which fix in the boilerplate addresses that issue?
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