This guide will explain how plain text mode works in Snov.io campaigns, which features it supports, and how to use it in your email sequences.
How Snov.io sends plain text emails
What doesn't work in plain text
How to use plain text emails effectively
Sending HTML emails with images, links and tracking pixels raises your email’s spam chance.
Plain text mode sends a true plain text message, not an HTML email with the styles and links removed.
In Snov.io Campaigns, you can switch your email to plain text mode to automatically remove elements that may trigger spam filters.
Why Snovio recommends sending in plain text
Plain text gives you an advantage in both deliverability and reply rates. Based on our data from 44M+ cold emails, plain text achieves a higher reply rate — 1.30% vs. 1.08% for HTML.
- Gmail and Outlook treat plain text emails as safer than HTML
- Plain text is more likely to reach the inbox
- Prospects respond better to simple, personalized messages
How to enable plain text mode
When creating your email, click the option in the top-right corner of the email editor to enable plain text mode.
Even if your email includes only text, enable plain text mode. This applies the correct content-type email header, so email providers recognize it as a true plain text message.
Some features aren’t supported in plain text mode. Here’s how plain text works with other elements in your emails.
How Snov.io sends plain text emails
When you turn on plain text mode for an email step, Snov.io sends a true plain text message. The message uses the Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" header.
Snov.io doesn't send an HTML email with the styles and links removed. It also doesn't send a multipart/alternative message with an HTML fallback. The HTML part is left out entirely.
Because the email has no HTML, it also has no tracking pixel, HTML wrapper, or inline styling. Spam filters that react to HTML code anomalies or a low text-to-HTML ratio have nothing to flag.
Test plain text emails
Send a test email from the campaign builder to check the result. The test message arrives in your test inbox as genuine plain text.
Deliverability Check doesn't have a separate plain text test mode yet. Its test messages go to the seed list in standard HTML or multipart format, so it can't verify inbox placement for a true plain text email.
To see how a plain text email arrives, send a test email from the campaign builder instead of using Deliverability Check.
What doesn’t work in plain text
Plain text mode means your emails are text-only. There is no formatting, no HTML design, no clickable elements, no images, and no tracking.
Your email content can’t include any of these elements. Make sure to check your email appearance using the preview option before sending it.
Text formatting
When plain text mode is enabled, the email editor doesn’t have formatting options.
Plain text emails don’t support fonts, bold, italic, underlined text, bullet points, numbered lists. Only emojis are allowed.
Image, videos, files
Images and embedded YouTube videos can’t be displayed. Any visuals added to the email will be removed when you switch to plain text mode.
You can still attach files, but they are often blocked by spam filters. Avoid sending attachments for a whole list. If needed, send a single message with an attachment directly from a prospect profile.
Open tracking
Plain text emails can’t work together with open tracking. Opens won’t be tracked for emails in plain text, even if the option is enabled in campaign settings.
Open tracking isn’t really a limitation here — we don’t recommend using it anyway, since it can negatively affect deliverability.
Behavioral triggers
Plain text emails don’t support using conditions. If a condition is placed after a plain text email in your sequence, it won’t be triggered.
You can still use conditions after steps that are set to HTML mode.
What works in plain text mode
Here are the features that can be used together with plain text.
Link tracking and unsubscribes
If your emails include tracking or links, these features can still work in plain text, but with a few important limitations.
Links you add to the email (including unsubscribe links) will appear as full URLs, not hidden under text.
For example, if you insert a CTA with text like Book a demo, it will show the full clickable link:
“Book a demo: [https://calendly.com/d/2y5-ybf-2q9]”
If you add your website, it will show the full address like this: “https://snov.io/”
Tracked links will also show the full URL with your custom tracking domain or the default tracking link. If the recipient clicks it, link clicks will still record into your statistics and reports.
Personalization
With plain text enabled, you can still use personalization in your emails.
Variables for prospect data, Spintax for rotating text variants, and Dynamic content for condition-based personalization – all these features can be used.
How to use plain text emails effectively
Each step in your sequence can use its own email type — HTML or Plain text.
You can switch to plain text in any email of the sequence, or keep the default HTML when needed.
Plain text improves deliverability. HTML gives you more functionality. Use a mix of both types to get the best results.
Start the sequence with a plain text first email for best deliverability – it’s important that the first message gets into the inbox.
When sending follow-ups, you can switch to HTML if you need features like link tracking, conditions, or visuals.
Related articles:
1) How to enable plain text in Email warm-up
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