Email Mavlers

Navigating Email Block Width Issues in Email Builders

Email Block Width Issues

Drag-and-drop email builders have revolutionized email design, allowing marketers to create visually appealing emails without needing to code. However, a common issue arises with content block width mismatches, where blocks appear inconsistent across different email clients, affecting layout, responsiveness, and the overall design integrity. 

Today’s blog post explores the causes of these mismatches, their impact, and actionable solutions with real-world examples.

1. Understanding Email Content Width Mismatch

A content block width mismatch occurs when the width of email sections differs unexpectedly across different email clients and devices. This can lead to broken layouts, overlapping content, or excessive white space, diminishing user experience and engagement.

Common causes of email content width mismatches include: 

Related: 16 Overlooked Email Development Challenges 

2. Impact of Email Template Width Problems on Email Performance

Broken layouts, if occurring repeatedly, will lead to:

3. How to Fix Content Block Alignment Issues

Let’s consider some of the proven ways to fix content block alignment issues:

.email-container {
            width: 600px;
            margin: 0 auto;
            background-color: #ffffff;
            border: 1px solid #dddddd;
.content-block {
        margin-bottom: 20px; /* Uniform spacing between blocks */
        padding: 10px; /* Consistent padding within each block */
        background-color: #f9f9f9;
<style>
    .email-container {
        width: 100%; /* Use percentage-based width */
        max-width: 600px; /* Set maximum width */
        min-width: 320px; /* Set minimum width */
        margin: 0 auto; /* Center the container */
        background-color: #ffffff;
        padding: 20px;
    }
</style>
  </style>
<table class="simple-table">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Row 1, Cell 1</td>
            <td>Row 1, Cell 2</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Row 2, Cell 1</td>
            <td>Row 2, Cell 2</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>
@media screen and (max-width: 480px) {
  .container {
    width: 100% !important;
  }
}

4. Real-world ESP-specific Scenarios

Below we list a few ESP-specific email block width scenarios we’ve come across in our work with clients. 

A client’s Mailchimp email had a three-column section where the third column appeared narrower than the others in Outlook. 

Our developer adjusted the column widths using percentage values in place of fixed pixels. We used Mailchimp’s built-in structure blocks to enforce even spacing. And, following the usual best practice, we applied conditional comments for Outlook-specific width fixes. 
Related: Templates Not Loading in Gmail? Here’s the Fix!

The first thing we did was we implemented max-width: 100% for all content blocks. We then removed excess padding and used box-sizing: border-box to maintain structure. Finally, we added media queries to explicitly define column widths on smaller screens.

Related: HubSpot Template Editors: A Top-level Overview by Our Expert

To begin with, we used width: 100% and max-width: 600px for image responsiveness. Then, we ensured that the image tag included display: block to prevent unwanted spacing. 

We closed it by adding an inline style attribute within the <img> tag to enforce proper scaling across different email clients.

We used table-based button formatting instead of relying solely on <div> or <span>. And we applied text-align: center within the parent table cell to enforce alignment consistency. Also added extra padding around the button to ensure proper spacing.

First, we applied display: inline-block for each column to maintain their side-by-side positioning. And then we used vertical-align: top to prevent columns from misaligning when wrapping. And the last step was just about implementing media queries to define explicit widths for small screens in order to ensure a balanced layout.

Content block width mismatches can be frustrating, but with careful planning and implementation, they can be mitigated effectively. By maintaining consistent width standards, optimizing for responsiveness, and testing across multiple clients, email marketers can ensure their designs remain visually appealing and functional across all devices.

Need help with designing customizable email templates? Let’s shake on it! 

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