Plain-Text Email: Why It Still Matters and How to Ship a Good One
Plain text is not an auto-generated afterthought - it is part of the send-ready package. What to check before export.
By The Memo Team
Last updated
Quick answer
Ship plain text by generating it from the same source as your HTML, checking that links and merge tags read coherently, keeping line length sensible, and failing export when plain-text compilation breaks - not by pasting HTML into a text box at the last minute.
Some clients prefer multipart alternatives. Some users choose text-only. Some spam filters notice when HTML screams marketing and plain text is empty. You still need a text part that a human would tolerate reading.
What good plain text looks like
- Links spelled out or clearly labeled - no mystery “click here” without URL context where needed.
- Merge tags present where personalization matters.
- Logical order if HTML relied on columns - text reads top-to-bottom.
- No HTML entity soup or leftover markup.
When plain-text generation fails
Treat a failed plain-text compile as a blocking issue - same as a broken link. Memo preflight can surface plain-text compilation failures on the compiled output path.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I skip plain text if I only send HTML?
- Some workflows allow it; many providers recommend multipart. Check your sender’s requirements - Memo exports both by default.
- Should plain text match HTML word for word?
- Same intent and links, not necessarily identical layout. Text should stand alone.
- Who reviews plain text?
- Same reviewer as HTML - on the approved version - before export.
- Does plain text affect deliverability scores?
- Memo does not score deliverability. A missing or broken text part is still a production defect worth fixing.
Glossary
Documentation
In-depth guides
Continue reading
- Operations · 8 min readThe Email Preflight Checklist: What to Check Before You SendThe concrete checks worth running on every email - and how to automate them so the checklist does not live in someone’s head.
- Perspective · 9 min readWhat Email Preflight Checks (and What It Deliberately Does Not)Preflight is automated quality on compiled email output - variables, links, images, accessibility, and structure. It is not deliverability, inbox placement, or campaign analytics.
- Operations · 7 min readA Better Way to Test Email Before It Reaches CustomersTest in the right order: automated output checks first, then a controlled inbox look - never the customer list.
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