How to Use GIFs in Email Marketing Without Hurting Deliverability

Mar 17, 2025

Mail marketing is all approximately getting consideration — and what better way to do that than with eye-catching GIFs in emails?

GIFs can add life to your mail content, making it more engaging and dynamic. However, if not used carefully, GIFs can hurt your email's deliverability, driving to poor inbox placement or indeed being stamped as spam. So, how can you employ visual email content successfully without compromising your deliverability? Let's discover out.

Why Utilize GIFs in Emails?

Individuals prepare visual content much quicker than text — in reality, research shows that the brain forms visuals 60,000 times faster than content. This makes GIFs an effective tool to capture consideration and increase engagement in your emails.

Take this case:

A clothing brand sends out a sale mail. Rather than fair posting the discounts, they incorporate a GIF exhibiting a model walking down the runway wearing the latest collection. The email animation draws attention instantly and energizes the reader to click through — boosting both engagement and conversions.

Benefits of Utilizing GIFs in Emails:

Improved engagement – GIFs actually draw attention and empower interaction.
Conveys information rapidly – A GIF can illustrate a product feature or highlight a discount in seconds.
Includes personality – GIFs make your brand show up more approachable and advanced.

How GIFs Can Hurt Deliverability

Whereas GIFs are incredible for engagement, they come with certain dangers that can affect your email deliverability:

File Size Issues

Large GIF files can slow downloading times or cause your mail to get clipped — particularly in Gmail. This influences the overall client experience and might increase bounce rates.

Spam Filters Sensitivity

Certain email clients might flag emails with excessive visual content as spam. Overusing GIFs in emails might lead to destitute inbox placement.

Compatibility Issues

A few mail clients (like Outlook) don't fully support email animation. Rather than showing the animation, they might show only the primary outline — which can confuse recipients or distort the message.

Best Practices for Utilizing GIFs in Emails

To make sure visual email content works for you (and not against you), take after these best practices:

1. Keep Record Sizes Small

Aim for GIFs under 1MB to guarantee fast loading and dodge email clipping.

Compress the GIF utilizing devices like EZGIF or TinyPNG without sacrificing quality.

2. Utilize GIFs Sparingly

Do not overburden your mail with numerous GIFs — one or two per mail is sufficient.

Make sure the GIF supports the message instead of diverting from it.

3. Test on Numerous Email Clients

Before sending, test how the GIF shows up on Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and other platforms.

For clients that do not support GIFs, make sure the primary frame communicates the message clearly.

4. Incorporate Alt Text for Accessibility

Include alt text to the GIF to depict the content in case it doesn't load.

This guarantees visually impaired users or those with slow connections still understand the message.

5. Keep a Balance Between GIFs and Content

Do not let the GIF overwhelm the email — adjust it with solid, clear content.

Incorporate a strong call-to-action (CTA) to encourage clicks after the GIF catches attention.

Real-Life Illustration:

Nike recently sent out an email promoting a new line of running shoes. Rather than just including inactive pictures, they utilized a GIF appearing a runner in action. The email animation captured the essence of the product — speed and execution — which boosted the email's click-through rate by over 20%.

Conclusion

GIFs in emails can altogether boost engagement and visual appeal — but only when utilized strategically. Keep your visual email content lightweight, test for compatibility, and adjust it with content to dodge deliverability issues. When done right, GIFs can turn your email campaigns into attention-grabbing, high-performing tools.