Free Tool

Email Preheader Optimizer

Your preheader is the second thing recipients read — and most ESPs cut it off at 90 characters on mobile. Paste yours and see exactly how it appears in Gmail on desktop, iOS Mail, and Android.

0 / 200

Length Analysis

Type something...
Optimal: 40–130 chars 0 chars

Inbox Preview Simulation

Gmail Desktop (~100 chars visible)
Start typing...
iOS Mail (~90 chars preheader, 30 subject)
Start typing...
Gmail Mobile (~75 chars combined)
Start typing...

Quality Signals

Spam Words
0
None Found
Emojis
0
Good
Leading Space
None
ALL CAPS Words
0
None

Email Preheader Best Practices

How long should an email preheader be?

40–130 characters is optimal. Most email clients show between 75–130 characters depending on device and screen size. Mobile clients typically truncate at 90 characters.

What happens if I don't set a preheader?

Email clients pull the first visible text from the email body — often "View in browser" or blank whitespace. This is a wasted opportunity to reinforce your message or build curiosity.

Do preheaders affect deliverability?

Not directly, but spam words in preheaders contribute to content-based spam scoring in SpamAssassin and similar engines. Clean, relevant preheaders are safer.

What's the difference between preheader and preview text?

They are the same thing. "Preheader" refers to the HTML element; "preview text" is what recipients see in their inbox list view below the subject line.

Why We Built This Tool

Most ESPs don't show how preheaders render across different email clients. Gmail shows ~130 characters; Apple Mail shows ~75 on desktop but only 30–40 on mobile. Teams write 150-character preheaders thinking they're optimized, never knowing mobile users see only 'Act Now! We have a special...' and miss the real message. This tool surfaces truncation across all devices before send.

What Goes Wrong Without This

Preheader truncation wastes copy. A perfectly crafted 120-character preheader means nothing if mobile users see only the first 40 characters. Teams don't catch this until campaigns are live and engagement data surfaces. Visual previews prevent wasted send-time optimization.

Who This Tool Is For

E-commerce & DTC Brands

Marketing teams optimizing promotional preheaders to complement subject lines and drive opens on high-volume campaigns to subscribers.

Email Marketing Agencies

Teams testing preheader copy across clients and industries — validating that preview text matches the subject line promise before sending.

B2B SaaS & Outbound Teams

Product and notification teams crafting preheaders for transactional and sales emails that reinforce subject lines without triggering spam filters.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an email preheader be?
40–130 characters is optimal. Most email clients show 75–130 characters on desktop; mobile truncates at ~90 characters. This tool shows your text length across Gmail, iOS Mail, and Android so you know exactly how it appears before you send.
What's the difference between preheader and preview text?
They're the same thing. 'Preheader' refers to the hidden `<span style='display:none'>` HTML element you add after the opening `<body>` tag. 'Preview text' is what recipients see in their inbox below the subject line. Both terms describe the same element.
Do preheaders affect deliverability or spam scoring?
Not directly — preheaders don't count toward authentication or DMARC alignment. However, spam words in preheaders do contribute to content-based spam scoring via SpamAssassin. The same high-risk words that trigger subject line filters also apply to preheaders.
Do I need an InboxEagle account to use this tool?
No. This tool is completely free and requires no account or sign-up. InboxEagle provides it as a standalone resource for email marketers, developers, and agencies.

Optimized Preheader, Broken Deliverability — Don't Stop Here

A strong preheader improves open rates once your email reaches the inbox. InboxEagle measures whether your emails are reaching the inbox at all — with real seed mailbox testing across Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. If your open rate is low, you'll know exactly why.

Start Free 14-Day Trial

No credit card required · Cancel anytime