If you send newsletters or email blasts through Donor Management, you may sometimes see “Message clipped” at the bottom of an email in Gmail, even though the email appears to display normally.
This is expected Gmail behavior and does not mean your email failed to send or is broken. Gmail clipping is common for longer, image-rich newsletters and doesn’t automatically mean there’s a problem.
What does “Message clipped” mean?
Gmail automatically clips emails that are very long or complex behind the scenes. This decision is based on the technical size of the email (including layout and formatting), not just how much text you see.
Important things to note:
- The email is delivered
- The content may still display in full
- This happens across all major email platforms
Does clipping affect open rates or tracking?
Sometimes, but not always. Delivery itself is not impacted by clipping.
“Open tracking” works when Gmail loads the email content that includes the tracking image. In many cases, Gmail shows a “clipped” notice but still displays the full email, and tracking works normally.
In some cases, if Gmail does not load the entire message by default, tracking may be less reliable until the recipient views the full message.
What matters most is performance: if your open and click rates look normal, clipping likely isn’t affecting engagement. If you see a drop in Gmail engagement, try shortening the email or splitting it into two (or more) shorter emails.
How do I reduce the chance of Gmail clipping my emails?
Clipping can’t always be avoided, but these tips help:
- Split long newsletters into multiple emails.
Example: Newsletters containing key highlights and a separate email to the same audience highlighting events. - Limit sections, aiming for 5–7 main sections per email.
- Link out to longer stories by sharing a short preview and adding a “read more” link.
- Use images and buttons thoughtfully: a good rule of thumb is to use one main image per section and fewer buttons throughout your message.
- Keep layouts simple: single-column sections are more email-friendly than complex layouts.
If your emails are performing well, it’s fine to keep sending them as-is. If you want to experiment, splitting content into shorter emails is the easiest place to start.
How can I check if a message is “clipped” before sending?
You can send a test email to an Gmail address and scroll to the bottom of the message. If you see “Message clipped,” the email is simply long, not broken - but you may want to utilize some of the recommendations above if you’re looking to avoid that option.