Email Preview Tool

Email preview text examples

Email preview text adds a useful detail to your subject line. In the newsletter example, 44 characters show in the drawn Gmail app and 85 on the drawn iPhone lock screen, measured 19 October 2026.

The laptop view reads best on a laptop.

Their device
Their phone

Preview text shown before it’s opened, in characters
Gmail appiPhoneAndroidLaptop
See the full check

Example senders and businesses are made up.

Downloads include the site credit. Anyone with a share link can read its email.

Versions New, copy, delete or rename

Only you see this. Handy when you compare versions.

Add preview text And who it’s from and to

Designed emails can set their own preview text, sometimes called a preheader. Plain-text emails show their first words instead.

From
To

Their inbox fills with the kind of emails they’d really get.

Examples on the screens

These are original examples with made-up senders and businesses. Yellow words show; the text after [cut] is hidden in that view.

How we measure: each screen is drawn at its real size (the phone layout is 390 by 844 points; Gmail on a laptop is a 1280-pixel-wide window), and the tool counts how many characters fit before the text is cut off. Reference counts were measured in Chromium on macOS with Apple’s system font and the bundled Roboto font on 19 October 2026. These are drawn-screen measurements, not tests on real phones. Your fonts, phone model and text size settings can move the cut. Live readouts use the fonts in your browser.

Newsletter

The subject names the newsletter. The preview adds the actual topic. Keep the advice about freezing herbs at the front; the second topic can come after the cut.

From: The Pantry Letter · Subject: This week's kitchen notes

iPhone email notification

Subject: 25 of 25 characters showThis week's kitchen notes
Preview: 85 of 237 characters showFreeze fresh herbs before they wilt. Plus a guide to using the stems. Keep the herbs [cut] you won't use this week for another meal. This edition covers freezing herbs, saving the stems and adding them to a stock. Read the kitchen notes below.

Gmail app inbox

Subject: 25 of 25 characters showThis week's kitchen notes
Preview: 44 of 237 characters showFreeze fresh herbs before they wilt. Plus a [cut] guide to using the stems. Keep the herbs you won't use this week for another meal. This edition covers freezing herbs, saving the stems and adding them to a stock. Read the kitchen notes below.

Reference counts measured 19 October 2026. Readouts update for your browser.

Product restock

The subject identifies the product. The preview names the colour that returned. Put that detail before the invitation to browse.

From: Moss & Field · Subject: The rain jacket is back

iPhone email notification

Subject: 23 of 23 characters showThe rain jacket is back
Preview: 86 of 233 characters showForest green is back in stock. See the new colours and find your size. The forest gree [cut] n rain jacket is available again. You can check the size guide and see each colour below. If you're between sizes, reply and we'll help you choose.

Gmail app inbox

Subject: 23 of 23 characters showThe rain jacket is back
Preview: 43 of 233 characters showForest green is back in stock. See the new [cut] colours and find your size. The forest green rain jacket is available again. You can check the size guide and see each colour below. If you're between sizes, reply and we'll help you choose.

Reference counts measured 19 October 2026. Readouts update for your browser.

Event reminder

The subject gives the reminder. The preview puts the preparation first. Someone who only reads the start still knows what to bring.

From: Paper Lantern Workshops · Subject: Your writing workshop is tomorrow

iPhone email notification

Subject: 33 of 33 characters showYour writing workshop is tomorrow
Preview: 88 of 239 characters showBring your laptop. The workbook and joining link are inside. We're looking forward to se [cut] eing you at the writing workshop. Download the workbook before the session and have your laptop ready. Your joining link and booking details are below.

Gmail app inbox

Subject: 33 of 33 characters showYour writing workshop is tomorrow
Preview: 42 of 239 characters showBring your laptop. The workbook and joinin [cut] g link are inside. We're looking forward to seeing you at the writing workshop. Download the workbook before the session and have your laptop ready. Your joining link and booking details are below.

Reference counts measured 19 October 2026. Readouts update for your browser.

Delivery update

The subject gives the status. The preview tells the reader where to check progress. Keep the tracking instruction ahead of the detail about later updates.

From: Willow Desk Goods · Subject: Your parcel is on its way

iPhone email notification

Subject: 25 of 25 characters showYour parcel is on its way
Preview: 89 of 250 characters showTrack your delivery inside. We'll email again if the delivery date changes. Your order ha [cut] s left our studio. Use the tracking link below to check its progress and see the current delivery estimate. Reply to this email if you need help with your order.

Gmail app inbox

Subject: 25 of 25 characters showYour parcel is on its way
Preview: 44 of 250 characters showTrack your delivery inside. We'll email agai [cut] n if the delivery date changes. Your order has left our studio. Use the tracking link below to check its progress and see the current delivery estimate. Reply to this email if you need help with your order.

Reference counts measured 19 October 2026. Readouts update for your browser.

Welcome email

This short preheader gives the next action. The body's opening follows it in the drawn preview. Check that those sentences read naturally together.

From: Birch Board · Subject: Your workspace is ready

iPhone email notification

Subject: 23 of 23 characters showYour workspace is ready
Preview: 82 of 173 characters showInvite your team. Your project board is waiting. Add a task, then invite a teammat [cut] e to try it with you. You can change your workspace name and settings whenever you need to.

Gmail app inbox

Subject: 23 of 23 characters showYour workspace is ready
Preview: 44 of 173 characters showInvite your team. Your project board is wait [cut] ing. Add a task, then invite a teammate to try it with you. You can change your workspace name and settings whenever you need to.

Reference counts measured 19 October 2026. Readouts update for your browser.

Plain-text follow-up

There is no separate preheader here. The preview starts with the email's opening sentence. It answers the paper question before asking about a sample.

From: Mira at Fern & Fold · Subject: Your paper samples

iPhone email notification

Subject: 18 of 18 characters showYour paper samples
Preview: 84 of 156 characters showThe uncoated paper is available in cream. I've put the stock options below so you ca [cut] n compare them before choosing. Would you like me to send a sample? Mira

Gmail app inbox

Subject: 18 of 18 characters showYour paper samples
Preview: 43 of 156 characters showThe uncoated paper is available in cream. I [cut] 've put the stock options below so you can compare them before choosing. Would you like me to send a sample? Mira

Reference counts measured 19 October 2026. Readouts update for your browser.

Subject line and preview text

Write the subject so it makes sense on its own. Use the preview text to add the next useful detail: the topic of a newsletter, the colour of a restocked item or what someone should bring to an event.

Avoid repeating the subject in different words. In the restock example, the subject says the jacket is back. The preview says which colour is available.

Put the main point before the cut

Read only the highlighted words under each screen. Check whether the useful detail survives the cut. If it doesn't, move that detail earlier and check again.

There is no character count that fits every email. Wide letters take more space than narrow ones. On the drawn laptop inbox, the subject and preview also share a line, so changing the subject changes the room left for the preview.

Check your own preview text

Short preheaders and body text

A preheader is text you set in your email tool to appear in the inbox preview. If it is short, an email app can fill the remaining space with words from the body. The welcome example shows that sequence: the preheader, then the opening sentence.

Leave the preview text field empty to check an email that uses the body's first words. The plain-text follow-up does this.

Litmus explains how body text can follow a short preheader

More examples and mockups

Email mockup generator · Cold email subject lines · Email notification mockup

Check another part of your email

Email preview tool · Preview text checker · Subject line length · Compare versions