Responsive Email Design: A Technical Guide

Over 60% of emails are opened on mobile devices. Responsive design is not optional. But responsive email is harder than responsive web. Media query support varies. Flexbox does not work. You are stuck with tables.

This guide covers techniques that actually work across email clients. If you want to skip the complexity, tools like Sequenzy handle responsive behavior automatically in their visual builder.

The Mobile Email Reality

Email clients on mobile handle responsive design differently:

• Apple Mail (iOS): Full media query support, works like a browser
• Gmail App: Supports media queries since 2016, but with quirks
• Outlook App: Limited media query support
• Samsung Mail: Generally good support

The challenge is designing for all of them. Some support media queries, some do not. Your layout needs fallbacks.

Fluid Layouts: The Foundation

Start with fluid widths. Instead of fixed pixel widths, use percentages with max-width constraints:

<table role="presentation" width="100%" style="max-width: 600px;">
  <tr>
    <td style="padding: 20px;">
      Content flows to fill available width
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

This works everywhere. On desktop, the email is 600px wide. On mobile, it shrinks to fit the screen. No media queries required.

Media Queries for Enhancement

Media queries let you customize the mobile experience in supporting clients:

<style>
  @media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
    .column {
      width: 100% !important;
      display: block !important;
    }
    .stack-on-mobile {
      display: block !important;
      width: 100% !important;
    }
    .hide-on-mobile {
      display: none !important;
    }
    .mobile-padding {
      padding: 10px !important;
    }
  }
</style>

Key techniques:

• Stack columns: Convert side-by-side columns to stacked blocks
• Adjust padding: Reduce padding on smaller screens
• Hide elements: Remove secondary content on mobile
• Resize images: Make images full-width

The !important declarations are necessary because inline styles have high specificity.

The Hybrid/Spongy Method

This technique uses conditional comments and CSS to create responsive layouts without media queries:

<!--[if mso]>
<table role="presentation" width="600">
<tr>
<td width="300">
<![endif]-->

<div style="display: inline-block; width: 100%; max-width: 300px;">
  Column 1 content
</div>

<!--[if mso]>
</td>
<td width="300">
<![endif]-->

<div style="display: inline-block; width: 100%; max-width: 300px;">
  Column 2 content
</div>

<!--[if mso]>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<![endif]-->

This creates side-by-side columns in Outlook (which reads the conditional comments) and stacking columns everywhere else (which uses the div elements). No media queries needed.

Responsive Images

Images should scale with their containers:

<img src="image.jpg"
     width="600"
     style="display: block; max-width: 100%; height: auto;"
     alt="Description">

The width attribute sets the intended size. max-width: 100% prevents overflow. height: auto maintains aspect ratio.

Touch-Friendly Buttons

Mobile users tap, not click. Buttons need adequate size:

<table role="presentation">
  <tr>
    <td style="background-color: #007bff; border-radius: 4px; padding: 12px 24px;">
      <a href="https://example.com"
         style="color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; display: block;">
        Click Here
      </a>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

Minimum touch target: 44x44 pixels (Apple's guideline). More padding is better than less.

Testing Responsive Behavior

Test on real devices when possible. Emulators and previews do not catch everything:

• Send test emails to your own devices
• Use Litmus or Email on Acid for automated previews
• Test both portrait and landscape orientations
• Check with images disabled

Using Frameworks for Responsive

Frameworks like MJML handle responsive design automatically:

<mj-section>
  <mj-column>
    <mj-text>Column 1</mj-text>
  </mj-column>
  <mj-column>
    <mj-text>Column 2</mj-text>
  </mj-column>
</mj-section>

This MJML compiles to responsive HTML. Columns stack on mobile automatically. No manual media queries.

Visual builders like Sequenzy work similarly. Blocks are pre-configured for responsive behavior. Drag components, customize content, the responsive handling is built-in.

Common Responsive Patterns

Single Column (Mobile-First)

Start with a single column layout. It works everywhere and requires minimal responsive adjustments.

Two-Column to Stacked

Side-by-side on desktop, stacked on mobile. The most common responsive pattern. Use the hybrid method or media queries.

Hero Image with CTA

Full-width image followed by centered text and button. Works well at any size. Image scales, text remains readable.

The Bottom Line

Responsive email is achievable but requires understanding the constraints. Start with fluid layouts, enhance with media queries where supported, and test thoroughly.

If the technical complexity is daunting, frameworks like MJML or platforms like Sequenzy handle it for you. The output is tested across clients, and responsive behavior is built into the components.