Images and links in your e-mails: design and deliverability rules

Jun 25, 2025

Lightweight images and strategic links: beyond the core content, some seemingly secondary elements in an email can actually make a big difference... or hurt your deliverability. When you’re sending emails with images or emails that include links, spam filters pay close attention. To ensure optimal email marketing deliverability, you’ve got to understand how to balance visual impact with technical performance. Here’s a rundown of best practices to help you stay out of the spam folder.

Summary

The impact of images on deliverability

Images in emails can boost email visual impact, but overusing them can trigger email spam filters. Emails that are too heavy, poorly coded, or image-only are often penalized. That’s why you should aim for a solid text/image ratio, compress visuals (to reduce email image size), and always include descriptive ALT tags for visuals that don’t load by default.

The effect of links in your emails

The number, type, and structure of links in your emails matter a lot for deliverability. Too many links, broken links, or shady redirects can tank your email deliverability rate. Avoid sketchy URL shorteners, always double-check your URLs, and go for secure domains (HTTPS). Improving link deliverability means carefully managing redirects and staying consistent with your sender domain.

Best practices for better sending

  • Use a balanced ratio of text and visuals (around 60/40).
  • Include clear, relevant links that are tested before sending.
  • Go for lightweight HTML emails with a readable plain text alternative.
  • Avoid spam-triggering words in links or anchor texts.
  • Choose a clean email design that isn’t too graphic-heavy.

Control table: images and links in emails

ElementRecommendationGoal
Image/Text Ratio60% text / 40% imageImprove readability and avoid spam
Total weightUnder 100 KB per imageSpeed up loading time
Number of links2 to 4 maxMake navigation easy without getting penalized
Email formatHTML + text versionEnsure compatibility
Domain nameHTTPS links with aligned domainBuild ISP trust


No time to read it all? Here’s the recap:

In short: The impact of images and links on email deliverability

  • Email images need to be optimized in size and properly tagged to avoid spam filters.
  • Broken or excessive links can hurt your email marketing deliverability.
  • Smart email design means striking the right balance between visuals and text to boost your deliverability rate.
  • Text vs HTML email should be well-calibrated to stay readable and pass spam filters.
  • The Mindbaz platform helps you boost email visual performance while keeping great deliverability.




How do images and links affect your email deliverability?

Too many images or links in an email can trigger spam filters and hurt your deliverability. Aim for a good text/visual balance, limit redirects, and make sure your content quality is strong to boost engagement and land in the inbox.

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