What plain text emails are
A plain text email contains only unformatted text, without images, specific fonts, colours, or layout elements like tables or CSS. It prioritises content and direct communication over visual design. These emails are often used for transactional messages or when a simple, personal tone is desired.
This page is one slice of the Nitrosend email library. It holds 3,140 real emails from 1,581 brands, all of them collected out of two ordinary inboxes. Nothing here is a mockup.
Plain text emails you can look at
Filter by industry, design style, layout or length. Open any one to read the subject line, what it is doing, and the prompt that rebuilds it.
What 3,140 of them actually do
Our data confirms that plain text emails are exactly what they promise: plain. Across 3,140 collected emails, we found no hero images and no product grids. Only 2% of these emails contained any form of data table, showing a strong preference for unadorned text.
Most brands keep their plain text emails focused. The median email in this segment included just one call to action. A total of 39% of all plain text emails carried exactly one call to action, pointing to a direct, singular purpose for these messages. Half of the emails we collected addressed the recipient by their first name, indicating a personal touch even without visual flair.
The dominant tones are functional and direct. We saw 34% of plain text emails categorised as neutral and another 30% as instructional. This aligns with their typical use for clear communication. Most of these emails are concise, with 42% being short and 28% classified as micro in length.
Subject lines reflect a focus on utility. Transactional plain subject lines made up 42% of the total, followed by descriptive subjects at 28%. This highlights their role in conveying essential information. I designed our `transactional_plain` design mode specifically for receipts and verifications; it requires transaction details and a support path, and it rejects marketing copy. SaaS companies lead the use of plain text emails, accounting for 26% of sends, with professional services at 14%.
Plain text emails serve varied purposes across the customer lifecycle. While 20% were promotional, a significant 28% were for fulfilment, and 24% were for retention efforts. George, our co-founder, notes that plain text is often better for cold outreach to avoid a 'brochure feel', while rich HTML suits existing customers. This suggests brands use plain text strategically for specific communication needs rather than as a default for all sends.
None of this helps if the send never lands, which is a transactional email problem rather than a design one.
What to take from these
- Keep your calls to action focused; the median plain text email includes just one.Personalise your plain text sends; 50% of brands address recipients by their first name.Use a neutral or instructional tone for clarity, as 64% of brands do.Prioritise transactional or descriptive subject lines for plain text emails, which make up 70% of sends.Consider plain text for fulfilment and retention messages, which comprise over half of observed lifecycle stages.Study how brands like Haymarket HQ and Airbnb use plain text for their core communications.
Once the shape is right, the rest is email marketing.
What is in this set
By industry
3,140 emails from 1,581 brandsNext to this one
The same corpus, cut a different way: utilitarian, minimal, corporate.
Questions people ask
A plain text email contains only basic, unformatted text. It lacks visual design elements like images, custom fonts, colours, or complex layouts that are common in HTML emails. Its purpose is to deliver information directly and simply.
Brands send plain text emails for clarity and directness. Our data shows they are often used for transactional messages like receipts or account notices, and for instructional content. They can also feel more personal or be preferred for cold outreach to avoid a marketing 'brochure' appearance.
Common elements include a single, clear call to action and personalisation, with half of observed emails addressing the recipient by their first name. The content is typically short or micro in length, and the tone is usually neutral or instructional. They rarely contain images or product grids.
Plain text emails are stripped of all formatting and visual design, while HTML emails can include images, custom fonts, colours, and complex layouts. Our collected plain text emails show no hero images or product grids, highlighting their fundamental difference in visual presentation. They rely purely on the written word.