Open Doors Email

Inbox Preview

3 min read Updated 26 October 2026
Email Builder · What's NewEmail Inbox PreviewSee real screenshots of your email in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and more, before you hit send.Overview

Inbox Preview is a new, fourth option in the Email Builder's Preview screen, sitting right next to Desktop, Tablet and Mobile.

You pick the email clients you care about (common clients are pre-selected for you), run the preview, and get a real screenshot from each client, so you can catch broken layouts, dark-mode issues and clipping before your contacts do.

Table of Contents1What Is Email Inbox Preview?2How to Access Email Inbox Preview3Reviewing Your Preview Results4Frequently Asked QuestionsVideo WalkthroughWatch a quick walkthrough of running an Inbox Preview1

What Is Email Inbox Preview?

The standard Desktop, Tablet and Mobile previews show how your email looks inside the builder. Inbox Preview goes a step further: it renders your email inside real email clients and returns an actual screenshot from each one, along with how the email appears in the inbox list.

It helps you spot three of the most common rendering problems:

Outlook layout breaks, spot stacked columns and broken spacing.Dark mode, see where colors invert or logos vanish.Gmail clipping, know if the message gets cut off.Good to Know

Each client you preview uses one preview from your balance. The remaining balance is always shown at the top of the Email clients panel (for example, 371 previews left).

Setup GuideRun your first Inbox PreviewFive quick steps from a new campaign to real inbox screenshots.2

How to Access Email Inbox Preview

Step 1Create a new email campaign

Start a new email campaign from your Email Marketing section.

Step 2Build your email in the Email Builder

Design your email as usual, add text, buttons, images, custom values and any other elements you need.

Step 3Click Inbox preview

Once the email is ready, click Inbox preview (marked New) in the top toolbar, next to the Desktop and Mobile preview icons.

The Inbox preview button in the Email Builder toolbar.Step 4Choose (and pin) your email clients

The Email clients panel opens on the right with a set of popular clients already selected by default, led by Gmail. From here you can:

  • Untick any client you don't need, or click Clear all to start fresh.
  • Click + Add email clients to search by client, version or browser, and filter by device and mode (light / dark).
  • Click the pin icon next to a client to keep your favourite inboxes selected for future previews.
Selected clients are listed on the right, with a pin icon to save favourites.Step 5Click Preview

Click Preview in the panel (or Run preview for N clients in the center). The button shows how many previews the run will use before you confirm.

Note

Every selected client counts as one preview. Running 9 clients uses 9 previews, so keep your selection to the inboxes your contacts actually use.

3

Reviewing Your Preview Results

When the run finishes, the page header changes to Previewed in N clients with the date, time and estimated email size. Each client appears as a card showing a real screenshot of your email inside that inbox.

  • Each client's status moves from Not previewed to Ready once its screenshot is available.
  • Click the expand icon on any card to view the screenshot in full size.
  • Compare light and dark mode versions side by side to check colors, logos and button contrast.
Preview results across Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail, each marked Ready.You're All Set

Found something off? Click Back to email builder, fix it, and run the preview again for just the affected clients.

4

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is Inbox Preview different from the Desktop and Mobile previews?Desktop, Tablet and Mobile show a simulated view inside the builder. Inbox Preview renders the email in actual email clients and returns real screenshots, so you see exactly what each client does to your layout.Q: How many previews does a run use?One preview per selected client. The count is shown below the Run preview button and in the panel (for example, Uses 9 previews) before you start.Q: Where can I see how many previews I have left?At the top of the Email clients panel, right under the panel title.Q: What does pinning a client do?Pinned clients stay in your selection, so your go-to inboxes are ready every time you open Inbox Preview.Q: Which email clients can I preview?Gmail are included by default, and many more clients, versions and browsers are available through + Add email clients. Use the search box and the device and mode filters to find them.Q: Does running an Inbox Preview send the email to my contacts?No. Inbox Preview only generates screenshots. Nothing is sent to your contacts until you use Send or schedule.

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