Summary
Most email clients don't support embedded video playback. When you include a video in your LaunchNotes announcement, subscribers typically see a fallback image instead of a playing video. The recommended approach is to use a thumbnail image with a clear call-to-action button that links to your video hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia, or your website.
Why video doesn't work in most email clients
Email clients handle video very differently than websites, and the vast majority actively block embedded video for three key reasons:
Inconsistent support across platforms: As of 2024, Apple Mail holds 55-58% of the email client market share and Gmail accounts for 29-31%. While Apple Mail (on iPhone, iPad, and Mac) supports HTML5 video playback, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and most other email clients do not. This means approximately 40-45% of your subscribers would see the video play directly, while the remaining 55-60% would only see a static image.
File size and deliverability issues: Embedded videos significantly increase email file size, often causing emails to be rejected by spam filters or fail to deliver entirely. Many email providers automatically block emails over certain size thresholds.
Security concerns: Email providers flag embedded video as a potential security risk since it can be used to track user activity or deliver malicious content.
Best practices for video in email announcements
1. Use a compelling thumbnail with a play button
Create a high-quality static image from your video with a clear play icon overlay. This signals to subscribers that clicking will play a video.
Thumbnail best practices:
Use a visually interesting frame from your video (not the first or last frame)
Add a prominent play button - research by Wistia shows thumbnails with play buttons significantly outperform plain screenshots
Include text overlay summarizing what the video covers (e.g., "See the new dashboard in action")
Size your thumbnail at 600px wide (standard email width) with 16:9 aspect ratio (600x338px)
Use high-contrast colors so the play button stands out
Example tools for creating thumbnails:
Take a screenshot from your video player and overlay a play button graphic
Use free tools like Play Button Generator
Many video hosting platforms (YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia) auto-generate thumbnails you can download
2. Link to your hosted video
Make your thumbnail image a clickable link to where your video lives:
YouTube or Vimeo: Best for broad reach and reliability
Wistia or Vidyard: Best for business videos with detailed analytics
Your website landing page: Best for keeping users in your ecosystem and tracking conversions
When someone clicks the thumbnail, it will open their browser and play the video on the hosting platform.
3. Add a clear call-to-action button
Below or beside your video thumbnail, include a text button like:
"Watch the video →"
"See it in action →"
"View the demo →"
This provides an additional clickthrough opportunity for subscribers whose images don't load automatically.
4. Use animated GIFs as an alternative
For short clips (under 10 seconds), consider using an animated GIF instead of a static thumbnail. GIFs are widely supported across email clients and auto-play without requiring a click.
GIF best practices:
Keep file size under 1MB (compress using tools like ezgif.com)
Limit duration to 3-10 seconds
Still include a link to the full video
Note: Outlook on Windows only displays the first frame, so make it compelling
5. Always preview before sending
Use LaunchNotes' preview feature to see exactly how your video thumbnail will appear across different channels (email, Slack, web) before publishing your announcement.
Notes & important info
Apple Mail is the exception: Subscribers using Apple Mail on iPhone, iPad, or Mac can technically see HTML5 video embedded in email. However, since you can't control which email clients your subscribers use, it's best to optimize for the majority who cannot.
Email client market share (2024):
Apple Mail: 55-58% (supports video)
Gmail: 29-31% (does not support video)
Outlook: 4-4.4% (does not support video)
Yahoo Mail: 2.5-2.8% (does not support video)
All others: ~5% (mixed support)
Mobile vs desktop: 85% of emails are opened on mobile devices first, where video support is even more limited. Design your video strategy for mobile viewing.
Videos will be viewable on your announcement page, but not email.
Troubleshooting
My video thumbnail isn't showing in Gmail Gmail blocks images by default for unknown senders. Subscribers must either add you to their contacts or manually click "Display images" for your thumbnail to appear. Always include text context around your video thumbnail explaining what subscribers will see when they click.
The play button looks blurry or pixelated Use a high-resolution thumbnail (at least 1200px wide) that scales down to 600px for email. This ensures it looks sharp on retina displays and high-DPI screens.
Subscribers are confused about whether to click Add descriptive text immediately above or below your video thumbnail: "Click to watch our 2-minute demo" or "Watch this 90-second tutorial →"
My email is going to spam with video content If you're embedding actual video files (not recommended), the large file size may trigger spam filters. Switch to the thumbnail + link method described above to avoid deliverability issues.
I want different videos for different subscriber segments LaunchNotes supports cohorts and targeting, so you can create separate announcements with different video thumbnails for different audience segments.