Gmail Summary Cards and Email Markup

Gmail sometimes displays a compact summary of an email — a summary card — either above the message body or directly in the inbox. Common examples include order and package-tracking cards, flight and hotel reservation cards, and promotional Deal cards.

These cards can be generated through two different mechanisms. It is important to distinguish between them because senders can control only one.

Two Different Mechanisms

1. Sender-Added Email Markup

You can add structured data to an email so Gmail can recognize it and display a card or an action button, such as Track package or View reservation.

The markup uses the Schema.org vocabulary in JSON-LD format. Google describes the supported types in its Gmail Markup / Actions in Gmail documentation.

Like AMP for Email, this is a sender-configured feature. You add the markup to the email yourself, and interactive Go-to action buttons also require you to register your sending domain with Google.

Informational markup that creates a card without an action button does not require registration. However, Gmail requirements and behavior may change, so check the current Google documentation before relying on a particular type of markup.

Gmail markup is not limited to orders and travel reservations. It can also be used for promotional content. To control how a deal or discount is represented instead of relying on Gmail's automatic detection, check Google's documentation for the currently supported Schema.org types. Reteno does not prescribe or validate which type you use.

2. Gmail's Automatic Annotations

Gmail can also generate a summary card automatically by analyzing the content of an email. No structured data from the sender is required.

This is why a Deal card may appear in a campaign even when you have not added any markup.

Adding Markup to a Reteno Email

Reteno does not provide a dedicated no-code interface for Schema.org email markup. Add the markup as HTML code, in the same way as any other custom code block.

1. Go to Messages → Messages → Email and open an existing email or create a new one.
2. In the code editor, add a <script type="application/ld+json"> block containing your markup.

The block is not displayed as visible content in the email. Gmail reads it on the server while processing the message.

Example markup for an order confirmation:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Order",
  "merchant": "Your Store",
  "orderNumber": "1234567",
  "priceCurrency": "USD",
  "price": "49.99",
  "acceptedOffer": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "itemOffered": {
      "@type": "Product",
      "name": "Your Product Name"
    }
  },
  "url": "https://example.com/orders/1234567"
}
</script>

You can personalize markup values with Velocity, just as you would in other parts of the template. For example, you can insert an order number or price from event parameters.

Testing and Registration

1. Validate the JSON-LD syntax before sending the email. You can use a general Schema.org validator, such as Schema Markup Validator. Gmail will not recognize an invalid block, but the email itself may not display an error.
2. Send a test email to your own Gmail account and check whether the card appears. Because Reteno sends the markup without modifying it, this test helps you verify how Gmail processes messages from your domain.

3. For markup that adds a clickable action rather than only an informational card, register the sender with Google. You must submit the application yourself because Reteno does not apply for or manage the registration on your behalf.

   The process is similar to AMP sender registration: send a real email containing the markup from your production domain to Google's review address, complete the registration form, and wait for approval.

4. Refer to Google's Gmail Markup documentation for the current list of supported types, requirements, and testing recommendations. Google may change these conditions independently of Reteno.

Related

• How to Apply for Sending AMP-Powered Emails
• Customizing an HTML Email Template
• Using Velocity in Email