Adding a Hidden Preheader

A hidden preheader is the text that appears after the email subject line or when the user hovers over the subject in the inbox.

Inbox view with the hidden preheader text underlined after the subject in two emails

In the HTML code of an email created in the Reteno editor, the hidden preheader is marked with the class esd-hidden-preheader.

HTML code editor showing the esd-hidden-preheader span class with hidden preheader text

By default, email clients use the first line of the message as the preheader. A hidden preheader allows you to specify the exact text that will appear next to the email subject.

If the preheader is not configured, make sure that the opening text of the email looks appealing and is clear to the reader.

Purpose of the Preheader

The preheader helps you to:

  • explain the message content;
  • highlight the value of the offer;
  • complement the subject line when it lacks characters (especially important on mobile devices, where inboxes show about 40 characters).

For example, for a trial ending email with the subject Your free trial ends tomorrow, use a preheader such as Pick a plan in the app to keep your progress.

By default, email clients may display any fragment of the email body as preview text. To make your subject line more engaging, set a hidden preheader manually.

Configuring the Preheader

  1. Open an existing email or create a new one (Messages → Messages → Email).
Messages section with the Messages tab highlighted and the Email channel underlined
  1. On the Message settings tab, enter the hidden preheader text in the Hidden Preheader field.
Message Settings tab with the Hidden Preheader field highlighted
  1. To optimize the text with AI, click the Improve with AI icon and select a text generation option.
AI prompt menu open over the editor with the Improve with AI icon highlighted next to the Hidden Preheader field

Add White Space Option

If you don’t add a hidden preheader or don’t fill it completely, some email clients may pull text from the email body into the message preview.

The Add white space option adds invisible characters to the preheader so that no extra content appears and the preview displays correctly in the inbox.

Click Add white space.

Plus icon highlighted next to the Hidden Preheader field with the menu open showing Insert Emoji, Add White Space underlined, and Insert Merge Tag

In the email HTML code, the system inserts the character combination ā€‡Ķ after the preheader text. This combination creates the required number of spaces.

Hidden Preheader field with the added white space highlighted and the inserted character combinations shown in the code editor
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Note

By default, the system adds a standard number of spaces sufficient to fill the visible preheader area. You can change the number of spaces directly in the HTML code if needed.

If you don’t set a preheader, enable Fill in with white space so that the recipient’s inbox shows only the subject line.

Inbox view with a subject shown without a preheader tail thanks to the filled white space

Testing the Result

Test the email in different email clients before sending.

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Note

  • Pay attention to how the subject line and preheader appear on mobile devices and desktop.
  • In the desktop version of Gmail, only the first 100 characters of the email text are displayed.
Desktop and mobile inbox views showing how the subject and preheader display in Gmail

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