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Why You Should Use MJML for Email Templates

· 4 min read
Phan Thanh Sang
Phan Thanh Sang
Front End Engineer @ Sea Limited

Creating responsive and visually appealing email templates can be a daunting task, especially given the wide variety of email clients and devices in use today. MJML (Mailjet Markup Language) offers a solution to this challenge by simplifying the process of designing responsive email templates. Here are several reasons why you should consider using MJML for your next email template project.

Why?​

1. Simplicity and Ease of Use​

MJML is designed to be easy to use, even for those who may not have extensive experience with HTML or CSS. It abstracts away the complexities involved in creating responsive email designs, allowing you to focus on the content and structure of your emails. With MJML, you can write clean and readable code that translates into well-formatted HTML emails.

Example:​

<mjml>
  <mj-body>
    <mj-section>
      <mj-column>
        <mj-text> Hello World! </mj-text>
      </mj-column>
    </mj-section>
  </mj-body>
</mjml>

2. Responsive by Default​

One of the biggest challenges in email design is ensuring that your emails look good on all devices. MJML takes care of this for you by providing responsive email templates out of the box. It uses a mobile-first approach, ensuring that your emails are optimized for mobile devices and then gracefully scale up to larger screens.

3. Cross-Client Compatibility​

Different email clients render HTML emails in different ways, often leading to inconsistencies in how emails are displayed. MJML helps mitigate this issue by generating email code that is compatible with a wide range of email clients, including Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail. This ensures a consistent user experience regardless of the email client used.

4. Time Efficiency​

Designing and coding email templates from scratch can be time-consuming. MJML provides a variety of pre-built components, such as headers, footers, buttons, and grids, which can be easily customized and reused. This modular approach allows you to quickly assemble complex email designs without having to reinvent the wheel each time.

Example:​

<mjml>
  <mj-body>
    <mj-section>
      <mj-column>
        <mj-button href="https://www.example.com">Click Me!</mj-button>
      </mj-column>
    </mj-section>
  </mj-body>
</mjml>

5. Active Community and Support​

MJML has a vibrant and active community of users and developers. This means you can easily find support, tutorials, and examples to help you get started and overcome any challenges you may encounter. The MJML team also regularly updates the framework, ensuring that it remains current with the latest email design best practices and standards.

6. Integration with Development Tools​

MJML can be easily integrated into your development workflow. It provides a command-line interface (CLI) for compiling MJML code into HTML, as well as plugins for popular code editors like Visual Studio Code. Additionally, MJML is compatible with build tools like Webpack and Gulp, allowing you to automate the email template generation process.

Example using CLI:​

mjml input.mjml -o output.html

7. Customizability and Flexibility​

MJML is highly customizable, allowing you to create unique and branded email templates that align with your company's style guide. You can add custom styles, use your own fonts, and create complex layouts without being constrained by the limitations of traditional HTML email design.

Conclusion​

MJML is a powerful tool for creating responsive, cross-client compatible email templates with ease. Its simplicity, efficiency, and flexibility make it an excellent choice for both novice and experienced email designers. By leveraging MJML, you can save time, ensure a consistent user experience across different devices and email clients, and focus on creating engaging and visually appealing emails that drive results.

Whether you're a developer looking to streamline your email design process or a marketer aiming to enhance your email campaigns, MJML is a valuable addition to your toolkit. Give it a try and see how it can transform the way you design and build email templates.