Mastering AMP for Interactive Emails: A Technical Guide

Learn how to integrate interactive elements like carousels and forms, enabling dynamic content and responsive design directly in your users' inboxes.

  • Table of contents

amp4email

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) for Email is revolutionizing the way we interact with email content. By enabling senders to incorporate AMP features into their emails, recipients can enjoy a range of interactive elements such as image carousels, accordions, and up-to-date content within the email itself. This eliminates the need for recipients to navigate away from their inbox to perform actions like filling out forms.

AMP emails are designed to be backward compatible by embedding the AMP version as a new MIME part alongside traditional HTML and plaintext versions. This ensures a seamless experience across all email clients that support AMP for Email. Check the Supported Email Platforms for compatibility details.

What AMP for email looks like:

<html ⚡4email data-css-strict>
  <!-- interactive elements here! 😮-->
</html>

Fascinating Features of AMP for Email

AMP for Email isn’t just about sending messages—it’s about creating rich, interactive, and dynamic experiences right in the user's inbox. Here's a glimpse into some of the most interesting features that AMP for Email supports:

Interactive Elements

You can use AMP to engage your audience with interactive elements, this is a list of the most common ones:

amp interactive elements

Carousels and Slideshows

Users can swipe through a series of images or slides without leaving their email, perfect for showcasing products or telling a visual story.

Accordions

This feature allows recipients to expand and collapse sections of content, making lengthy emails more manageable and less overwhelming.

Forms

AMP emails can contain forms that users can fill out and submit without needing to open a new browser tab, streamlining tasks like RSVPs or feedback collection.

Real-Time Content

Live Content Updates

Content like pricing, availability, or event details can be updated in real-time, ensuring users always have the most current information.

Dynamic Content Replacement

AMP for Email can change the content dynamically based on user interactions, time, or other variables, keeping the email content fresh and relevant.

User Actions

Instant Actions

Users can take actions like booking an appointment, browsing a product gallery, or managing subscription preferences directly within the email.

Seamless Confirmations

After performing an action within the email, users can receive immediate feedback and confirmation, enhancing the sense of interactivity.

Customized Experiences

Personalization

AMP for Email allows for personalized content based on user data, ensuring each recipient gets a tailored email experience.

Content Visibility

Based on user interactions, certain content can be shown or hidden, which can be used to create a gamified experience or to reveal additional information as needed.

Visual Enhancements

Animations

With AMP, emails can include subtle animations and transitions that make the visual experience more engaging and professional.

Image Lightbox

AMP supports image lightboxes that allow users to click on images to view them in a larger, more detailed overlay.

Security and Compliance

Strict Validation

AMP for Email enforces strict code validation, ensuring emails are safe for users to interact with and free from malicious code.

Permission-based Actions

Actions within AMP emails are designed to be permission-based, protecting user privacy and data integrity.

These features of AMP for Email not only bring a web-page-like experience into the inbox but also open up a realm of possibilities for creative and engaging email marketing strategies.

Get started with AMP Email Development

Begin with the AMP Playground, ensuring that the format is set to AMP for Email. The boilerplate code you'll encounter is the starting point, containing essential elements like the AMP runtime script and CSS boilerplate to hide content before AMP loads.

Noteworthy distinctions in AMP emails include:

  • A unique identifier in the html tag (⚡4email or amp4email).
  • Mandatory AMP runtime script in the <head> tag.
  • Specific AMP scripts for supported components.

Incorporating Images with AMP Tags

AMP emails replace certain HTML tags with AMP-specific tags. For instance, <img> becomes <amp-img>, requiring explicit width, height, and closing tags. Animated GIFs are supported through <amp-anim>. All URLs must be absolute and use HTTPS, such as those provided by Placekitten for placeholder images.

Here's an example of including an image:

<amp-img src="https://placekitten.com/800/400"
         alt="Welcome"
         width="800"
         height="400">
</amp-img>

Responsive Design in AMP Emails

AMP's built-in layout system and media queries simplify the creation of responsive designs. For example, setting the layout="responsive" attribute on <amp-img> helps the image adapt to different screen sizes.

<amp-img layout="responsive"
         src="https://placekitten.com/800/400"
         alt="Welcome"
         width="800"
         height="400">
</amp-img>

Elevating Layout with AMP Components

To enhance the presentation, AMP supports layout components like <amp-carousel> for image sliders. Incorporate the amp-carousel script in your email's head and utilize it to display a series of images.

<amp-carousel layout="responsive"
              width="800"
              height="400"
              type="slides">
  <!-- Your images here -->
</amp-carousel>

Styling and Dynamic Content

AMP emails permit styling within the <style amp-custom> tag in the head of the document and support a wider range of CSS classes and pseudo-classes.

To add dynamic capabilities, use AMP’s <amp-bind> to react to user interactions. Include the amp-bind script, define your state with <amp-state>, and bind actions to events to create a responsive and interactive experience.

<amp-state id="catInfo">
  <!-- Your cat information as JSON -->
</amp-state>
<amp-carousel on="slideChange:AMP.setState({ currentCat: event.index})">
  <!-- Your carousel content -->
</amp-carousel>

You can then dynamically display content based on the current state:

<div>
  <h1>
    <span [text]="catInfo[currentCat].name">Default Name</span> is available for adoption!
  </h1>
  <p [text]="catInfo[currentCat].description">Default description.</p>
</div>

Deploying Your AMP Email

Before sending out your AMP email, ensure you test it thoroughly. Refer to the guides on testing AMP emails for instructions on sending it to your inbox and confirming that everything works as expected.

By following these steps and utilizing AMP components, you can create engaging and interactive email experiences that keep your audience engaged without ever leaving their inbox.

Pros a cons of AMP for Email

There are a few trade-offs when sending AMP emails (one of which is platform compatibility Here are some of the pros and cons to consider:

Pros of Using AMP for Emails

  • Interactive Content

    • AMP allows for dynamic elements like forms and carousels directly within the email.

  • Up-to-Date Information

    • Content can be updated in real time, ensuring users always see the latest information.

  • Enhanced Engagement

    • Interactive emails can increase user engagement and conversion rates.

  • Built-in Responsiveness

    • AMP includes a responsive layout system, making it easier to create mobile-friendly designs.

  • Analytics and Tracking

    • AMP supports analytics directly within emails, providing insights on user interactions.

Cons of Using AMP for Emails

  • Compatibility Issues

    • Not all email clients support AMP, potentially leading to inconsistent user experiences.

  • Complexity in Development

    • AMP for Email requires a steeper learning curve and more complex code compared to standard HTML emails.

  • Strict Sending Guidelines

    • Sending AMP emails involves adhering to strict guidelines and security measures, which can be challenging to navigate.

  • Limited Email Size

    • AMP emails have stricter size limits, which may restrict content and creative elements.

  • Additional Maintenance

    • AMP versions of emails require additional maintenance alongside HTML versions.

For further learning and exploration into AMP for Email, delve into the AMP for Email fundamentals.

Happy emailing! 🚀