Salesforce Lightning Email Template Limits

Understanding Salesforce Lightning Email Templates

Salesforce Lightning offers a powerful platform for businesses to engage with customers, manage relationships, and deliver personalized communication. One of the key features for outreach and marketing within Salesforce is the ability to create and send email templates. These templates help save time, streamline communication processes, and ensure consistency across messaging. However, it’s important to understand the limitations within Salesforce Lightning’s email templates to avoid potential issues when using this feature.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the Salesforce Lightning email template limits in detail and how you can optimize your email templates for success.

Salesforce Lightning Email Template Limits

Below are some of the most important limits to keep in mind when working with Salesforce Lightning email templates:

Character Limits

The length of your email content can affect how your template is processed and displayed. Salesforce imposes character limits on different types of email templates:

• Text Email Templates: These templates have a maximum character limit of 32,000 characters.
• HTML Email Templates: HTML templates support up to 32,000 characters, similar to text-based templates. However, this limit includes both the email body and HTML tags.

If you exceed these character limits, Salesforce may not be able to send the email, or the template may not render as expected. It’s essential to keep your message concise while ensuring that it communicates the necessary information effectively.

Image Size and Format

Images play a crucial role in email templates, as they help enhance the design and visual appeal. However, Salesforce places restrictions on the size and format of images used in email templates:

• Image File Size: Salesforce allows images to be up to 3 MB in size when embedded directly into an email template.
• Image Formats: Supported image formats include JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Using unsupported formats could cause display issues in your emails.

Keep in mind that large images can slow down email loading times, and overly large files might even cause your email to be rejected. It’s a good practice to optimize your images for the web before embedding them into your email templates.

Merge Fields

Merge fields are used to personalize email templates by inserting data from Salesforce records. These fields allow you to tailor messages based on customer information such as names, contact details, or recent activity. Salesforce Lightning allows you to include merge fields in email templates, but there are limitations:

• Number of Merge Fields: Salesforce allows a maximum of 100 merge fields in an email template.
• Merge Field Length: The combined length of the merge field data can’t exceed 255 characters.

While merge fields provide a high level of personalization, it’s important not to overload your template with too many merge fields, as this could exceed the limits and result in errors.

Attachment Limits

In some cases, email templates in Salesforce Lightning may include attachments. However, Salesforce imposes limits on the size and number of attachments you can include:

• Attachment Size Limit: Salesforce allows each attachment to be up to 3 MB in size.
• Number of Attachments: While you can include multiple attachments in an email, there is a practical limit to how many you can send in one go. Keep your attachments to a reasonable number to avoid triggering issues.

It’s advisable to keep attachments to a minimum and use links to external resources when possible to ensure your emails remain lightweight and quick to load.

HTML Code Limitations

While HTML email templates provide the most flexibility in terms of design and structure, they also come with some specific limitations:

• HTML Code Length: The total length of HTML code in a template must not exceed 32,000 characters.
• External CSS: Salesforce does not support the use of external CSS in email templates, meaning all styles must be inline. This ensures compatibility with various email clients.
• JavaScript Restrictions: JavaScript is not allowed in email templates due to security concerns. Salesforce does not support the use of active scripts or JavaScript code, as this could introduce security vulnerabilities or cause rendering issues.

When designing HTML email templates, make sure your code is clean, concise, and within the character limits. Avoid heavy scripts or external references that could cause compatibility issues across different email clients.

Email Template Types and Usage

Salesforce provides different types of email templates for various use cases, each with its own limitations:

• Standard Email Templates: These templates are typically used for marketing or customer service purposes. They may include text, images, and merge fields.
• Custom Email Templates: Custom templates can be designed based on specific needs, including dynamic content and custom styling.
• Lightning Email Templates: Specifically designed for use within Salesforce Lightning, these templates allow users to create personalized, mobile-optimized emails with dynamic fields.

Each type of email template may have its own set of limits, depending on the complexity and functionality you need. It’s crucial to choose the right type of template based on your objectives.

Best Practices for Optimizing Salesforce Lightning Email Templates

To avoid running into issues with template limits, here are some best practices to follow:

• Keep Content Concise: Ensure your message is clear and to the point, staying within the character limits to prevent errors.
• Optimize Images: Compress your images to reduce file sizes while maintaining quality.
• Limit Merge Fields: Use merge fields strategically, focusing on the most relevant data for personalization.
• Test Email Templates: Always test your templates across various email clients and devices to ensure they display correctly and don’t exceed any limits.
• Use External Resources: For larger attachments or additional content, consider linking to external resources rather than embedding everything within the email.

Conclusion

Salesforce Lightning email templates are a valuable tool for automating communication with your customers and prospects. However, understanding and adhering to the limits imposed by Salesforce is critical to ensuring your templates function as expected. By keeping character counts within limits, optimizing images, and strategically using merge fields, you can create effective and professional email templates that enhance your outreach efforts.

By following these guidelines, you can maximize the impact of your email communications while avoiding errors that might disrupt your campaigns.