Email & Retention

Preview Text

The short preview line shown after the subject line in most email clients. A second micro-headline you control — most stores waste it on "View in browser."

Preview text (sometimes called preheader) is the short preview line shown after the subject line in most email clients — typically 50-100 characters. It's a second micro-headline, and it's one of the most-underused assets in ecommerce email.

Default behavior in most ESP templates is to pull the first visible text from the email body, which is often "View this email in your browser" or a logo alt text. Overriding that with an intentional preview line that extends or contrasts with the subject line can lift open rates by 10-20% with zero extra work.

Example combo — subject: "The 3 things most dropshippers skip." Preview: "(Number 2 is the one that kills 80% of stores.)"

Articles mentioning Preview Text
Related terms in Email & Retention
Abandoned Cart
The email/SMS flow triggered when someone adds to cart but doesn't complete checkout. Typically recovers 5-15% of abandoned revenue — the single highest-ROI flow.
Back in Stock
An automated notification sent to customers who requested alerts on a sold-out product when inventory returns. Near-guaranteed opens, high conversion.
Browse Abandonment
A flow triggered when someone views a PDP but doesn't add to cart. Lower recovery than abandoned cart but wider funnel — catches people before commitment.
Campaign
A one-time email or SMS blast sent to a segment on a specific date. The counterpart to a flow: deliberate, calendar-driven broadcasts rather than triggered automations.
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