Emojis in email subject lines: when they work and when they don't
An emoji can make a subject line stand out in a crowded inbox. Used badly, it looks cheap, displays as a blank box, or gets read aloud oddly by screen readers.
Emojis can work in subject lines when they are relevant, used one or two at a time, and don't replace important words. Most modern inboxes, including Gmail, Apple Mail and new Outlook, show them in color, but some older apps show plain symbols or empty boxes. Skip them for serious, formal or transactional emails, and always preview first.
Do emojis in subject lines work?
They can help an email stand out, especially on phones where color catches the eye. But the effect depends on your audience and how often you use them. If every email has emojis, they stop standing out. Test them on part of your list before using them everywhere.
Where emojis display
- Show in color: Gmail, Apple Mail on iPhone and Mac, new Outlook and Outlook on the web, Yahoo Mail, and most Android mail apps.
- May look different or plain: older versions of classic Outlook for Windows and some older or workplace email systems, which can show a simpler black-and-white symbol or an empty box.
- Every device draws its own version, so the same emoji looks slightly different on Apple, Google and Microsoft devices.
Rules for using them well
- One or two, not five. More looks like spam.
- Make it relevant. A plane for travel, a gift for a birthday offer.
- Don't replace words. "Our new 🔥 deals" is unclear if the emoji doesn't show.
- Start or end the line, not in the middle of a phrase.
- Match your brand and audience. A law firm and a bakery need different tones.
- Skip them for password resets, invoices, legal notices and bad news.
Accessibility
Screen readers read emojis aloud by name, so "🎉🎉🎉 Big news" may be read as "party popper, party popper, party popper, big news". Keep to one emoji and make sure the subject line makes sense without it.
Emoji subject line examples
| Subject line | |
|---|---|
| Sale | ⏰ Last day: 20% off everything |
| Holiday | Our gift to you 🎁 |
| Travel | ✈️ Your summer getaway starts here |
| Event | You're invited 🎉 Spring open house |
| Newsletter | ☕ Your Monday reading list |
| Food | 🍕 Pizza Friday is back |
| Fitness | 💪 Your 4-week plan is ready |
| Thank you | Thank you for a great year ❤️ |
Do emojis trigger spam filters?
An emoji on its own doesn't send mail to spam. Spam filters look mostly at your sending reputation, authentication and whether people engage with your mail. But a subject line stuffed with emojis, capitals and exclamation marks looks like spam to readers, who then mark it as spam. Check your wording with the free spam word checker and preview it with the subject line tester.
Questions people ask
- Should I put emojis in email subject lines?
- If they suit your brand and audience, one relevant emoji can help. Avoid them in formal, serious or transactional emails.
- Do emojis show up in Outlook?
- New Outlook and Outlook on the web show them in color. Some older versions of classic Outlook for Windows show plain symbols instead.
- Do emojis in subject lines cause spam?
- Not by themselves. Too many, combined with capitals and pushy wording, can make people mark the email as spam, which does hurt delivery.
- Where should the emoji go in a subject line?
- At the start or the end, so the words still read naturally.