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background-image in Outlook Classic

Not supported background-image is not supported in Outlook Classic.

Works in 16 of 21 · partial in 4 · not supported in 1

Which clients
Works
Gmail, Gmail Android, Gmail iOS, Outlook 365, Outlook (New), Outlook iOS, Outlook Android, Outlook for Mac, Apple Mail, Apple Mail iOS, Samsung Mail, Thunderbird, HEY Mail, Proton Mail, Fastmail, Superhuman
Partial
Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Mail Android, Yahoo Mail iOS, AOL Mail
Not supported
Outlook Classic

Your reader in Outlook Classic sees the email without background-image, even if it looks right where you tested it.

What to do instead in Outlook Classic

Use VML for background images in Outlook

instead 
<td background="hero.jpg" bgcolor="#333333" width="600" height="300" valign="top"
    style="background-image: url('hero.jpg'); background-size: cover;">
  <!--[if gte mso 9]>
  <v:rect xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" fill="true"
    stroke="false" style="width:600px; height:300px;">
    <v:fill type="frame" src="hero.jpg" color="#333333" />
    <v:textbox inset="0,0,0,0">
  <![endif]-->
  <div style="padding: 40px;">
    <h1 style="color: #fff;">Hello World</h1>
  </div>
  <!--[if gte mso 9]>
    </v:textbox>
  </v:rect>
  <![endif]-->
</td>
Show the original
before 
<td style="background-image: url('hero.jpg');
            background-size: cover; padding: 40px;">
  <h1 style="color: #fff;">Hello World</h1>
</td>

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What Outlook Classic does with background-image

caniemail record, tested upstream 24 Jul 2023

Your next question

Every feature in Outlook Classic · background-image in every client

Questions

How many email clients support background-image?
It works in 16 of 21, partial in 4, not supported in Outlook Classic.
What do I use instead of background-image in Outlook Classic?
Use VML for background images in Outlook.
Does background-image work in AOL Mail?
background-image is partly supported in AOL Mail. Closest to Outlook Classic: AOL Mail, which agrees on 206 of the 298 features both are tested on.

To see what else in your email Outlook Classic does not support, paste the whole email.

The checker needs a computer screen.

caniemail (MIT) via @emailens/engine 0.18.22 · tested upstream 24 Jul 2023 · data last changed 10 Nov 2026 · Outlook (New) cells are the engine's mapping