CSS property · 10 real installs 14 Oct 2026 · data last changed 10 Nov 2026
padding in email clients
Works in 20 of 21. Partial in Outlook Classic.
Your reader in Outlook Classic may not see padding the way you wrote it, even if it looks right where you tested it.
caniemail (MIT) via @emailens/engine 0.18.22
The fix for Outlook Classic
Use MSO font-width trick for reliable button padding in Outlook
<!--[if mso]>
<table role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"
style="border-collapse: collapse;">
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #6d28d9; padding: 0;
mso-padding-alt: 12px 32px;">
<!--[if mso]>
<i style="letter-spacing: 32px; mso-font-width: -100%;
mso-text-raise: 18pt;" hidden> </i>
<![endif]-->
<a href="https://example.com"
style="background-color: #6d28d9; color: #fff;
mso-text-raise: 9pt; text-decoration: none;
font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;
font-weight: bold;">Click Here</a>
<!--[if mso]>
<i style="letter-spacing: 32px; mso-font-width: -100%;"
hidden> </i>
<![endif]-->
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if !mso]><! -->
<a href="https://example.com"
style="background-color: #6d28d9; color: #fff;
padding: 12px 32px; display: inline-block;
text-decoration: none;">
Click Here
</a>
<!-- <![endif]-->Show the original
<a href="https://example.com"
style="background-color: #6d28d9; color: #fff;
padding: 12px 32px; display: inline-block;
text-decoration: none;">
Click Here
</a>The checker needs a computer screen.
A free account opens all 21 clients and keeps your checks for 7 days. Create a free account →
padding on 10 real installs
One Emailens probe, screenshotted on each install on 14 October 2026, next to our live preview of the same client. Where padding is supported you should see: text inset 20px inside the border.
caniemail: padding is partly supported in Outlook Classic.
- Outlook 2019 (Windows) · counted as Outlook Classic Real screenshot
- Outlook 2016 (Windows) · counted as Outlook Classic Real screenshot
- Outlook 2007 (Windows) · counted as Outlook Classic Real screenshot
Partial. Only supported on table cells.
caniemail: padding works in Outlook 365.
This Outlook.com install drops the <style> in the head, so only inline styles apply.
caniemail: padding works in Apple Mail.
caniemail: padding works in Apple Mail iOS.
caniemail: padding works in Yahoo Mail.
Also captured, not counted as evidence (3)
- Outlook for Microsoft 365 · not mapped to an engine client yet Real screenshot
- Outlook 2019 for Mac (legacy app) · not counted as Outlook for Mac Real screenshot
This is the legacy Outlook for Mac app. The new Outlook for Mac, which the table describes, drops gradients, grid sizing functions, var() and more.
- Gmail (web) · not counted as Gmail Real screenshot
This Gmail install does not apply Gmail's sanitiser, so it shows more than real Gmail does.
Every account includes one free real-device check in classic Outlook, Outlook for Mac and Apple Mail, after you verify your email and run one preview, while this month's free capacity lasts. How real-device checks work →
All 21 clients, problems first
| Client | Support |
|---|---|
| Outlook Classic | Partial See caveat 1 |
Works in 20: Gmail, Gmail Android, Gmail iOS and 17 more. Show all
| Client | Support |
|---|---|
| Gmail | Works |
| Gmail Android | Works |
| Gmail iOS | Works |
| Outlook 365 | Works |
| Outlook (New) | Works |
| Outlook iOS | Works |
| Outlook Android | Works |
| Outlook for Mac | Works |
| Apple Mail | Works |
| Apple Mail iOS | Works |
| Yahoo Mail | Works |
| Yahoo Mail Android | Works |
| Yahoo Mail iOS | Works |
| Samsung Mail | Works |
| Thunderbird | Works |
| HEY Mail | Works |
| Proton Mail | Works |
| AOL Mail | Works |
| Fastmail | Works |
| Superhuman | Works |
Caveats (1)
- 1. Outlook Classic: Partial. Only supported on table cells. Buggy. Vertical padding will be the same for all cells of a same row, adopting the biggest value.
Caveats as recorded by caniemail (MIT), one entry per wording.
How padding behaves
padding controls the internal spacing of email layout cells and is one of the most frequently mishandled properties across email clients. While modern clients support shorthand padding correctly, Outlook Classic interprets padding differently depending on the element type and often shifts content unexpectedly when padding is mixed between table cells and divs.
- Outlook Classic applies padding inconsistently on <div> elements, use <td> with padding for layout instead.
- Apple Mail and modern Gmail honor shorthand padding values, but older Yahoo Mail builds occasionally drop the bottom value.
- When padding is set on a button anchor, some clients add their own native button padding on top, doubling the apparent space.
Apply padding to <td> elements rather than <div> wrappers whenever possible. Keep padding within a single shorthand declaration to avoid Outlook reordering issues. For large hero spacing, use spacer rows with line-height instead of padding when targeting Outlook 2007-2019.
Your next question
- Does word-break work in Outlook Classic?
Works in 4 of 21 · partial in 12 · not supported in 5
fix - Does display:flex work in Outlook Classic?
Works in 18 of 21 · partial in 2 · not supported in 1
fix - Does display:grid work in Outlook Classic?
Works in 18 of 21 · partial in 2 · not supported in 1
fix - Does border-spacing work in Outlook Classic?
Works in 17 of 21 · not supported in 2 · 2 untested
fix - Does border-radius work in Outlook Classic?
Works in 16 of 21 · partial in 4 · not supported in 1
fix - Does visibility work in Outlook Classic?
Works in 13 of 21 · not supported in 8
fix
padding in Outlook Classic · Every feature in Outlook Classic · All email CSS features · What real installs show
Paste your email
Get new email CSS fixes by email.