<small>
HTML element · 20 supported, 0 partial, 0 unsupported across 21 clients
<small> is supported in every email client where behavior is verified, 20 of 21 as of Sep 2, 2026; Superhuman remains untested.
- 7/7 webmail, 5/6 desktop, 8/8 mobile clients support <small> fully.
- Across all clients, only 6 of 298 tracked HTML/CSS features render identically everywhere.
Source: caniemail.com (MIT), via the Emailens engine. Last tested upstream Nov 13, 2021, synced by Emailens Sep 2, 2026.
The <small> element semantically represents side comments and small print. Most email clients respect the default smaller rendering, but font-size differences between clients make it unreliable for precise sizing. Production email templates typically style <small> explicitly or replace it with <span> for consistent rendering.
Client Support
| Client | Category | Engine | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | webmail | Gmail Web | Supported |
| Gmail Android | mobile | Gmail Mobile | Supported |
| Gmail iOS | mobile | Gmail Mobile | Supported |
| Outlook 365 | webmail | Outlook Web | Supported |
| Outlook (New) | desktop | Outlook Web | Supported |
| Outlook Classic | desktop | Microsoft Word | Supported |
| Outlook iOS | mobile | Outlook Mobile | Supported |
| Outlook Android | mobile | Outlook Mobile | Supported |
| Outlook for Mac | desktop | WebKit | Supported |
| Apple Mail | desktop | WebKit | Supported |
| Apple Mail iOS | mobile | WebKit | Supported |
| Yahoo Mail | webmail | Yahoo | Supported |
| Yahoo Mail Android | mobile | Yahoo | Supported |
| Yahoo Mail iOS | mobile | Yahoo | Supported |
| Samsung Mail | mobile | Samsung | Supported |
| Thunderbird | desktop | Gecko | Supported |
| HEY Mail | webmail | WebKit | Supported |
| Proton Mail | webmail | Proton | Supported |
| AOL Mail | webmail | AOL | Supported |
| Fastmail | webmail | Fastmail | Supported |
| Superhuman | desktop | Blink | Unknown |
Client-by-client behaviour for <small>
Fully supports <small> (20): Gmail, Gmail Android, Gmail iOS, Outlook 365, Outlook (New), Outlook Classic, Outlook iOS, Outlook Android, Outlook for Mac, Apple Mail, Apple Mail iOS, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Mail Android, Yahoo Mail iOS, Samsung Mail, Thunderbird, HEY Mail, Proton Mail, AOL Mail, Fastmail.
Behaviour unverified in: Superhuman.
When to use <small> in email
- Legal disclaimers and copyright text in email footers.
- Asterisk footnotes referencing pricing claims.
- Subtle byline or timestamp annotations in newsletter content.
Rendering behaviour and edge cases
- Default <small> font-size is typically 0.83em but varies between clients.
- Some clients strip the <small> wrapper entirely in their sanitizer pass, leaving content at parent font-size.
- Apple Mail respects <small> consistently; Outlook on Windows applies Word-style scaling.
Recommended fallback strategy
Set font-size and color explicitly on <small> elements rather than relying on default styling. Where pixel precision is required, replace <small> with a <span style="font-size:11px;color:#888">.
Related Features
Check your own HTML for <small>
Paste your own, or run the sample below. Analyzed in this page, with no signup and nothing stored.
Test your <small> layout across 21 email clients
Preview rendering, catch CSS issues, and see how <small> displays across Outlook, Gmail, and Apple Mail. Free, no account needed.
Instant live preview · No signup required · 21 email engines
Last tested upstream: · Last synced by Emailens:
caniemail.com (MIT) records Nov 13, 2021 as the last time <small> was tested in a real client, 4 years before this sync. Syncing copies that result forward, it does not re-test it. Carried in @emailens/engine data v0.12.2.