<small>
HTML element · 20 supported, 0 partial, 0 unsupported across 21 clients
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
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Try Emailens FreeSupport data last updated Apr 27, 2026 · synced from caniemail.com via @emailens/engine.