<small>
HTML element · 14 supported, 0 partial, 0 unsupported across 15 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 |
| Apple Mail | desktop | WebKit | Supported |
| Apple Mail iOS | mobile | WebKit | Supported |
| Yahoo Mail | webmail | Yahoo | Supported |
| Samsung Mail | mobile | Samsung | Supported |
| Thunderbird | desktop | Gecko | Supported |
| HEY Mail | webmail | WebKit | Supported |
| Superhuman | desktop | Blink | Unknown |
Client-by-client behaviour for <small>
Fully supports <small> (14): Gmail, Gmail Android, Gmail iOS, Outlook 365, Outlook (New), Outlook Classic, Outlook iOS, Outlook Android, Apple Mail, Apple Mail iOS, Yahoo Mail, Samsung Mail, Thunderbird, HEY Mail.
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.