Why is Gmail removing custom link colors in my HTML emails?

Other Questions Gmail
1

Help! Gmail is ignoring my link styles

I’m having trouble with Gmail and link colors in my HTML emails. Here’s what’s happening:

<!-- My original links -->
<a href="#" style="color:#333333;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold">MyLink1</a>
<a href="#" style="color:#555555;">MyLink2</a>

<!-- How Gmail displays them -->
<a href="#" style="text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold">MyLink1</a>
<a href="#" style="">MyLink2</a>

Gmail is stripping out the color styles! But I’ve noticed other emails (like from YouTube) keep their custom link colors. What’s going on? Is there a trick to make Gmail respect my link styles?

Has anyone else run into this? How did you solve it? I’m stumped and would really appreciate any tips or workarounds. Thanks!

2

hey grace, i’ve had this issue too. gmail can be finicky with css. try using inline styles with !important, like color:#333333 !important. also, some email clients strip certain styles for security. u might need to use table-based layouts or images for consistency. good luck!

3

I’ve encountered this issue with Gmail as well. One effective solution I’ve found is using CSS attribute selectors instead of inline styles. For example:

<style>
a[href='#link1'] { color: #333333; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; }
a[href='#link2'] { color: #555555; }
</style>

<a href='#link1'>MyLink1</a>
<a href='#link2'>MyLink2</a>

This approach tends to be more resistant to Gmail’s style stripping. Additionally, consider using web-safe fonts and avoiding complex CSS properties to maximize compatibility across email clients. Testing your emails with services like Litmus or Email on Acid can also help identify and resolve rendering issues across different platforms.

4

I’ve dealt with this frustrating Gmail issue too. One workaround I’ve found successful is using hex color codes in the ‘style’ attribute, but also adding them to the ‘bgcolor’ attribute of a wrapping tag. Like this:

MyLink

Gmail seems to respect the bgcolor more consistently. Also, make sure your entire email is wrapped in a proper

structure - I’ve noticed link styles are more likely to stick when the overall email layout is table-based.

If all else fails, you might need to use image-based buttons for critical CTAs where color really matters. It’s not ideal, but sometimes necessary for tricky clients like Gmail.