When people talk about email accessibility, they usually focus on content and design — clear language, strong contrast, readable fonts, and visible buttons. But there’s a third layer that often goes unnoticed: the code.
Without accessible HTML, assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation tools can’t interpret your email properly — even if it looks perfect on the surface.
In this article, we’ll show what accessible email code must include — and how to make it manageable without sacrificing quality.
1. What accessible email code must include and why
While design issues like low contrast or small text are easier to spot, most critical accessibility problems happen behind the scenes — in HTML.
According to the Email Markup Consortium’s 2025 report, 99.89% of emails contain serious or critical accessibility issues, and most are code-related. These problems don’t show up in visual previews — but directly affect how screen readers and keyboard users experience your email.
Some of the most common issues and their impacts:
- 98.14% lack the dir attribute (e.g., dir=”rtl”) on the and element to define reading direction, which can break layouts for right-to-left languages and make it impossible for assistive tools to read the emails properly;
- 96.67% are missing the
attribute, leaving screen readers unable to detect the correct language; - 86.24% of layout tables don’t have role=”presentation”; thus, screen readers treat them like data tables, which creates confusion and slows down navigation;
- 76.78% don’t include an
These aren’t edge cases — they’re widespread.
To ensure that your email code is accessible, include:
- paragraphs (
): wrap each meaningful piece of text in a
tag to define a clear reading structure;
- coded lists: use real
- and
- elements, not visual-only bullets or emojis;
- headings (
- logical reading and tab order: structure your HTML in a clean top-down flow;
- role=”presentation” on layout tables: prevents screen readers from interpreting layout tables as data tables;
- alt attributes: include meaningful alt text for every image; use alt=”” for decorative visuals;
- keyboard support: use real HTML elements like and list items;
- language and direction attributes: set both lang and dir on and to help assistive tech render content correctly
Accessible code doesn’t just check a box; it makes your emails usable for everyone.
Curious fact: Missing alt text isn’t just a usability issue; it’s also one of the top reasons brands get sued for digital inaccessibility.
2. How Stripo helps with accessible code
The good news? You don’t have to build all of this from scratch. Stripo’s templates are designed with accessibility in mind and already include many essential code elements:
- dir attribute: Direction (ltr or rtl) is set automatically in your email’s code. If you change it in the UI, the dir value updates instantly in HTML;
- lang attribute: The language of your email is set in the template settings. It’s applied to both and , so screen readers and translation tools can detect it correctly;
- role=”presentation” on layout tables: This role is applied automatically to layout tables during export, so screen readers don’t treat them like data tables;
- editable alt text: Every image block includes an alt field by default. You can write your own or use the built-in AI to generate helpful, meaningful descriptions;
- coded bullet lists: Lists built with Stripo use proper
- and
- tags. You can style them any way you like, and they’ll still be fully accessible.
If you’re using a previously built email, don’t worry. We add these attributes and tags during the export process, regardless of the export method.
So when you build emails with Stripo, you’re already starting from a technically solid foundation — saving time, reducing manual work, and helping ensure your messages are more inclusive by default.
3. Code is just one part — content and design matter, too
Accessible code builds the foundation, but it’s only one of the three pillars of email accessibility. The other two are content and design, and they are entirely in your hands.
While Stripo helps with the technical part, only you can ensure that the words you write and the visual choices you make are accessible to everyone.
Some quick reminders:
- avoid flashing GIFs. There should be only 2 flashes per second; otherwise, they can trigger epilepsy seizures. For the same reason, you should not use overly bright colors;
- ensure sufficient color contrast between text and background;
- don’t rely on color alone to show meaning — also use words;
- do not highlight important information with color alone. Use both color and bold but never underline;
- write meaningful alt text for images;
- add links to images only when necessary — decorative images should not be clickable;
- keep copy clear and legible: left-aligned for LTR, and right-aligned for RTL; avoid center-aligned or justified text,
- and many more.
Wrapping up
While content and design often take the spotlight, it’s the code that determines whether screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive tools can even make sense of your message.
The good news? Making your code accessible is entirely possible and easier than many think. With the right practices and tools, like Stripo, much of the heavy lifting can be done for you.
However, accessibility doesn’t end with code. It works best when all three pillars — code, design, and content — come together:
- code makes your email technically readable and navigable for screen readers and keyboards;
- design ensures legibility and clarity for recipients with color blindness, low vision, motor skills impairments, and more;
- content brings clarity, meaning, and respect, using copy that everyone can understand, not just some.
When these layers work in harmony, your emails aren’t just compliant; they’re inclusive by default.
Accessible email is possible. And it starts with your code.
Create accessible emails with Stripo
