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Component Support and Fallbacks Reference

Interactive components make an Edition respond to a subscriber without leaving the inbox — voting in a poll, expanding an accordion, stepping through a carousel. Because mail clients vary in what they allow, every component ships with a fallback: a static version that renders when the interactive experience is not supported. This page is a quick reference to where each component renders and what its fallback shows, so you can design an Edition that works for every subscriber.

Support depends on the subscriber's mail client and version, not only on the component. Treat the table below as a general guide and always confirm with a live test send before you Broadcast — (confirm the exact steps in your account).

Reference

ComponentTypically interactive inFalls back toNotes
Poll / vote buttonsApple Mail, iOS Mail, many webmail clientsStatic options linking to a hosted landing pageFallback vote still records the response
Survey (in-email)Apple Mail, iOS MailStatic questions linking to a hosted surveyPartial answers may complete on the landing page
Image carouselApple Mail, iOS MailFirst image shown as a static heroChoose a strong first slide
Accordion / show-hideApple Mail, iOS MailAll sections expanded and stackedKeep expanded length reasonable
Countdown timerMost clients (animated GIF)Final-state or static imageSet a sensible end-state image
Hover / rollover effectDesktop clients with hover supportDefault (non-hover) imageNever hide key content behind hover
Add-to-calendarBroad (link-based)Standard link to a calendar fileWorks almost everywhere

Values above are representative placeholders; actual behaviour changes as clients update. Verify current support in your account.

Notes

  • Design fallback-first. Build the static version so it stands on its own, then layer the interactive experience on top. No subscriber should see a broken or empty block.
  • Responses are captured either way. When a component falls back to a hosted page, the subscriber's action is still recorded and appears in your reports.
  • Dark mode and image blocking can affect fallbacks independently of interactivity — test both.
  • Always test before Broadcast. Send to a range of real clients (desktop, iOS, Android, webmail) to confirm the interactive and fallback paths both look right.

Canonical terms: Author, Edition, Folder (Project Folder), Broadcast. See the Glossary.