HTML to Plain-Text Email Converter
Generate the plain-text MIME alternative from any HTML email. Used as the text/plain part of a multipart message - improves deliverability, satisfies RFC 2046, and gives screen-reader and minimal-client users a readable fallback. Free, in your browser, your email never leaves your device.
How to use the plain-text alternative
Most ESPs (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, SendGrid, Resend, Postmark, etc.) auto-generate plain-text versions when you upload HTML. If you're sending via custom SMTP or a transactional API that exposes the multipart structure, you'll need to set the text/plain part yourself - paste the output from this tool there.
Why bother?
Even though almost no one reads the plain-text version directly, it influences deliverability. Spam filters use the ratio of text-to-link content as one signal of spam-like behaviour, and HTML-only emails (no text/plain alternative) score lower in many enterprise spam systems. The cost of including it is essentially zero - your ESP, or this tool, generates it from the HTML you already wrote.
The other usually-ignored audience: screen readers, CLI mail clients (Mutt, Pine), and minimal-rendering security previews in some corporate environments. Those users see the plain-text version, not the HTML. If your email's call-to-action only exists in a styled HTML button, those users miss it. The plain-text version, with the URL inlined, gives them a way through.
FAQ
Why does an HTML email need a plain-text alternative?
Three reasons. (1) Deliverability: spam filters score emails that ship only HTML lower than emails with both HTML and plain-text parts. (2) Accessibility: screen readers and minimal-HTML clients read the plain-text version. (3) Standards compliance: RFC 2046 specifies that multipart/alternative emails should include a text/plain part.
How do email clients decide which version to show?
Modern clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail) default to HTML and only show plain text if HTML is missing or the user has explicitly disabled HTML rendering. The plain-text version is rarely seen by humans - its main value is for spam filters and accessibility tooling.
How are links handled?
By default, the converter inlines URLs after their link text in parentheses, e.g. Click here (https://example.com). Switch to numbered references for a footer-style list of links, or drop URL if you want only the link text.
What's the recommended line width for plain-text email?
RFC 5322 recommends 78 characters per line maximum (with 76 being a common practical default to leave room for quoting). Most ESPs auto-wrap at 76 if you don't. The converter wraps at 76 by default.
Can the plain-text version say something different from the HTML?
Yes, and arguably it should. The plain-text is your hedge against image-blocking and HTML-stripping. Some senders write a tighter, link-free pitch for it since the audience is most likely a spam filter scanning the ratio of text to links. The auto-converted version is a starting point; trimming it before send is reasonable.
Does this tool send my email anywhere?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser via the standard DOMParser API. Your HTML input never leaves your device.
What gets stripped vs. preserved?
Preserved: text content, headings (uppercase / underlined / plain - your choice), paragraphs, lists (with * or 1. prefixes), block quotes (indented), and links (with URL inline). Stripped: all CSS, images (replaced with alt text in brackets, e.g. [Logo]), <style> / <script> / <meta> blocks, and inline formatting like bold or italic (the text stays, just without the markup).
Should I just let my ESP auto-generate the plain-text version?
Mailchimp, Klaviyo, SendGrid, and most ESPs do auto-generate, and the output is usually fine. Where this tool helps: pre-flighting deliverability before the send, or for transactional and self-hosted SMTP setups where you're building the multipart message yourself.
Compose the HTML side first
MiN8T's editor exports clean HTML to any ESP. Drop the result here for the plain-text counterpart, or let the ESP auto-generate.
Open MiN8T Editor →