{"id":240515,"date":"2026-03-24T13:20:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/blog\/email-accessibility-for-humans-and-ai-explained"},"modified":"2026-03-24T13:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:38:22","slug":"email-accessibility-for-humans-and-ai-explained","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/blog\/email-accessibility-for-humans-and-ai-explained","title":{"rendered":"Create emails for humans and AI: Why accessibility matters more than ever"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Accessible emails are easier for everyone to read, including the AI systems that increasingly filter and prioritise messages in modern inboxes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Email accessibility has long been discussed as a way to ensure digital communication is usable for everyone. But as inbox providers rely more heavily on automation and machine learning to organise and prioritise messages, accessibility is becoming relevant for another reason.<\/p>\n<p>Clear, structured emails are not just easier for people to read. They\u2019re also easier for machines to understand.<\/p>\n<p>And is now so important! In many cases, algorithms now process your email before your audience gets to see it.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full borderradius20\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-240477\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker.webp 770w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker-300x117.webp 300w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker-768x299.webp 768w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker-767x299.webp 767w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker-488x190.webp 488w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker-44x17.webp 44w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is email accessibility?<\/h2>\n<p>Accessibility in email means designing messages so that they can be used by people with a wide range of abilities, including those who rely on assistive technologies.<\/p>\n<p>This includes tools such as:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Screen readers<\/li>\n<li>Voice navigation<\/li>\n<li>High contrast display modes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/disability-and-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Health Organization<\/a>, around 1.3 billion people globally live with some form of disability, representing roughly one in six people worldwide. Many of these users rely on assistive technologies to interact with digital content.<\/p>\n<p>Accessible design ensures these audiences can properly read and interact with emails.<\/p>\n<p>This includes practices such as:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Adding descriptive alt text to images<\/li>\n<li>Using clear link text instead of \u201cclick here\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Maintaining sufficient colour contrast<\/li>\n<li>Organising content in a logical reading order<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Beyond supporting accessibility needs, these practices also improve usability for everyone. Emails that are clear, structured and easy to navigate tend to perform better overall.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI is increasingly part of the inbox<\/h2>\n<p>At the same time, the way inboxes work has changed significantly.<\/p>\n<p>Email providers such as Gmail and Outlook use machine learning systems to filter, categorise and prioritise incoming messages. These systems analyse a wide range of signals, including sender behaviour, engagement history and message content.<\/p>\n<p>While marketers often focus on engagement signals, the structure and clarity of the email itself also play a role in how content is interpreted.<\/p>\n<p>Just like screen readers, automated systems rely on clear signals to understand what a piece of content contains.<\/p>\n<p>If an email is poorly structured, difficult to parse or overloaded with images and unclear links, it becomes harder for both humans and machines to interpret.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding how these signals affect <a href=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/guides\/the-ultimate-guide-to-inbox-placement\">inbox placement<\/a> has become an important part of modern email marketing.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI now reads and summarises emails<\/h2>\n<p>AI is no longer only working behind the scenes to filter email. It\u2019s also starting to interpret and summarise messages for users.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>For example, Google has begun integrating its <a href=\"https:\/\/workspaceupdates.googleblog.com\/2025\/05\/gemini-summary-cards-gmail-app.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gemini AI into Gmail<\/a> to help users quickly understand long conversations. The system can generate summaries of email threads, highlighting key points and decisions so users don\u2019t need to read every message in full.<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, these summaries appear automatically at the top of emails when Gmail detects a longer conversation.<\/p>\n<p>This changes how people are now starting to interact with email. Instead of reading every message in detail, many users will first see an AI-generated overview of the content.<\/p>\n<p>For marketers, this has an important implication.<\/p>\n<p>AI summarisation tools rely on the actual text and structure of an email to understand what the message contains. If an email is built entirely from images, with very little HTML text, the system has far less information to interpret.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column hide-mobile is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"351\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-geminigmail.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-240466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-geminigmail.webp 351w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-geminigmail-165x300.webp 165w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-geminigmail-104x190.webp 104w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-geminigmail-44x80.webp 44w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Summary in Gmail <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In those cases, the AI may struggle to summarise the message correctly. Sometimes the only readable content is small fragments of HTML text, such as navigation links or footer copy.<\/p>\n<p>This is another reason why clear structure and accessible email design matter. Emails that use proper headings, meaningful text and well-organised content are easier for both people and machines to understand.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full borderradius20\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker3.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-240504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker3.webp 770w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker3-300x117.webp 300w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker3-768x299.webp 768w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker3-767x299.webp 767w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker3-488x190.webp 488w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/blog-emails-accessibility-humans-ai-breaker3-44x17.webp 44w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Structured emails help both humans and machines<\/h2>\n<p>Well-structured emails are easier to interpret because they follow predictable patterns.<\/p>\n<p>Clear headings, logical content hierarchy and meaningful links help both readers and technologies navigate the message.<\/p>\n<p>Accessibility research supports this approach. Studies from digital accessibility organisation <a href=\"https:\/\/webaim.org\/projects\/screenreadersurvey10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WebAIM<\/a> highlight how screen readers rely heavily on semantic structure and descriptive links to interpret digital content correctly.<\/p>\n<p>The same principles apply more broadly across modern inbox environments. Structured emails make it easier for technologies to understand the purpose and context of a message.<\/p>\n<p>Industry initiatives are also working to improve standards in this area. Organisations such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/emailmarkup.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Email Markup Consortium<\/a> focus on improving accessibility and consistency in email development across the industry.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-background\"\/>\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Email accessibility best practices<\/h2>\n<p>Improving email accessibility doesn\u2019t require a complete redesign of your email programme.<\/p>\n<p>In many cases, small improvements to structure and content can make emails significantly easier to read for both people and machines.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few practical changes marketers can implement.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use semantic heading structure<\/h3>\n<p>Headings help both readers and assistive technologies understand how content is organised. Instead of simply styling text to look like a heading, use proper semantic elements such as <strong>H1, H2 and H3 tags<\/strong> in your email code. Screen readers rely on these tags to allow users to navigate content quickly.<\/p>\n<p>A clear heading hierarchy also makes it easier for automated systems to interpret the structure of your message.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Importance:<\/strong> For AI and humans<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Write descriptive link text<\/h3>\n<p>Links should describe where they lead rather than relying on generic phrases like \u201cclick here\u201d or \u201cread more\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<p><em>Less accessible:<\/em><br \/>Click here to download our guide<\/p>\n<p><em>Better:<\/em><br \/>Download the inbox placement guide<\/p>\n<p>Screen readers often list links separately from the rest of the content. Descriptive links ensure users understand the destination without needing additional context.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Importance:<\/strong> For AI and humans<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Add meaningful alt text to images<\/h3>\n<p>Alt text provides a text description of an image when the image cannot be displayed or when a screen reader is used.<\/p>\n<p>This is particularly important in email, where images are frequently blocked by default. Alt text ensures the message still makes sense if images fail to load.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also critical to not rely entirely on images to communicate key information. If an email is built mostly from images, important content may be inaccessible to both screen readers and AI systems analysing the message.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Importance:<\/strong> For AI and humans<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use simple, consistent layouts<\/h3>\n<p>Complex email layouts can create problems for assistive technologies because the reading order may not match the visual layout.<\/p>\n<p>Keeping layouts simple and structured helps maintain a logical reading flow. Many accessibility specialists recommend using a single-column layout where possible, as it adapts more reliably across devices and screen readers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Importance:<\/strong> For humans<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check colour contrast<\/h3>\n<p>Text should maintain sufficient contrast against the background to remain readable for users with visual impairments.<\/p>\n<p>The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for larger text. Ensuring adequate contrast improves readability for everyone, particularly when emails are viewed on mobile devices or in bright environments.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/ultimate-guide-accessible-emails\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Research from Litmus<\/a> shows that many marketing emails still miss basic accessibility practices such as descriptive alt text, logical structure and sufficient colour contrast.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing these issues can significantly improve the usability of your campaigns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-light-blue-background-color has-background\"><strong>Importance:<\/strong> For humans<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accessible emails are better emails<\/h2>\n<p>As inbox technology continues to evolve, accessibility is becoming more relevant for more than one reason.<\/p>\n<p>Accessible emails reach wider audiences, provide better user experiences and are easier for modern technologies to interpret.<\/p>\n<p>Clear structure, meaningful links and readable layouts help ensure your message can be understood by everyone who interacts with it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And that now includes AI, which is busy organising and summarising today\u2019s inboxes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-tone-green-background-color has-background\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Making accessible emails easier<\/h2>\n<p>Putting accessibility best practices into action is much easier when your templates are built the right way from the start.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-dark-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-21fe893aa672ed788583fa86fa6b44bd\">With <a href=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/mailplus\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"78387\">Spotler<\/a>, tools like the Brand Manager allow teams to create reusable templates with the correct structure, colours and components already in place. That makes it easier for marketers to build campaigns that stay consistent, readable and accessible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Email accessibility helps humans and AI interpret your content. Learn how structured, accessible emails improve clarity and inbox performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":240461,"template":"","cat_industry":[2668,2663],"cat_topic":[2671,2672],"class_list":["post-240515","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cat_industry-b2b-en-au","cat_industry-b2c-en-au","cat_topic-deliverability-en-int","cat_topic-email-marketing-en-int"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/240515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/86"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/240515\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":240529,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/240515\/revisions\/240529"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/240461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cat_industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cat_industry?post=240515"},{"taxonomy":"cat_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cat_topic?post=240515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}