Skip to content

Inbox Vision

Inbox Vision allows you to view your emails from the perspective of various email clients and mobile devices. For example, you can use Inbox Vision to test for differences across dark and light modes to confirm you’ve got your emails just right.

Testing your email in Inbox Vision

Your email must include a subject line and a valid sending domain in order to see these previews. Be mindful of how your email can render different on the desktop versus on mobile devices. As you view these previews, you can review your content and ensure that your email is displaying as intended.

To test your email message in Inbox Vision, do the following:

  1. Go to your drag-and-drop editor or HTML email editor.
  2. In your editor, select Preview & Test.
  3. Select Inbox Vision.
  4. Select Run Inbox Vision. This may take between two to ten minutes to complete.
  5. Next, select a tile to view the preview in more detail. These previews are grouped into these sections: Web Clients, Application Clients, and Mobile Clients.

Overview of Inbox Vision for the HTML editor.

  1. Make changes to a template, if necessary.
  2. Select Re-run Test to see the updated previews.

Previewing as a user

When you preview the email as a random user, any specific settings or attributes associated with a user, such as their name or preferences, aren’t saved for current or future previews. When you select a custom user, the preview shown in Inbox Vision may differ from the message preview elsewhere since this option uses specific user data to create the preview

Code analysis

Code analysis is a way for Braze to highlight issues that may exist with your HTML, showing the number of occurrences of each issue and providing insight into which HTML elements are not supported.

Viewing code analysis information

This information can be found on the Inbox Vision tab by selecting List view. This list view is available for HTML email templates only. If you’re using drag-and-drop email templates, check the previews to resolve any possible issues instead.

Example code analysis on the Inbox Vision preview.

Spam testing

Spam testing attempts to predict whether your email will land in spam folders or your customers’ inboxes. Spam testing runs across major spam filters, such as IronPort, SpamAssassin, and Barracuda, as well as major internet service provider (ISP) filters such as Gmail.com and Outlook.com.

Viewing spam test results

To check your spam test results, do the following:

  1. Select the Spam Testing tab in the Inbox Vision section. The Spam Test Result table lists the spam filter name, status, and type.

Spam Test Result table with three columns: Name, Status, and Type. There is a list of spam filters and ISP filters that have passed spam testing, indicating that the email campaign will not land in the spam folder.

  1. Review these results and making any adjustments to your email campaign.
  2. Select Re-run Test to reload your spam test results.

Test accuracy

All of our tests are run through actual email clients. Braze works hard to check that all renderings are as accurate as possible. If you consistently see an issue with an email client, open a support ticket.

Accessibility testing

Accessibility testing in Inbox Vision highlights accessibility issues that may exist with your email to provide insight into which elements are not meeting accessibility standards. It analyzes your email content against some Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA requirements below. WCAG is a set of internationally recognized technical standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. The tool automatically checks for common accessibility issues, such as missing alt text, insufficient color contrast, and improper heading structure, then categorizes the severity of each issue to help you prioritize fixes.

Viewing accessibility testing results

Accessibility testing will generate results for each rule as passed, failed, or needs review in the Accessibility Testing tab. Each rule is categorized using POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust), which are the four main principles behind WCAG.

POUR categories

Issues are categorized under the four foundational POUR principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. Each principle addresses a different aspect of accessible design.

Severity levels

Inbox Vision classifies accessibility issues by severity to help you prioritize remediation efforts.

Understanding automated accessibility testing

Automated accessibility testing is a great starting point—but it can’t catch everything. Some issues need a human touch to evaluate properly, especially when context or visual design plays a role in how users experience your email.

You may see some issues marked as Needs review. These are cases where the checker can’t tell for sure if something is a problem for accessibility. When that happens, we recommend reviewing it manually.

Some examples of what automated tools can’t reliably detect include:

  • If focus order of interactive elements follows a logical sequence
  • If content is fully operable with a keyboard, without requiring a mouse
  • If alt text meaningfully describes an image
  • If headings are used properly to organize content
  • If links and buttons are clearly labeled and easy to understand
  • If touch targets are large enough and spaced appropriately
  • If text on background images meets color contrast requirements
  • If instructions or labels are clear and helpful to all users

These limitations aren’t unique to Braze—they’re common to all automated accessibility tools. Inbox Vision renders your message in a simulated inbox environment, but it can’t mimic every assistive technology, screen reader, or user need. That’s why accessibility isn’t a one-time checkbox—it’s a continuous practice.

To help ensure your messages are usable by more people:

  • Review flagged issues carefully, especially those labeled as Needs review.
  • Test manually where possible, especially for layout and interaction patterns.
  • Use tools like screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and browser zoom to simulate different access needs.

For tips and practical examples, check out Accessibility at Braze, where you’ll find guidance on:

By combining automated testing with thoughtful manual review, you’ll catch more potential issues and create more inclusive, usable campaigns for every recipient.

HOW HELPFUL WAS THIS PAGE?
New Stuff!