10,000 character limit for client-side in Google Workspace – Exclaimer Cloud Knowledge Base

Scenario

When creating your signature template, you notice a pop-up appear in the preview window advising you of a 10,000 character limit.

For example:

Reason

The signature is synchronized to Gmail as HTML code using Google API, which has a 10,000 character limit.

As text formatting, image styles, tables and hyperlinks are all stored within the HTML, this can add a significant amount of characters to the signature size.

Below is a comparison of a signature and its code:

Resolution

Select an option below to view the related instructions:

CAUTION! Some of these methods may not work on their own, and you will need to combine multiple methods.

Shorten links

There are many ways you can shorten a URL within an email signature, and it is suggested to do so where possible. An example of this is the Google Maps links; they can be extremely long and will add to the character limit.

Before
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Exclaimer/@51.2754341,-0.7515555,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x4875d4b348949161:0xdb89dc025bc3b56b!8m2!3d51.2754308!4d-0.7493668

After
https://bit.ly/2SffZxa

There are many free tools available that can shorten links to a much more manageable size.

CAUTION! Depending on the recipient's security, using the various tools for this may cause issues with SPAM, and it is advised to use it with caution. We recommend using shorter links in your signature without using the tools. An example of this would be to point a map location to your contact us page on your website where the map's location already exists.

Combine elements in your design

One way to reduce the amount of HTML the email signatures generate is to simplify the signature.

Check if it's possible to combine information into one text box, such as an email address and web address or even a physical address?

You may not be able to combine some information, such as dynamic information.
Before

After

Use Tables to create the signature layout

Sometimes, using tables to separate your information is better - this creates less HTML than grouping elements.

Before

After

Reduce the amount of data being displayed

Re-evaluate the information you are putting into your signature template.

For example, do you really need to display an email address? Can you remove the Website URL and simply have this as a clickable link on your logo or social media icon?

One way to reduce data in your signature is to use a QR code to link recipients to important data outside of the signature, such as with a personalized vCard for contact details. For more information, see Working with the QR codes signature element.

Do you need a Legal Disclaimer? Are there other ways to display this?

Legal Disclaimers in email signatures are typically required by law; however, the information displayed can vary. You can simply add this in by creating a link for the end-user to click on instead.

Check with your Legal team beforehand to ensure there is no legal requirement for you to have this displayed in your emails.