Base64 encoded image is not showing in gmail

Question

I have an embedded HTML email in which I'm using a base64 encoded image. Image doesn't show in gmail when accessing via chrome. But it works fine when accessing same mail via mail client(Mail application on Mac). I have set headers correctly. Any idea?

My code

<html>
    <body>Hi
        <img src="data:image/png;base64,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" width="273" height="11" alt="">
    </body>
</html>

Headers

Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Gmail does not support base64 embedded images. Yet it allows attached images to be shown. — lumio, Oct 17 '17 at 06:16
If you using nodemailer, check the solution [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/41946783/gmail-blocking-small-embedded-inline-images-in-email-template/68532260#68532260) — Marvin Correia, Jul 26 '21 at 15:09

score 85 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 17 '17 at 11:52

85

base64 encoded images are not well supported in email. They aren't supported in most web email clients (including Gmail) and are completely blocked in Outlook. Apple Mail is one of the few clients that does support them, that's why you're able to see them there but not elsewhere.

Another thing to be mindful of with base64 encoded images is email file size. Gmail App (iOS, Android) and Outlook (iOS) truncate email messages whose file size exceeds 102KB. Remotely referenced images (Eg. <img src="http://www.website.com/image.png"> do not count towards the email's file size, but base64 encoded images do and can quickly blow out an email's file size past the 102KB limit. Just something else to consider.

answered Oct 17 '17 at 11:52

Ted Goas

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I'm not sure this answer is still accurate. I've observed that embedded images don't render in GMail but they do in Outlook. – Greg Brown Apr 16 '23 at 21:23
1

Aye, they have _some_ support, but not much. Unfortunately this answer is still mostly accurate. https://www.caniemail.com/features/html-svg/ – Ted Goas Apr 17 '23 at 12:23
1

That document itself may be inaccurate. Based on recent testing with the native Windows Outlook client, embedded images appear to render correctly. – Greg Brown Apr 17 '23 at 14:00
Oh interesting! Which version of Windows Outlook do you see embedded SVG displayed in? – Ted Goas Apr 17 '23 at 15:52
Version 2303 build 16.0.16227.20202. Not embedded SVG though - embedded PNG. – Greg Brown Apr 17 '23 at 17:21
This should not be the accepted answer anymore. – Raja Anbazhagan Aug 14 '23 at 08:45

Kamil Kiełczewski · Answer 2 · 2019-11-18T15:18:16.317

It looks like that direct encoded images (non-bease64 ) are also not supported by gmail :( - I write below snippet to convert image from base64 to direct form and send it in email - but still not see any image :( . To solve this issue you need to add images as attachements with cid and use that cid in img tags <img src="cid:123456"> - more details here

function convert() {
  let base64 = imageBase64.value.split('base64,')[1];
  let hex = [...atob(base64)].map(c => c.charCodeAt(0).toString(16).padStart(2, 0));
  let img = 'data:image/png,%' + hex.join('%');

  pic.src = img;
  msg.innerText = img;
}

Put your img base64 data uri here<br>
<input style="width:200px" id='imageBase64' value="data:image/bmp;base64,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">
<button onclick="convert()">Convert</button><br> Result
<br>
<textarea id='msg' rows="4" cols="50"></textarea><br>
<img id='pic'>

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 14 '23 at 08:44

If you are using Java, The JavaMailSender already has a helper method.

In your template, have the image tag like the one below.

<img src="cid:header-logo">

And then, in your email logic, add the attachments as inline.

helper.addInline("header-logo", new ClassPathResource("mail/images/header-logo.png"));

Base64 encoded image is not showing in gmail

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