How Previews are counted in Litmus

What is an Email Preview?

An Email Preview is one individual screenshot from an email client or device.

A set of Email Previews includes previews from all of the email clients and devices you’ve selected. For example, if you have 20 email clients selected and run a new set, you generate 20 previews.

We track previews based on how many email clients are selected in the tool you are using and how many previews for those selected clients are generated. You can reduce your previews generated by using the choose email clients options in Builder and Checklist if you only need to retest in selected clients.

How are Email Previews generated?

Check out this video for a quick primer on how Email Previews work in Litmus.

Email Previews are generated in the following ways:

Testing an email

When you send in a draft of your email from your email service provider (ESP) or start an email from the ESP syncing option, a set of Email Previews will be created using your default client list. These are available in Builder and Previews & QA.
When you paste in your HTML in Previews & QA, one set of Email Previews is generated with your default client list. Note: Pasting HTML into theBuild or Collaborate sections does not generate Email Previews.
When you upload your HTML via a file storage integration, one set of Email Previews will be created, available in the Previews & QA tab.
When you run Previews and QA your email within your ESP using the Litmus Chrome Extension.

Sharing email previews

Sharing in Previews & QA will not generate an additional set of Email Previews. No matter how many times the public share link is viewed, it will not count additional Previews.
Sharing in Builder will generate an additional set of Email Previews. No matter how many times the public share link is viewed, the Email Previews will only be counted once.

Creating an email

Selecting Run Email Previews in Builder will generate one set of Email Previews. If you already sent a draft into your Litmus test address, and the HTML has not been changed, clicking Run Email Previews will not count against your Previews usage.
Once the HTML is changed or updated in Builder, choosing Run Email Previews, Update Previews & QA, or Update Proof & Previews tabs (for customers with Proof) will generate a new set of Email Previews, counting toward your Previews usage.
Saving a Builder project when the Email Previews window is open will generate one set of Email Previews. Even if you are viewing one specific email client preview, saving your project will run a full set of Email Previews.
Choosing the Rerun previews option on the Email Previews tab of Builder will run a new set of previews. If there are unsaved changes to your email, these changes will also be auto-saved when you select Rerun previews.

Manage your Preview usage

Your testing volume accumulates over the course of your monthly billing period—and resets at the start of each new monthly billing period. For example, if you’re billed on the 15th of each month (or for annual plans, if you started your plan on the 15th), your Email Previews will be counted from the 15th of the month to the 14th of the following month.

The best way to manage your Previews usage is to be aware of your usage. In your Account Settings, you’ll find a usage chart that shows a summary of your account’s Email Previews usage over the last 6 months.

Select your Previews

In the Settings area under Email clients, you can preset which email clients you want to test by default. This gives you control over how many Previews are run in a set for any new emails. You can then adjust your client list as needed in the Builder and Previews & QA tabs for individual emails.

When in Builder, you can select which previews you would like to generate. Choose the Email Previews tab, and then Choose Clients. Once you select the email clients and Save Changes, that will count towards your Previews usage. This will not alter your default client list, or your client selections in the Previews & QA tab.

Select email previews under Email clients in Settings

Enterprise accounts only

If you’re an Admin or Account Holder, you can set default email clients for your whole team to streamline testing.

If you would like to set a cap on your account to avoid overages, please contact our support team at hello@litmus.com. If your account is over usage for more than 2 months, our team will reach out to see if another plan would be a better fit for your team.

How many Previews do I get each month?

Email Preview limits vary by Litmus plan subscription:

Basic offers up to 1,000 Previews per month
Plus offers up to 2,000 Previews per month
Enterprise offers a customizable amount of Email Previews every month, based on the unique needs of your business

Tips for managing Previews

If you’re going to build out an email or a template, choose the Build option, then Start Building or Start from Template. This will not generate any Email Previews.
Remember that using the Update Previews & QA tab (or Update Proof & Previews for customers with Proof) feature will run one set of Email Previews in Previews & QA. If you have updated your client list in Builder, this will not carry over to the Previews & QA tab. Your default client list will be used unless you have edited it.
Saving in Builder runs one set of Email Previews. If you need to focus on specific clients, you can select only those clients within Builder. This will not alter your default client list, or client selections in the Previews & QA tab.
When working in Builder, you may want to code with the browser view open and only switch to Email previews when ready.
Remember that importing from a file storage service always runs one set of Email Previews as part of the Previews & QA Litmus Test.
You can create a Proof without Previews by pasting HTML in the Collaborate section of the New Email dialog. This will not generate a set of Email Previews.
You can track your monthly Previews usage in the Usage tab of your settings.