Does CSS CSS Variables (Custom Properties) Work in HTML Email?
Custom properties that hold reusable values, referenced elsewhere with var(), enabling theme-like CSS patterns.
Does CSS Variables (Custom Properties) work in HTML email?
The CSS CSS Variables (Custom Properties) property is supported in Outlook (Mac / Web), Apple Mail, Samsung Email, Thunderbird, and others. It is NOT supported in Gmail, Outlook (Windows), Yahoo! Mail, and others. Always include a safe fallback for unsupported clients.
Which Email Clients Support CSS CSS Variables (Custom Properties)?
CSS support for CSS Variables (Custom Properties) across email clients
| Email Client | Desktop | Mobile / Web | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | ✗ No | ✗ No | — |
| Outlook (Windows) | ✗ No | ? | — |
| Outlook (Mac / Web) | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | — |
| Apple Mail | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | — |
| Yahoo! Mail | ✗ No | ✗ No | — |
| Samsung Email | ? | ✓ Yes | — |
| Thunderbird | ✓ Yes | ? | — |
| ProtonMail | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | — |
| Fastmail | ✗ No | ? | — |
Notes
- #1 Partial. The `var()` function is supported, but not the variable declaration.
- #2 Partial. Not supported with non Google accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Test Your Email Now
Paste your HTML and see how it renders in clients that don't support CSS Variables (Custom Properties).
Building a new email instead of checking an existing one? MailViewr's Email Builder only lets you use CSS that's known to render across clients, so CSS Variables (Custom Properties) can't sneak into your markup by accident. Open the Email Builder →
