What are the three (3) types of annotations allowed?
- Organization (http://schema.org/Organization) - This simply allows the client to specify a logo to be used to the left of the email listing in the promotions tab - much like how BIMI will render a branded icon/logo in the user’s inbox.
- Discount Offer (http://schema.org/DiscountOffer) - This is necessary for creating deal-based annotations. This is the annotation type used that is dependent on a start and end date and time to help render the annotations in the user’s Top Picks. It also includes call outs like the Discount Code and a brief description of the offer. NOTE: In the original release of annotations, the Discount Offer allowed for a single Feature Image. This is no longer an option and is included in the “Promotion Card” without a dependency on a start and end time.
- Promotion Card (http://schema.org/PromotionCard) - This annotation allows for the client to include a visual preview of their promotion - whether that be a single-image preview, the product carousel, or the product carousel with pricing and product descriptions.
Why are my annotations not showing in my Gmail promotions tab?
Before troubleshooting the annotations or digging further, check your Gmail mobile in-app account-level settings. In order to test the latest experiences in the Gmail Promotions tab and to render your annotations properly, the following must be your default settings:
- Images: Always show
- Conversation view: On
- Enable Bundling on Top Email: On
Why am I not seeing the annotations at all?
If you’re testing, Gmail’s AI mechanisms may already be aware of that. Only consumers are populated with the email bundles and annotations in their Promotions tab. If you’re using a Gmail Workspace address, this won’t work for you.
To get around this, create a testing address via Gmail that ends with “promotabtesting@gmail.com” - for example, “mybrandnamepromotabtesting@gmail.com”, but replace “mybrandname” in the address with your company or a recognized name.
- Additionally, while in the Gmail app on your mobile device, continue to refresh your Promotions tab by pulling down on the screen to see if your message appears as you expected.
- Make sure your email is appearing in the user’s Promotions tab. Annotations are a feature that only appear in a customer’s Promotions tab
I can see other brands’ annotations in my Promotions Tab, but I’m not seeing my own even though I added them to my template
- Check to see that your client’s brand’s email is in their Promotions Tab. Annotations do not render in the Primary tab or in any other tab in the Gmail mobile app environment.
- Once the user has opened the email, the annotations will no longer render. So, please confirm with the user/client that they haven’t already opened or engaged with their annotated email. NOTE: Even if they opened/engaged with the annotated email on another device, this will cause the annotations to cease to render again. To have the annotations render again: A new test will need to be sent.
- Gmail does not currently allow for sensitive verticals or categories to populate annotations in the Promotions tab (inclusive of adult content or debt collection).
- If using the DiscountOffer annotation, if the expiration date and time have already expired, Gmail will see the promotion as having occurred in the past and therefore no longer relevant to the audience. This will automatically cause the annotations not to render.
I have Featured Image in my annotation, but it’s not appearing when other parts of the annotation are
- Make sure you’re using a secure URL for your hosted image - i.e. the URL being used should start with “HTTPS”
- If the image you’re trying to use is considered to contain sensitive content, it’s likely that Google won’t render the image.
- Still not seeing the image? Refresh the Gmail mail app on your mobile device by pulling down on the Gmail Promotions tab screen
I can see the annotations on my personal iPhone, but they’re not appearing on work-based Android mobile device
- Once you have opened the email that’s annotated, those annotations will no longer render on the device you engaged with the email on and on all other devices. To see and/or test the annotations again, you will need to deploy a new email test.
- Double-check that you’re looking at the Gmail Promotions tab for the same email account between the two mobile devices
It appears that the annotations have changed when I first starting using them and some of the best practices for appearing bundled in the user’s Promotions tab has changed too, why?
Google made available many of the annotation features they had initially presented a while back after having improved the Promotions tab and its functionality. They’re now referred to as Gmail annotations for the Promotions tab 2.0.
Will adding an annotation to my email automatically cause my email to land in the promotions tab?
No. Moreover, there’s nothing you can add to your annotation to force your template to deliver to the Promotions tab vs. the Primary tab
Does the email have to include all of the criteria filled in for the annotation to work? What if my promotion is automatic and doesn’t have a code?
No. Our How To’s indicate which information is optional. You can remove/leave out any criteria that aren’t needed or relevant to your promotion
Can I change the color of the green Deal Badge of the grey Promotion Code?
No. Colors, sizes and shapes of the Deal Badge and Promotion Code are not customizable. However, the content you personalize them with is.
Are Gmail annotations only useful if my email has a promotion in it?
No, not at all. All marketing emails can be annotated - and you can mix and match options too. We added several variants of the updated, standard annotations to accommodate different customer use cases. But in the most minimalistic sense, just including the client’s logo and a Featured Image is enough and doesn’t require a promotion.
Can I append the Product URLs in my annotations with UTM parameters or tracking links?
No, not at this time.
How many products can I include in the carousel annotation?
You can add up to 10 product images to your email annotations.
Doesn’t my email need to appear in the “Top Picks” section of the Promotions tab for my annotations to appear?
Not with the Promotions tab 2.0. What does need to occur is the email must deliver to the Promotions tab vs. the Primary tab. Additionally, if you are using the logo image in your annotation, that will only render if your email is held within Top Picks.
When I click on a product in my carousel annotation, it doesn’t open my email. Why?
The annotations for your carousel require URLs for the products themselves. This is because when users click on up to 10 product images that can appear in your annotation, they will be taken to your website - to that specific product’s page and not to open the email.
How come I can’t see my annotations on my laptop?
Currently, annotations are only enabled for mobile devices and for use within Google’s Gmail mobile app.
Why should I bother annotating my email template?
Most Optimove clients have a database that’s roughly 50%+ Gmail subscribers and if your emails include more than 1 CTA or link, images, or a promotion, your messages are landing in your subscriber’s Promotions tab.
Annotating your emails for the Promotions tab allows your message to be more noticeable amongst other brands and depending on the type of annotations used, can provide higher conversion rates as customers are directed to your website immediately without having to open your email first.