Should CTAs be buttons or text links?

Buttons outperform text links for primary CTAs in most contexts. They're more visually prominent, easier to tap on mobile, and signal "this is the action" more clearly than inline text links. However, context matters.

Use buttons for: Primary actions, promotional emails, clear conversion goals, mobile-heavy audiences. Use text links for: Secondary actions, supporting links, plain-text-style emails that should feel personal, and when multiple options are needed without visual competition.

Buttons for the main action, links for everything else. A well-designed email might have one prominent button CTA and several supporting text links. The button draws the eye; the links provide options without cluttering the visual hierarchy. Test with your audience-some demographics respond better to buttons, others to text-heavy approaches.