How do screen readers interpret emails?

Screen readers parse email HTML and announce content sequentially-they read text, describe images using alt text, announce links by their text, and navigate using heading structure. They can't see your beautiful design; they experience your email as a linear audio stream.

What screen readers do: Read text in source order (not visual order-tables can create unexpected sequences). Announce images by alt text (no alt = "image" or skip). List links by link text ("click here" repeated 10 times is useless). Navigate by headings (users skip to H2s to find content). Announce table structure (complex layout tables confuse).

Listen to your email through a screen reader. VoiceOver (Mac/iOS) and NVDA (Windows, free) let you experience exactly what users experience. It's eye-opening, and ear-opening. Problems that seem minor visually become obvious when you can't see anything.

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