Can I use animated GIFs in emails?

Yes, with caveats. Animated GIFs work in most email clients, providing eye-catching movement without video complexity. They're effective for product demos, attention-grabbing headers, and adding personality.

Technical considerations: Most clients support GIFs-except Outlook for Windows, which shows only the first frame. File size balloons quickly-keep animations short and colors limited. Respect user bandwidth-a 5MB GIF frustrates mobile users. Design the first frame carefully-Outlook users only see it. Avoid flashing content-accessibility and seizure concerns.

Use GIFs purposefully, not decoratively. Animation draws attention-make sure it draws attention to something worthwhile. A subtle loading animation adds nothing; a product being used in action sells. And always optimize: tools like ezgif.com can reduce GIF file sizes dramatically without visible quality loss.