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Unable to use VML in custom HTML emails

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Posted on by jwcpc

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So the only reason we have to use painful VML markup in emails is because of Microsoft Outlook. But get this, try and use it in a Microsoft Dynamics email and it won't let you. In a custom email at least.

Took me much headbanging but realised when you copy custom HTML into Dynamics, this part:

Gets changed to a plain old

Which effectively renders any VML useless. To recreate:

1. Create a simple email with a rounded button using the editor (Outlook requires VML to render rounded buttons)
2. Get the HTML (note, getting the HTML from within the editor will not work here, as that is not the final rendered HTML. Instead you have to get the final rendered HTML from a field called msdyncrm_emailbody
3. Paste that HTML back into the email editor
4. Do a Litmus preview using an Outlook client > that button no longer shows. And if you look at the msdyncrm_emailbody again you see the behaviour I noted above i.e. the html tag getting altered.

I will now seek a solution (after seeking VML therapy) unless anyone knows a fix?

Note: this forum also doesn't allow me to post any code, even when using the 'insert code snippet' which is why I added the html above as images.

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jwcpc 170 on at

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Unable to use VML in custom HTML emails

Hi Dengliang Li - thanks for the response. But the steps you have shown is not recreating the issue.

The issue is with custom HTML templates, if you take the HTML from the 'Email body' field > copy it back into the email editor > look at the email body field > you'll then see those attributes are stripped out of the HTML tag.

Just to be clear, this isn't our current workflow. It's just to demonstrate how Dynamics alters custom HTML templates, which means if you are taking HTML from any external source there's a good chance it won't render properly on Outlook.

It also means if you want to use the HTML in other platforms, you need to be sure to update the html tag.
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Dengliang Li Microsoft Employee on at

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Unable to use VML in custom HTML emails

Hi,

I am using the Customer Insights - Journeys trial version without outbound marketing module.

After I add rounded buttons in my real time marketing emails, the VML markup is automatically added in the email body field.

I can also see the button in outlook client.

Therefore, it is recommended that you try using the real-time marketing emails.

Best Regards,
Dengliang Li