Fix Text Formatting Issues in Emails

If recipients see unexpected spaces or other formatting issues in emails—even though the draft looks correct in ContactMonkey—this article explains how to fix and prevent the issue.

Quick Fix

Remove and reapply formatting to the affected text:

1. Select the text with spacing issues in the Email Builder
2. Click the Remove Formatting button in the toolbar
3. Reapply your formatting (bold, italic, etc.) using the toolbar

This clears problematic hidden formatting codes that cause display issues.

How to Prevent This Issue

Use one of these methods when adding text to your emails:

Method 1: Paste as Plain Text First

1. Copy your text from the original source
2. Paste it into a plain text editor:
   • Windows: Notepad
   • Mac: TextEdit (set to plain text mode)
3. Copy the text from the plain text editor
4. Paste it into ContactMonkey
5. Apply formatting using the ContactMonkey editor toolbar

Method 2: Use Paste Without Formatting

Paste directly into ContactMonkey without formatting using this keyboard shortcut:

1. Copy your text from the original source
2. Paste into ContactMonkey:
   • Windows: Enter Ctrl + Shift + V (or right-click → Paste as plain text)
   • Mac: Enter Shift + Command + V (or right-click → Paste as plain text)
3. Apply formatting using the ContactMonkey editor toolbar

Why This Happens

Email applications like Outlook and Gmail interpret HTML formatting differently. When you copy and paste text from external sources or make multiple edits over time, hidden formatting codes can accumulate. These extra codes may cause some email applications (particularly certain Outlook versions or mobile devices) to insert unexpected spaces.

The issue occurs most often with:

• Text copied from Word documents, websites, or PDFs
• Content that has been edited and reformatted multiple times
• Bold or italic formatting applied across multiple text selections
• Non-English text that is copied from external sources