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Fix Emails Displaying Squished or Stacked in Outlook for Mac

When a ContactMonkey email looks squished, stacked into a single column, or compressed in Outlook for Mac but displays correctly elsewhere, the email itself is fine. Outlook for Mac is simply rendering the design in a space that is too narrow. This article shows how to restore the full-width layout in two steps.

Why Emails Look Squished in Outlook for Mac

Outlook for Mac renders the email's layout based on the width of the reading pane. Most ContactMonkey emails are designed for about 600 pixels of horizontal space. When the reading pane is narrower than that, the email switches to its mobile layout, so columns stack and text wraps tightly.

This happens because Outlook for Mac uses a webkit-based rendering engine (the same kind of engine that powers Safari) to draw the email's HTML, and that engine reacts to the available width. A zoomed-in view or blocked images can make the result look worse.

Note: The email is not damaged. Recipients viewing it in Outlook on the web or other mail clients see the full, intended design.

Fix the Display in Outlook for Mac

Open the email in a wider space to restore the original layout.

  1. Double-click the message in your inbox to open it in its own window
  2. Maximize the window by clicking the green button in the top-left corner
  3. If the layout now looks correct, the reading pane was the cause. To fix the reading pane itself, drag the divider between the message list and the reading pane toward the left to widen the reading pane past 600 pixels.

Tip: If the email still looks off, set the zoom to 100% and click Download Images if Outlook prompts you. Blocked images and high zoom levels can distort spacing.

When to Escalate to Support

If the email stays squished after opening it in a maximized window, the cause is likely in the email's underlying HTML rather than your Outlook view. Contact support@contactmonkey.com and include:

  • A screenshot of how the email displays
  • The email's JSON file

This information lets the support team confirm whether the template relies on CSS widths without fixed table widths, which can prevent the layout from expanding.