Being able to attach a file to an email has many benefits. But is it something that works at scale when sending to large email lists? This is our take on it.
Pros of Sending Email Attachments
The first benefit of being able to send attachments at scale is that email is digital. Sending documents like invoices and statements via email is much easier, quicker, and cheaper than sending hard copies via the post office.
Other benefits of email attachments centre around the availability of a digital record. For one, email is generally secure. You send a document to one recipient, and you can trust that they’re the one who will receive it – assuming they secure their accounts effectively on their end. They can also store these documents in their inboxes, ensuring long-term availability.
With easy tracking functionality built into bulk email platforms like Everlytic, attachments also provide a convenient audit trail. At a glance, you can see when each recipient opened an email or downloaded its attachment.
The Cons of Sending Attachments
Part of the problem with attachments is that you can’t control how the recipient receives or manages your emails. Some people may not have adequate security on their accounts, or they may forward their emails on to others without removing sensitive information. A great way to prevent security breaches on these emails is to protect the attachment with a password.
The other major concerns about attachments revolve around their size. First, the larger the attachment, the longer it takes to upload and download, and the slower the email sends. This puts strain on a network when you’re sending at scale. Emails with attachments are also more likely to be blocked or land in junk mail, as spammers often send malware this way.
The Alternative: Tracked Attachments
Everlytic’s bulk email platform has a feature called tracked attachments that solves many of these challenges. It converts a typical email attachment to a download link, enabling you to host the attachment in the cloud rather than directly on the email. Everlytic is also building this one-of-a-kind attachment service into its new transactional email platform.
Accessing attachments on transactional emails will also be super secure, with one-time pin access, expiry settings, and download limits.
In other words: this feature could literally cancel out all the cons of using attachments in email – especially in transactional emails, where attachments are often used for critical messaging like account statements, invoices, and payslips.
| Category | Email Attachment | Tracked Attachment link |
|---|---|---|
| File size limits | Limited size: 10MB default on Outlook Exchange | Up to 50MB file size |
| Security | Password-protected file |
|
| Delivery | Greater chance of spam filters blocking attachments | Higher delivery rate without attachments |
| Stats | No tracking options | Everlytic can track when an attachment was downloaded and infer an email read |
| Expiration | Never expires | Can add an expiration date or download limit |
| Audit log | No audit or access log available | Everlytic can store and access a log of IPs that downloaded the file |
| Revoke | Emails cannot be revoked | Can be revoked or deleted if mistakes were made |
So, Are Attachments Good or Bad?
The verdict is in: Using email attachments has pros and cons in business. But, with the right email platform, you can virtually wipe out all the cons.
