Troubleshooting & FAQ – Email Love

Something not working? You're in the right place. This guide covers the most common issues people run into with the Email Love Figma Plugin and how to fix them. If your problem isn't listed here, reach out to us at support@emaillove.com or in our Discord community.

Installation & Setup Issues

The plugin won't install

Check your browser: Figma plugins install through the desktop app or the web app at figma.com. Make sure you're logged into the correct account.

Try the direct link: Go to the Email Love plugin page on Figma Community and click Install.

Clear cache: In Figma desktop, go to Help > Reset Plugin Cache, then try installing again.

My license key isn't working

Copy-paste carefully: License keys are case-sensitive. Copy the full key from your Gumroad purchase confirmation—don't type it manually.

Check your email: Make sure the email address you enter in the plugin matches the one you used to purchase on Gumroad.

Already activated? Each license key works on one Figma account. If you've already activated it on another account, you'll need a new key.

Still stuck? Email support@emaillove.com with your license key and Figma account email. We'll sort it out.

The plugin opens but shows a blank screen

Close and reopen Figma completely (not just the file)

Check your internet connection—the plugin needs to load resources on first launch

Try opening the plugin in a new, empty Figma file to rule out file-specific issues

Design & Component Issues

My components aren't exporting correctly

This is almost always a layer structure issue. The MJML hierarchy must be maintained:

Run Copilot first: Open the Copilot tab and scan your frame. Copilot catches 90% of structural issues automatically.

Check your nesting: Content must be inside columns, columns inside sections, sections inside wrappers or the email frame.

Look for rogue layers: Stray layers outside the component hierarchy will cause problems. Use Figma's layers panel to check.

Start from a template: If a section keeps breaking, delete it and rebuild from an Email Love component. Then customize the styling.

Text looks different in the exported email

Font fallback: Custom fonts only work in Apple Mail. Other clients use your fallback font. Set fallbacks in the plugin's Configure Fonts panel.

Line height: Tight line heights in Figma can cause clipping in email clients. Use 1.5x–2x your font size.

Text containers: Set your text boxes to "Auto Height" in Figma, not "Fixed Size." Outlook clips content in fixed-height containers.

My images look blurry

Export at 2x: For retina/high-DPI screens, design your images at 2x the display size. A 640px-wide hero image should be 1280px in Figma.

Use PNG for graphics, JPG for photos: PNGs preserve sharp edges on logos and icons. JPGs are better for photographs.

Check file size: Large images slow loading. Keep total email size under 500KB for best deliverability. Compress images before using them.

My button doesn't look right in Outlook

Outlook renders buttons differently from every other client. The Email Love plugin uses VML-based buttons that render consistently. If your button looks wrong:

Make sure you're using an Email Love button component, not a custom Figma frame

Avoid complex gradients on buttons—solid colors are safest

Border radius on buttons won't render in Outlook on Windows (this is an Outlook limitation, not a plugin issue)

Export Issues

Export fails with an error

Frame not selected: Make sure you have your email frame selected (the top-level frame), not a component inside it.

Multiple frames: Select only one email frame at a time for export.

Invalid structure: Run Copilot to identify and fix structural issues before exporting.

API key issues: If exporting to an ESP, verify your API key is correct and has the right permissions. See the specific ESP integration guide for details.

The exported HTML looks different from Figma

Small differences between Figma and exported HTML are normal. Email clients apply their own spacing, font rendering, and layout rules. Here's how to minimize surprises:

Use the Preview tab in the plugin to see a closer approximation before exporting

Test in actual email clients using Litmus, Email on Acid, or InboxMonster

The most common differences are font rendering (fallback fonts), button styling (Outlook), and spacing (varies by client)

My email is getting clipped in Gmail

Gmail clips emails larger than 102KB of HTML. The Email Love plugin uses MJML, which generates clean code, but complex designs with many sections can exceed this limit.

Check your code size: Export your HTML and check the file size. If it's over 80KB, you're at risk.

Reduce sections: Each MJML section/wrapper adds HTML overhead. Consolidate where possible.

Optimize images: Image URLs in HTML add to the file size. Use shorter URLs and fewer images.

Remove hidden content: Show/Hide on Desktop & Mobile still includes both versions in the HTML.

Pro tip: See the Optimizing Component File Size to Avoid Getting Clipped in Gmail article for a detailed walkthrough.

ESP Integration Issues

My email isn't uploading to my ESP

Check your API key: Make sure you've entered the correct API key with write/create permissions.

API permissions: Some ESPs require specific permission scopes. Check the integration guide for your platform.

Network issues: The plugin needs internet access to upload. Check your connection and any firewall/proxy settings.

Dynamic content / merge tags aren't working

If your personalization tags (like {{first_name}}) aren't rendering in your ESP:

Verify you're using the correct syntax for your specific ESP (Klaviyo uses {{ }}, Braze uses {{ }}, Iterable uses handlebars)

Make sure the merge tag text in Figma exactly matches what your ESP expects—including spaces, capitalization, and special characters

Check that the field actually exists in your ESP's contact/profile data

Images aren't loading in sent emails

Image hosting: Email Love hosts your images on our CDN automatically. If images aren't loading, the CDN URL may be blocked by your recipient's email client or corporate firewall.

Check your ESP: Some ESPs re-host images. If you're using ESP-specific image hosting, make sure it's configured correctly.

Performance & Plugin Behavior

The plugin is running slowly

Close other Figma plugins that might be running

Complex emails with many components will naturally take longer to process

Try closing and reopening the plugin

Make sure Figma itself isn't running slowly (check Activity Monitor / Task Manager)

The preview doesn't match my Figma design

The preview shows an approximation of email rendering, not a pixel-perfect mirror of your Figma canvas. This is intentional—the preview applies email client constraints (inline styles, table layouts, font fallbacks) to give you a realistic sense of how your email will actually look.

For true email client testing, export your HTML and test with Litmus, Email on Acid, or InboxMonster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my own custom components?

Yes. You can build custom components from scratch, but they must follow the MJML layer structure. Start with an existing Email Love component, modify the styling, and convert it to a Figma component. This ensures the MJML hierarchy is correct. See the Build Your Own Components collection for details.

What email clients does the plugin support?

The plugin generates HTML that renders across all major email clients including Apple Mail (iOS and macOS), Gmail (web and mobile), Outlook (all versions including Windows desktop), Yahoo Mail, and AOL Mail. See the Email Client Compatibility Matrix for specifics.

Can I export just HTML without uploading to an ESP?

Yes. The Export tab lets you download your email as raw HTML or MJML code. You can then import this code into any email platform manually.

Does the plugin support AMP for Email?

Not currently. The plugin generates standard HTML email code using the MJML framework. AMP for Email is a separate format with limited adoption (primarily Gmail).

How do I update my components after the plugin updates?

Plugin updates don't change your existing Figma components. To get new or updated components, duplicate the latest version of the Ultimate Email Design System file from the Figma Community and pull the updated components into your files.

Can multiple team members use the same license?

Each license key is for one Figma account. If you have a team, you'll need multiple licenses. Contact us at support@emaillove.com for team pricing or check out our Enterprise plan for larger teams.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. The plugin includes 10 free exports so you can test the full workflow before purchasing. No credit card required.

Still Need Help?

If your issue isn't covered here, we're happy to help:

Email: support@emaillove.com

Discord: discord.com/invite/ANv9PjVdzP — get help from our team and other Email Love users

Book a call: calendly.com/email-love/30min — for complex issues or Enterprise inquiries

When reporting an issue, include: what you were doing, what you expected to happen, what actually happened, and a screenshot of your Figma layers panel if relevant. This helps us resolve things much faster.