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I'm trying to send a formatted HTML via gmail and it comes out as junk. In particular, a properly fomatted <table> set of tags appears to have </table> inserted right after the <table> tag, messing up the output. I can't tell if this is something the browser is doing, or is happening as the automation gmails the body.

Any thoughts on this?

example input and output (note, I'm not listing my entire table, but I do wrap it in a </table> tag and is properly formatted html:

Input: 

<table>
<tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td><strong>Email Group</strong></td>

source that shows up in gmail:

<p></p><p><span></span></p><table></table><p></p><p><span></span></p>

Gmail and some automation platforms sometimes sanitize or alter HTML before sending, which can insert extra tags or prematurely close them. A few things to try:

  1. Combine All HTML into One String

    • Avoid extra line breaks or spacing in the HTML. Sometimes line breaks can trigger the email tool to insert closing tags automatically.

  2. Verify You’re Sending as HTML

    • Ensure the email body is being sent in HTML format, not plain text or a “rich text” field that automatically modifies formatting.

  3. Use a Single Formula/Script

    • If you’re pulling HTML from fields in Airtable (or another tool), store the entire table markup in one formula or script-generated string, so your automation doesn’t piece it together incorrectly.

  4. Test in a Different Client

    • If possible, try sending the same HTML via a different email service or API to confirm whether it’s the automation or Gmail causing the issue.

By consolidating your table code and making sure the email is truly sent as HTML, you should avoid the extra </table> tags and preserve your intended formatting. If it still shows up incorrectly, you may need a more specialized HTML email solution or a third-party integration that fully supports the table markup.

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