The Div-Based Future

Email Coding 101, Module 5 of 5. Tables are the past and divs are the future: see the support data, and how kinetic.email embraces modern code.

Why Divs Are Better

A div is a simple container you can style however you want. On the web, divs replaced tables for layout over 20 years ago. The module compares a heading and paragraph built both ways: the table version needs a table, row, and cell with layout attributes; the div version produces the same result with one styled container. Div-based code is simpler, faster to write, easier to maintain, and more accessible. The only problem is that Outlook on Windows does not support it.

Email Client Support Chart

Using data inspired by caniemail.com and Litmus market share, the module charts CSS support across Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook on Windows, Outlook 365, Yahoo Mail, and Samsung Mail for display: flex, display: grid, max-width, border-radius, div layout, background-image, media queries, and table layout. The pattern: Outlook on Windows is almost always the holdout.

The good news

• Apple Mail (iOS and Mac) supports every feature in the chart.
• Samsung Mail supports most modern CSS features.
• Simple div layout works in every major client except Outlook on Windows.

The bottleneck

• Outlook on Windows supports almost nothing modern.
• Gmail strips style blocks and does not support flexbox or grid.

Outlook on Windows Is Sunsetting

Microsoft is retiring the classic Outlook for Windows app, the one that uses the Word rendering engine. By the end of 2026 it will be replaced by the New Outlook, which uses a modern web-based rendering engine. Once the classic app is retired, the main reason for tables, MSO conditionals, and inline styles starts to fade, though enterprise organizations tend to update slowly.

Check It Yourself

caniemail.com is the email developer's equivalent of Can I Use. Before using any CSS property in email, look it up to see which clients support it.

How kinetic.email Handles This

1. Modern code first: build with clean, div-based HTML and modern CSS for Apple Mail and other modern clients.
2. MSO fallbacks: use MSO conditionals to serve table-based fallback layouts to Outlook on Windows, so nothing breaks.
3. Best of both worlds: modern clients get the full interactive experience, Outlook users get a static version, and nobody sees a broken email.

The Bottom Line

Email coding is harder than web coding because of fragmented client support, not a lack of skill. You now know why tables exist, why MSO conditionals are necessary, and why email is shifting toward div-based code.

What's Next?

• Kinetic Development — build kinetic emails with hands-on code.
• Marketer Course — campaign strategies by industry.
• KineticAI — generate emails with AI, no coding needed.