Free evaluation.
(314) 361-5911

Can't paste an image into email?

11/15/2021

Have you ever copied an image from a website, but could not paste it into an email? You right click the image and select copy, but when you paste it, you just see a blank placeholder. The problem may be your email client. Your email client is the app that you use to compose, read, and send email. Some popular email clients are GMail, Apple iPhone, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail.

Links vs base64 encoding

We always have the option to attach an image, but usually we want to show that image just at the appropriate point in our email. If the image is actually a link to an image file - like https://example.com/bliue-car.jpg. there is no problem pasting it in. However, sometimes, the picture on that website may not be a link, but instead has been encoded into text. If you view the html (right-click, inspect), you will see something like "src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAAN.........". This is called base64 encoding and email clients address this in different ways.

Read More.

Pasting a base64 encoded image into Gmail will cause Gmail to convert it into a link on the Google server. You will then see the image appear as you expect it in your draft email and none of your sendees will have any trouble reading your email. However, other email clients, as for example, many webmail clients that come with internet service providers or web hosting providers, will refuse to paste it and will just show you a blank placeholder.

Copy/paste work-arounds

If copy/paste does not work, many email clients have "insert image" functions. This means you have to download the images from your selected website before using the insert function. Copy and paste would have been so much easier.

Another solution is to right click to open just the image in a new tab or window. This converts the image to a link and allows you to copy/paste.

It may seem like an easy fix to just do a print screen and then control-V to paste it in your email. The image will indeed appear, but unless you are using an email client like GMail that converts it to a link, you will be sending the image as raw base64 encoded data. When your sendee who uses Gmail receives your message, he will see not an image, but will instead see what appears to be a string of meaningless letters which are, in fact, the base64 encoded version that Gmail does not have the capability to unencode.

Email messages have the potential to carry viruses and so a little extra work on our part makes things a little safer.

Today Data and Web Services, Inc.

More ideas for better websites

Short how-to articles to improve your website

03/25/2023: Quick adds for Google contacts

02/05/2023: ChatGPT: Will you use it?

01/03/2023: Screen mirroring with your Roku device

11/22/2022: Big layoffs for Alexa

10/11/2022: Filter your Gmail for a clean inbox

09/08/2022: Google Drive can do more than you think

08/08/2022: Buyer Beware! Fake reviews

07/01/2022: Bots Everywhere

05/16/2022: When Google is more than a search - screening and guarantees

04/15/2022: Clip and share YouTube video

03/15/2022: Your webpage in a nutshell as Google sees it

02/15/2022: Saving keystrokes with Smart Compose

01/15/2022: Look better on Zoom

12/15/2021: Windows-V to reach your clipboard history

11/15/2021: Can't paste an image into email?

10/11/2021: Google has replaced old backup and sync

09/11/2021: Painlessly add videos to your website

08/10/2021: The new browser competition

06/18/2021: Voice to text everywhere

05/15/2021: How to retrieve that old Gmail

04/14/2021: Cloud Sharing Tips

03/11/2021: Just "pin" it

02/03/2021: Facebook: Did you notice...?

12/27/2020: Google Search in 2020

11/26/2020: Collections, bookmarks, favorites, How to choose

10/13/2020: Need some tips for website content?

09/13/2020: Apps Everywhere

08/13/2020: Clutter making Gmail unusable?

07/07/2020: Open doors with podcasting

06/04/2020: .tech, .blog, .cooking, and more

05/04/2020: Reinforce your marketing with content

04/02/2020: Google Place updates for COVID-19

03/02/2020: Windows search bar flub

01/27/2020: Zero-click Google searches are growing

12/26/2019: Gmail without wi-fi

11/25/2019: Should you sign off,sleep, or lock your pc

10/07/2019: Keep up-to-date with your web resources and with Google

09/05/2019: How to synchronize your files

08/05/2019: A new way to create apps for your portable devices

07/02/2019: Big Changes on Google Search

06/01/2019: Visualize your website with a word cloud

04/30/2019: How can my website profit from voice search?

03/26/2019: 1/14/2020, Windows 7 support ends

02/27/2019: Videos on your website?

01/13/2019: Time to move to SSL

10/31/2018: Use Feedly for competitor research

09/25/2018: Speed up your site with compression

08/18/2018: Favicons help brand your site

07/14/2018: What is Mobile First?

06/06/2018: How to text from your computer

04/29/2018: Are your website users clicking the links?

03/26/2018: Get a quick SEO score

02/25/2018: Is your website accessible?

01/11/2018: Should you advertise on Facebook?

12/05/2017: What is the easiest way to manage an email contact list for your team?

10/27/2017: Customer Call and No Internet - a Solution

09/26/2017: Quickly snip content for any use

08/22/2017: Skip learning Photoshop and copy from your website directly to your PowerPoint

07/18/2017: Does your brochure website need more hits?

06/10/2017: Contact form or email link: Which is better?

04/22/2017: Google is not human, really! Help it index your website with structured data

03/11/2017: How does my site look on a tablet or phone?

01/09/2017: Understanding Google Tools and Ghost Traffic

12/05/2016: Tips on getting your website noticedGoogle Places

11/01/2016: When is it time to update your website?