# Fix image display issues

> Choose the right image format and track down why images might not display in your sent campaigns.

Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/senders-deliverability/fix-image-display-issues
Updated: 2026-06-10

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Images grab attention, but only if they actually display - and when they don't, your stats suffer too, since opens are counted when images load. This guide covers choosing the right format and tracking down why images might not show.

## Choosing a format

**JPEG** - the most common format online. Compresses well, so photos load quickly, though heavy compression costs some quality.

**PNG** - no compression loss and supports transparency, but the files can be noticeably larger than a JPEG.

## Common problems and fixes

**Images are blocked** - many email clients block images until the recipient clicks to display them or adds you as a safe sender. Ask subscribers to always allow your images, or to add your sender address.

**The email is all images** - an image-only email is flagged as spam almost every time, and by law every email needs some text (even a "hello"). Always include more text than images.

**Relative URLs** - images must use absolute URLs and be hosted somewhere publicly reachable. A relative URL like `/image.jpg` won't resolve in an inbox; use a full address like `https://www.example.com/images/image.jpg`.

**Background images** - some clients don't render them, so always set a solid background colour as a fallback.

## Troubleshooting

**Broken images or a red X** - confirm URLs are absolute (with http:// or https://), check the host is reachable and the files haven't moved, and test the URL in a browser.

**Fine in preview, broken when sent** - you're probably using a local path; make sure images are on a public server with no hotlink protection or bandwidth caps.

**Background images don't show** - use a solid-colour fallback, or a table cell with a background colour, and test across clients.

**Images too big and slow** - compress to under about 100 KB each, size them correctly rather than resizing in HTML, and pick the right format (JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics).

If images still won't display for your recipients, [open a support ticket](/knowledgebase/getting-started/how-to-create-a-support-ticket-in-mykualo).

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_Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/senders-deliverability/fix-image-display-issues · © Kualo Ltd._