Making the most of links and attachments
When it comes to advice on sending a successful email, the spotlight often shines brightest on audience segmentation and the subject line.
While both of these things matter, of course, it’s a mistake for internal communicators to think less-discussed topics – namely, links and attachments – don’t.
Every aspect of an email plays a role in the reader’s experience of it. If links or attachments come across as confusing or untrustworthy, the critical information they contain might go ignored. The end result: readers open and scan an email yet fail to receive the entire message.
Below are some best practices for getting the most out of email links and attachments.
What are email links?
An email link refers to a clickable URL embedded within a message that takes readers to an external webpage. This webpage could contain a video, survey, or report. It might feature a form for employees to fill out.
Whatever the specific content, the aim is to get readers to click on the link and consume the additional information.
Achieving this, however, isn’t as simple as writing the words “click here” and pasting the URL. If done poorly, email links can look sloppy, trigger spam filters, and hurt the author’s credibility.
Best practices for email links
Below are some best practices for inserting links into an email:
1. Use clear language
Rather than rely on generic phrases such as “click here” or “read more,” describe what readers will encounter when they follow the link. “Download the free guide for using GenAI,” for example.
If the call to action isn’t compelling, readers may not think the link is worth their time.
2. Avoid raw URLs
On a similar note, don’t just copy and paste the raw URL, which rarely looks clean or professional. Rather, hyperlink descriptive text, as outlined above.
If linking to an external website, make sure the source is trustworthy. And always double check the link is working as intended before sending out the email.
3. Limit the number of links
When it comes to email links, less is more.
Too many options can overwhelm a reader and lead to decision fatigue. Multiple links can also signal to readers that none of them are urgent.
Indeed, data from PoliteMail’s 2025 Internal Email Benchmark Report shows internal communicators generate the most clicks by limiting links to one or two per email.
If you must include multiple links, use bullet points or a visual hierarchy to help readers navigate them by priority.
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What is link tracking?
Another benefit of including links in emails is their ability to help measure reader engagement. If a call to action located near the bottom of a message receives a robust number of clicks, for example, that’s a good sign employees are scrolling through the entire email.
PoliteMail software provides tools that can convert any URL into a link that measures the click-through rate. This gives internal communicators valuable data for making adjustments and refining their strategy to boost their numbers.
If you are using PoliteMail to send links, the software will allow you to save commonly used links with descriptions already embedded so the user simply has to add them to a New Email with the Add Links feature. All links in PoliteMail emails are measured.
What is an email attachment?
An email attachment is any file sent along with an email. It could be an image, spreadsheet, or research report that a recipient can either preview or download onto their device.
Much like a link, an attachment contains valuable information that, whether due to length or format, generally can’t be placed in the email body itself.
Most attachments appear as an icon or file name at the top or bottom of an email. Large attachments may be difficult to share through email due to size limitations.
Best practices for email attachments
Below are some best practices for attaching a document to an email:
1. Label each document appropriately
Since scammers tend to use email attachments for phishing activities and to introduce malware onto people’s devices, it’s important to give the documents you share a proper name.
Colleagues will trust attachments with titles they recognize or files that arrive at a relevant time according to what’s happening within the organization. If, say, your CEO just announced plans to conduct employee performance reviews that involve a self-reported questionnaire, you should label the document something like “Performance Review Questionnaire” before emailing it out to the workforce.
Avoid triggering an email system’s spam filter by using precise language to label your attachments. Otherwise, the email might go straight to a colleague’s junk folder.
2. Mention the attachment in the email
Although it might sound obvious, it’s easy to forget.
A great way to get people to open an email attachment is to let readers know the message contains a document. Explicitly name it in the email itself. In a sentence or two, explain what the attachment is and why they should open it, too.
3. Stick to common file types
It’s not helpful to share attachments that no one can open. Get a sense of what software employees have on their devices and stick to common formats, such as PDF, JPG, and DOCX.
By avoiding obscure file types, you’ll steer clear of confusion and frustration down the road.
How big can an email attachment be?
If you’re an internal communicator, chances are you’ve run into the following problem: email attachment size limit. When trying to send a large attachment, it simply can’t be done.
As a solution to this common obstacle, PoliteMail offers smart attachments, a feature that turbocharges your documents with numerous benefits.
In addition to allowing internal communicators to send large documents by hosting them on PoliteMail’s server, the service also encrypts the content to make it secure and tracks how many people are downloading it, generating valuable data to inform future decision making.
Email links vs. attachments
While email links and email attachments often serve a similar purpose, each option possesses its own strengths and weaknesses.
Email attachments deliver the document directly to readers, who can access it without dealing with external websites. Recipients can also read it when offline.
On the other hand, size limitations can hinder the flow of information. If the attachment requires edits or updating, you’ll have to resend the file in another email, too.
Links aren’t hindered by size and, if the content is hosted on an internal site, can be updated manually without needing to resend it. Their disadvantages are that readers have to be online to access and too many links in an email may mean some get skipped.
Whether you’re using links or attachments, your choices affect how employees receive and engage with your message. PoliteMail provides powerful tools to enhance both options, making sure each click or download becomes a meaningful part of your communication strategy, and every message gets received.
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