Gmail on Windows and Mac
Strikethrough in Gmail and in the subject line
The strikethrough button is in the compose window’s formatting bar. Subject lines don’t format, so paste a Unicode version there.
Updated · strikethroughtext.online
In the body of an email
- Write your text in the compose window and select the words to strike.
- Click Formatting options, the underlined A in the bar at the bottom of the compose window.
- In the formatting bar that appears above it, click the strikethrough button (an S with a line through it).
Click it again with the text selected to remove the line. The strikethrough button sits with the other text styles in the formatting bar; on a narrow window, some buttons are tucked under a More menu at the end of the bar.
In the subject line
The subject field is plain text. Gmail won’t format it, but it will happily send Unicode, and the copy-paste strikethrough on this page is made of Unicode characters. Paste it in and it shows up in your recipient’s inbox, in most email apps.
Think about deliverability before you do this on a newsletter. Spam filters look at subject lines closely, and a subject full of unusual characters can count against you. One struck word in a personal email is fine. A struck word in a mass mailing is a risk worth testing first.
Good uses in email
Changed details. “Meeting moved from Tuesday to Thursday” in the body is clearer than a new paragraph explaining the change.
Replies inline. When answering a list of questions in someone’s own email, strike the items you’ve dealt with.
Price changes. Promotional emails often strike the old price. If you do it in the body with formatting, it’s accessible and clean. Avoid putting the struck price only in the subject line.
Accessibility
Formatting strikethrough in the body of an email is announced by some screen readers and silently ignored by others, so the struck text may be read as if it were current. Don’t rely on the line alone to carry meaning: add “was” or “now” in words. Unicode strikethrough in a subject line can be read out mark by mark, which is another reason to keep it short.
Removing formatting
Select the text and use Remove formatting (the T with a slash) in the same formatting bar to clear strikethrough along with every other style. For pasted Unicode, use the remove formatting tool.
Copy-paste version
For the places where Gmail formatting won't follow your text, like file names, chat apps or a social bio.
- strikethrough
- short strike
- wavy strike
- slash
- long slash
- double slash
- strike + underline
- strike + overline
- underline
- double underline
- overline
- dotted
- wave
- x below
- redacted
Questions people ask
How do I strikethrough text in Gmail?
In the compose window, select the text, click the Formatting options button (the A at the bottom of the window) and click the strikethrough button in the bar that appears. Click it again to remove the line.
Can I use strikethrough in a Gmail subject line?
Subject lines do not support formatting, but Unicode strikethrough displays in most email apps. Copy it from the tool on this page. Use it sparingly: some spam filters treat unusual characters in subjects as a warning sign.
How do I strikethrough in the Gmail app on my phone?
The Gmail mobile apps offer fewer formatting options than the web version. If strikethrough is not available when you select text, paste a Unicode version from this page instead.