When I want to send an email containing a gif image to smartlead, do i need to include the html code in clay output with GIF image and the link it should go to?
Yes, you can include HTML code in your email content when sending to Smartlead. Smartlead's custom fields support HTML and newlines, so you can include the HTML code for your GIF image and its associated link in the custom fields you set up in Clay.
Source:Message drafting overview | Documentation | Clay University