Best Practices

Contact Collection

Don't use contacts collected from websites

Email addresses scraped or passively collected from websites do not constitute clear, informed consent for marketing. Even when an address is publicly visible, that does not imply permission to receive bulk email. These contacts often result in low engagement, high complaint rates, and increased filtering by mailbox providers. In many cases, they also violate anti-spam regulations and ESP acceptable use policies, putting sending accounts and domains at risk.

Use clear, specific language about what subscribers will receive

Vague phrases like “updates” or “news” don’t set proper expectations. Clearly state the type of content and approximate frequency so subscribers know exactly what they’re signing up for. When expectations are aligned, engagement goes up and complaints go down.

Avoid pre-checked opt-in boxes

Pre-selected checkboxes create passive consent and often capture people who didn’t intend to subscribe. Many mailbox providers and regulations treat this as invalid or low-quality consent. Requiring an intentional action helps ensure subscribers actually want your emails.

Confirm ownership of third-party or partner-provided contacts

If contacts are collected by a partner, you should understand how and where consent was obtained. You are still accountable for the email you send, even if the list came from someone else. Poor upstream collection practices will surface as deliverability issues downstream.

Don’t bundle marketing consent into Terms of Service or privacy policies

Most users don’t read lengthy legal documents, so burying marketing consent there results in contacts who never knowingly opted in. This increases complaints, disengagement, and regulatory risk. Consent for marketing should be explicit, clearly labeled, and separate from acceptance of required legal terms.

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Content

Make the value obvious within the first few lines

Subscribers decide whether to engage in seconds. If the benefit of the email isn’t immediately clear, they’re more likely to ignore, delete, or mark it as spam. Lead with relevance, not branding or filler.

Ensure the “From” name and content match subscriber expectations

If subscribers opted in to hear from one brand or product, emails that appear to come from a different entity can feel deceptive. Consistency builds trust with both recipients and mailbox providers.

Avoid deceptive subject lines or bait-and-switch tactics

Subject lines that overpromise or mislead may increase opens temporarily, but they erode trust and drive complaints. Mailbox providers track these behaviors and adjust filtering accordingly. Long-term deliverability depends on honest engagement.

Design emails for clarity, not just aesthetics

Overly complex layouts, excessive imagery, or unclear calls-to-action (CTAs) can confuse recipients and reduce engagement. Clean, readable emails that work well on mobile tend to perform better and generate fewer negative signals.

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Sending

Authenticate your sending domain properly

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren’t optional anymore. Proper authentication proves that your emails are legitimate and authorized, and it plays a significant role in inbox placement and phishing prevention.

Start new domains or IPs with a gradual warm-up

Mailbox providers are cautious with unknown senders. Sending large volumes immediately from a new domain or IP looks risky and often triggers filtering. A controlled ramp-up helps establish a positive reputation.

Send consistently rather than in unpredictable bursts

Sudden spikes in volume can look suspicious, especially if engagement is low. Predictable sending patterns help mailbox providers understand and trust your traffic over time.

Monitor engagement signals, not just delivery metrics

Successful delivery doesn’t mean successful inbox placement. Low opens, low clicks, and high deletes send negative signals to mailbox providers. Engagement trends often reveal problems before bounce rates do.

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List Maintenance

Remove hard bounces and invalid addresses immediately

Continuing to send to non-existent addresses signals poor list hygiene. This can damage your sender reputation and, in some cases, lead to blocks. Invalid addresses should never receive repeated attempts.

Regularly suppress inactive subscribers

Contacts who haven’t opened or clicked in a long time contribute little value and can actively harm deliverability. Periodically pausing or removing inactive users improves engagement ratios and inbox placement.

Honor unsubscribes promptly and completely

Failing to remove unsubscribed users leads to spam complaints and compliance issues. Unsubscribe requests should be processed automatically and without delay.

Validate lists before large or high-risk sends

Even permission-based lists degrade over time. Running validation before major campaigns helps catch abandoned, mistyped, or risky addresses before they impact your reputation.

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