Email Marketing: Preventing Campaigns from Being Marked as Spam
If a recipient is not interested in your content or did not give express consent to receive your emails, they are likely to flag your campaign as spam. Having too many spam complaints can negatively affect your sender reputation. The best way to avoid spam complaints is by following email marketing best practices.In this article:
What are spam complaints? What are spam traps? About the Gmail spam filter How to avoid spam complaints Frequently asked questions (FAQs)What are spam complaints?Spam complaints occur when email recipients report unwanted emails. Most email providers (like Gmail or Yahoo) have a button to report spam. A small number of complaints is normal, but excessive complaints can harm your email deliverability. Too many complaints may cause your emails to be filtered into spam folders, hurting your reach. Tip:Learn more about how it can affect your email deliverability.What are spam traps?Spam traps are fake or inactive email addresses used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and anti-spam groups to catch marketers who don't follow email rules (e.g. buying email lists or sending unsolicited emails).Click below to learn more about the 3 main types of spam traps.Pristine spam trapsPristine spam traps are email addresses that ISPs or anti-spam groups artificially create in order to catch spammers. Emails sent to a pristine spam trap are usually part of purchased lists or have otherwise been obtained in an illegitimate manner. Recycled or expired email addressesThese are email addresses that were once in use but are now inactive. Emails sent to these addresses bounce back to sender for at least a year. ISPs may reactivate them to catch spammers, since sending to these addresses shows that a sender isn't cleaning their list.TyposAn email address with a typo can be a spam trap. Sending to such addresses show that the sender doesn't clean their list or that some contacts didn't opt in (e.g. an address like "gmai.com" instead of "gmail.com.")Important:Wix doesn't allow the use of illegitimate mailing lists. If a spam trap detects you're using one, your Wix Email Marketing account will be restricted. Purchased lists violate Wix's Terms of Use and Best Practices.About the Gmail Spam FilterGmail’s spam filter is key in deciding which emails get through. Since many of your subscribers likely use Gmail, it’s important to understand what their filter looks for when flagging spam.Here are some of the factors Gmail uses to decide if emails are legitimate:
If the sender's email address or domain name has been blacklisted before. Suspicious phrases and words (i.e. "how to make money online fast"). Spelling mistakes and bad grammar. Corrupted or misconfigured email headers. Suspicious email attachments (Google recommends sharing files as links using cloud storage services).Tip:Learn more about the Gmail spam filter.How to Avoid Spam ComplaintsIf you know your audience and only send content to subscribers, you'll likely avoid spam complaints. Following email marketing best practices is the best way to prevent being marked as spam.Click below to learn more.Create engaging email contentYour emails should make a strong first impression with high quality, value driven content. From the subject line to the text and images, every part should offer value to your subscribers. Learn more about creating engaging email content. Only email your subscribersOnly email people who have explicitly consented to receive your messages. Sending emails to people who don’t recognize you or why they’re receiving your emails is a fast way to get spam complaints.Tip: Add a subscribe form to your site to make it easy for people to join your mailing list and build an engaging audience for your campaigns.Develop good frequency practicesEstablish a consistent email schedule. Once you find the right frequency for your subscribers, stick to it. Best practices recommend sending 1 to 5 campaigns per month.FAQsClick to learn more.What is a good spam complaint percentage?A good spam complaint percentage is 0.02%, which means one complaint for every 5,000 recipients.What happens if an email campaign is sent to a spam trap?Sending to a spam trap can result in penalties, such as your emails being sent to junk folders or restrictions on future campaigns.How can I improve my email deliverability?Here are some tips to improve deliverability:
Maintain a clean email list by regularly removing inactive subscribers. Avoid spammy language and ensure your emails are well-formatted. Monitor your sender reputation using tools like Postmaster Tools by Google.Learn more about improving your email deliverability.How can I avoid spam traps?Here are ways to avoid spam traps:
Do not purchase email lists.  Make sure all your recipients have given explicit permission to send them emails.  Send your email campaigns only to your active contacts.  Clean your contact list at least twice a year. Make sure to remove recipients with whom you have not been in touch for over 6 months.Tip: You can also use campaign statistics to locate and remove addresses that consistently bounce or remain unopened.  Can I use purchased email lists?No, using purchased email lists can lead to high spam complaints and harm your sender reputation. Always build your list organically with express consent from subscribers.Tip: Test your email campaigns by sending them to yourself or a small group first to catch any issues before sending to your entire list.How can I report a site I think is spam?If you encounter any Wix sites that you believe are sending electronic spam, you can file a complaint.