Summary
The definition of spam is significantly different between senders and recipients. While senders often focus on intent, perceived value, or legal compliance, the recipient's experience is the ultimate determinant. Spam is defined as Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE) or Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE), meaning the recipient didn't request it. Relevance, timing, and sender recognition all play crucial roles in the recipient's perception. High spam complaint rates directly and negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability, signaling to mailbox providers that the email is unwanted, regardless of the sender's perspective. Ultimately, recipient actions are what matters.
Key findings
- Recipient Defines Spam: The recipient, not the sender, defines what constitutes spam.
- Unsolicited Email: Spam is typically unsolicited, meaning the recipient didn't ask to receive the email.
- Bulk Sending Concerns: Sending emails in bulk, especially without personalization, increases the likelihood of being marked as spam.
- Relevance and Timing Matter: Even with consent, irrelevant or poorly timed emails can be perceived as spam.
- Spam Complaints Impact Reputation: High spam complaint rates negatively affect sender reputation and deliverability.
- Inbox Provider Response: Mailbox providers use subscriber responses to identify spam, leading to filtering and blocking.
Key considerations
- Get Explicit Consent: Obtain explicit consent from recipients before sending emails.
- Personalize and Segment: Personalize emails and segment your audience to ensure relevance.
- Monitor Deliverability Metrics: Regularly monitor sender reputation, spam complaint rates, and other deliverability metrics.
- Ensure Regulatory Compliance: Comply with email marketing regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR.
- Provide Easy Unsubscribe: Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from your emails.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Clean your email list regularly to remove inactive or disengaged subscribers.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
The definition of spam differs significantly between senders and recipients. Senders often focus on their intent, assuming that if they are offering value, their emails won't be considered spam. However, recipients primarily define spam based on their experience: whether they recognize the sender, find the content relevant and timely, and have explicitly consented to receive the emails. High spam complaint rates, regardless of sender intent, negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability. Ultimately, recipients' perceptions and actions, such as marking emails as spam, are the most critical factors in determining whether an email is classified as spam.
Key opinions
- Recipient Perception: Recipients define spam based on factors like sender recognition, content relevance, and timing.
- Consent: Explicit consent from the recipient is a crucial factor in preventing emails from being marked as spam.
- Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates negatively impact sender reputation and email deliverability.
- Sender Intent vs. Impact: Sender's intent is less important than the recipient's experience. Even valuable emails can be marked as spam if unwanted.
- Subscriber Response: Inbox providers increasingly rely on subscriber response to identify spam.
Key considerations
- Obtain Explicit Consent: Prioritize building a permission-based email list to ensure recipients have explicitly opted in.
- Relevance and Value: Ensure email content is relevant to recipients' interests and delivers value.
- Recognizable Sender: Maintain a consistent and recognizable sender identity.
- Timing and Frequency: Consider the timing and frequency of emails to avoid overwhelming recipients.
- Monitor Spam Complaints: Regularly monitor spam complaint rates to identify and address potential issues.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit user u/MarketingGuru responds that value is in the eye of the beholder. If the recipient doesn't find the email content useful or relevant, they'll likely perceive it as spam, even if the sender thinks it's valuable.
4 May 2025 - Reddit
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that inbox providers are shifting towards spam detection based on subscriber response, as it relies on human perception to identify spam effectively.
10 Nov 2024 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
The primary distinction in defining spam lies between the sender's perspective and the recipient's experience. While senders might focus on the perceived value or personalization of their message, the recipient ultimately determines if an email is spam. Key indicators for recipients include whether the email was solicited, if it's part of a bulk send, and if it violates regulations like CAN-SPAM. Recipient actions, like marking an email as spam, are the strongest signals to mailbox providers, directly impacting a sender's reputation and deliverability.
Key opinions
- Recipient-Centric Definition: Spam is primarily defined by the recipient's perception and experience, not the sender's intent.
- Unsolicited Nature: A core characteristic of spam is that it's unsolicited; the recipient didn't request the email.
- Bulk Sending: Spam often involves sending the same message in bulk, highlighting a lack of personalization.
- Violation of Regulations: Spam can include emails that violate regulations like CAN-SPAM.
- Impact of Spam Complaints: Recipients marking emails as spam directly harms sender reputation and deliverability.
Key considerations
- Obtain Consent: Ensure recipients have explicitly opted in to receive emails.
- Avoid Bulk Sending Without Personalization: Personalize emails to increase relevance and reduce the likelihood of being marked as spam.
- Comply with Regulations: Adhere to email marketing regulations like CAN-SPAM.
- Monitor Deliverability: Regularly monitor sender reputation and deliverability metrics.
- Focus on Recipient Experience: Prioritize creating a positive email experience for recipients to minimize spam complaints.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that spam is defined by the recipient, not the sender, unless the sender is knowingly sending spam.
27 Sep 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks states that if many people are receiving the same unsolicited message, it is spam, regardless of the sender's intent.
13 May 2023 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Email spam, according to documentation from Spamhaus, Talos Intelligence, and Microsoft, is primarily defined as Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE), meaning it's sent to a large number of recipients without their request or permission. Often, spam is associated with malicious intent, such as phishing or malware distribution. When a user marks an email as junk, it's moved to the junk folder, and the sender may be added to a blocked senders list, although users can manually manage blocked and safe senders.
Key findings
- Unsolicited Bulk Email: Spam is fundamentally defined as Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE).
- Lack of Recipient Permission: The recipients' lack of permission is a core factor in defining spam.
- Potential Malicious Intent: Spam is often associated with malicious activities like phishing or malware distribution.
- User Control: Users have the ability to mark email as junk and manage blocked senders, thereby influencing spam detection.
Key considerations
- Obtain Explicit Consent: Ensure recipients explicitly consent to receive email communication to avoid being classified as spam.
- Avoid Sending Bulk Emails: Refrain from sending unsolicited bulk emails that lack personalization or relevance.
- Implement Security Measures: Employ security measures to prevent the distribution of malicious content through email.
- Provide Easy Unsubscribe Options: Offer clear and easy unsubscribe options to allow recipients to opt out of future communications.
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Regularly monitor sender reputation to identify and address potential issues affecting deliverability.
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft explains that if a user marks email as junk it goes to their junk folder and the sender is added to the blocked senders list. Senders can be manually unblocked and safe senders can be added to the safe sender list.
12 Mar 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article
Documentation from Talos Intelligence explains that spam encompasses unsolicited email, commonly sent in bulk, often for malicious purposes like phishing or malware distribution. Recipient consent is typically absent.
4 Dec 2022 - Talos Intelligence
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