Identifying and resolving MIME encoding issues in List-Unsubscribe headers requires a multifaceted approach. Improper MIME conversion can be identified by specific patterns like '=?us-ascii?Q?=3C' at the start of the header. Gmail may alter headers, necessitating verification outside of Gmail. Adhering to RFC standards and ensuring DKIM signatures cover List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post is vital. Python's `email.header` and GNU's `iconv` provide tools for decoding and character set conversion. Ensure UTF-8 encoding, correct character set declarations, and test across multiple email clients. Header preview tools and online MIME decoders can aid in analysis. MIME encoding should be used for international characters, following RFC specifications.
9 marketer opinions
Identifying and resolving MIME encoding issues in List-Unsubscribe headers involves several steps. First, recognize MIME encoding by looking for '=?' markers in the header value. If decoding is needed, utilize Python's `email.header.decode_header` or online MIME decoder tools. Ensure the email sending platform uses UTF-8 encoding and that character set declarations are correct. Email clients may handle MIME encoding differently, so test across multiple clients. Tools are available to preview headers in different clients, highlighting errors. Using UTF-8 consistently helps prevent issues.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Elastic Email explains that using UTF-8 encoding helps prevent MIME issues. They suggest making sure your content and email settings are set up to support UTF-8 from start to finish for best results.
11 Feb 2024 - Elastic Email
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Deliverability Blog advises checking the encoding settings of your email sending platform. Ensure that the platform is configured to use UTF-8 encoding to prevent MIME encoding issues in headers.
12 Feb 2022 - Email Deliverability Blog
5 expert opinions
Identifying and resolving MIME encoding issues in List-Unsubscribe headers involves recognizing improper MIME conversion (indicated by '=?us-ascii?Q?=3C' at the start), understanding Gmail's potential header manipulation, and ensuring DKIM signatures cover List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post headers as per RFC 8058. Proper adherence to RFC standards and ensuring email clients can decode headers are also crucial.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks states that List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post must be covered by a DKIM signature to comply with RFC 8058.
20 Dec 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that to ensure proper handling of List-Unsubscribe headers, it's crucial to adhere to RFC standards, particularly when implementing MIME encoding. Ensure that the encoding is correctly applied and that email clients can properly decode the header.
12 Mar 2022 - Spam Resource
5 technical articles
MIME encoding in email headers, as defined by RFCs, uses 'encoded-words' to represent characters outside the US-ASCII range. These are delimited by '=?' and '?=' and include the character set, encoding scheme (Q or B), and encoded text. RFCs specify rules for their use and structure. Python's `email.header` module and GNU's `iconv` provide tools for decoding and converting character sets. Encoding international characters in headers using MIME ensures proper display across different email clients.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor details the rules for using encoded-words in message headers, including restrictions on where they can appear and how they must be structured. It also describes the 'Q' and 'B' encoding schemes.
13 Aug 2022 - RFC Editor
Technical article
Documentation from GNU answers states that GNU provides tools such as 'iconv' for character set conversion. This tool can be used to convert text from one encoding to another, which can be helpful in resolving MIME encoding issues.
18 Apr 2023 - GNU
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