The general consensus is that seed lists are valuable for monitoring email deliverability but have limitations. Including seeds in regular sends provides real-time feedback, while separate sends might not be harmful but miss that immediate insight. Seed lists offer a limited view as they don't reflect individual user behavior, and they should be one part of a comprehensive deliverability strategy. Crucial aspects include representative lists, proper authentication, and avoiding confusion with spam traps.
10 marketer opinions
The responses indicate that seed lists are a valuable tool for monitoring email deliverability across different ISPs and identifying potential issues. They provide a snapshot of inbox placement but have limitations. Seed lists should not be the sole measure of deliverability, as they don't account for individual user behavior, custom filtering rules, or engagement. It is best to use seed lists in conjunction with other deliverability tools and metrics, ensuring the seed list is representative of your target audience.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests regularly cleaning seed lists to remove inactive or problematic addresses. They also recommend monitoring seed list performance over time to identify trends and patterns.
4 Jun 2023 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that seed lists provide a snapshot of inbox placement at different ISPs but don't guarantee deliverability for all recipients. They suggest using seed lists in conjunction with other deliverability tools and metrics.
2 Aug 2023 - Email on Acid
5 expert opinions
The experts suggest a nuanced approach to seed list usage. Including seeds in regular sends offers real-time feedback on deliverability during the send process. While sending to seed lists separately might not directly harm deliverability, it may miss out on valuable insights from in-send monitoring. Ultimately, seed lists provide a limited view, as seed accounts differ from real users, and they should be integrated as one data point within a broader deliverability strategy that incorporates various tools and metrics.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise suggests seed lists are best used as a single data point in a larger deliverability strategy. Combining data from multiple deliverability tools, in addition to seed lists, will result in a more accurate outcome.
27 Sep 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that including seeds in the full send provides feedback on deliverability and inbox placement. He notes the importance of having multiple addresses at a given mailbox provider to spread them out across the send. This allows you to measure deliverability throughout the send, identifying if emails start going to spam.
12 Nov 2022 - Email Geeks
3 technical articles
The documentation emphasizes that seed lists should accurately represent your target audience across different ISPs. Avoid solely sending to seed lists for prolonged periods as it can distort deliverability metrics. It's crucial to distinguish seed lists from spam traps, as engaging with spam traps can severely harm your sender reputation. Proper email authentication is also a critical factor, as inaccurate seed list results may stem from incorrect configuration.
Technical article
Documentation from Google explains that it is important to authenticate your email. Seed list results may vary if authentication is not configured correctly.
14 Aug 2021 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article
Documentation from SendGrid warns against confusing seed lists with spam traps. They emphasize that seed lists are controlled accounts used for monitoring, while spam traps are designed to catch spammers. Sending to spam traps can severely damage your sender reputation.
24 Jul 2022 - SendGrid
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