Summary
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.
Key findings
- Real-time Feedback: Including seed lists in regular sends provides immediate feedback on deliverability.
- Limited User View: Seed lists don't fully represent individual user behavior or custom filtering.
- Comprehensive Strategy: Seed lists should be part of a broader deliverability strategy alongside other metrics.
- No inherent Harm: Sending to seed lists separately might not cause harm, particularly in low volumes, but loses immediate feedback.
- Skewed Results: Sending exclusively to seed lists for extended periods skews results.
Key considerations
- Representation: Ensure seed lists accurately represent your target audience and ISP distribution.
- Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for accurate results.
- Spam Trap Avoidance: Avoid sending to spam traps, which can severely damage your sender reputation.
- Data Integration: Combine seed list data with other deliverability metrics for a complete picture.
- List Maintenance: Regularly clean seed lists to remove inactive or problematic addresses.
What email marketers say
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.
Key opinions
- Deliverability Monitoring: Seed lists help monitor deliverability and identify issues early across different ISPs.
- Inbox Placement Snapshot: Seed lists provide a snapshot of inbox placement at different ISPs.
- Limited Scope: Seed lists do not guarantee deliverability for all recipients and don't account for individual user behavior or custom filters.
- Comprehensive Analysis: Combining seed list data with other metrics provides a more comprehensive analysis.
- Timing Matters: The timing of when seeds are sent and the non-engagement of seeds are important data points to consider.
Key considerations
- Representativeness: Ensure the seed list is representative of your target audience.
- Data Points: Seed lists provide a data point, and shouldn't be the only tool used when ensuring deliverability.
- Regular Cleaning: Regularly clean seed lists to remove inactive or problematic addresses.
- Internal vs External: Consider if you should use both internal and external lists.
- Overall Picture: View deliverability data points as moments in time and emphasizing the importance of seeing the overall picture.
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
What the experts say
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.
Key opinions
- In-Send Feedback: Including seeds in regular sends provides real-time feedback on deliverability and inbox placement as the send progresses.
- Limited Harm Potential: Sending to seed lists separately is unlikely to directly and significantly harm deliverability, especially if the volume is low.
- Limited View: Seed lists offer a limited view of deliverability because seed accounts behave differently than real users and don't reflect individual filtering preferences.
- Data Point: Seed lists are best used as one data point among many in a comprehensive deliverability strategy.
Key considerations
- Monitoring During Send: Consider the value of monitoring deliverability during a regular send versus isolating seed list sends.
- Deliverability Strategy: Integrate seed list data with other deliverability metrics and tools for a more accurate assessment.
- User Behavior: Remember that seed list results don't fully represent real user behavior and filtering.
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
What the documentation says
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.
Key findings
- Representative Sample: Seed lists should mirror your target audience and be distributed across various ISPs.
- Avoid Exclusive Sending: Sending exclusively to seed lists for extended durations can skew deliverability metrics.
- Seed Lists vs. Spam Traps: Seed lists are controlled monitoring accounts, while spam traps are designed to catch spammers; avoid confusing the two.
- Authentication: Email authentication must be properly configured for accurate seed list results.
Key considerations
- Audience Representation: Ensure your seed list accurately represents your target audience in terms of ISP distribution and other relevant factors.
- Balanced Approach: Avoid over-relying on seed list data; use it in conjunction with other deliverability metrics.
- Spam Trap Awareness: Be vigilant about avoiding spam traps, as they can significantly damage your sender reputation.
- Authentication Setup: Verify that your email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is correctly configured.
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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