Managing bounced, unsubscribed, and spam-complaint users in email marketing involves a multi-faceted approach to ensure optimal deliverability, legal compliance, and positive user experience. Hard bounces should be immediately removed from the mailing list, while soft bounces can be retried. Unsubscribed users and those who have marked emails as spam should be immediately suppressed, with permanent records kept to avoid legal repercussions. Email providers prioritize user happiness, so consent is critical. Techniques like double opt-in, preference centers, and segmentation help reduce unsubscribes and spam complaints. Regular list cleaning and sunset policies for inactive users further improve deliverability. Technical implementations include accurate bounce messages, List-Unsubscribe headers, and feedback loops. PII should be minimized in suppression lists, and companies should consult legal teams regarding data retention policies.
12 marketer opinions
Managing bounced, unsubscribed, and spam-complaint users in email marketing involves several key practices to maintain a healthy sender reputation, comply with regulations, and improve deliverability. Hard bounces should be immediately removed, while soft bounces can be retried. Unsubscribes and spam complaints necessitate immediate suppression from future mailings. Maintaining records of suppressed users is crucial, but PII risks need consideration. Double opt-in, preference centers, and segmentation help reduce unsubscribes and complaints. Regular list cleaning and sunset policies for inactive users further enhance deliverability. Legal consultation may be necessary regarding data retention policies.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Sinch Email (formerly Email on Acid) shares that using double opt-in can reduce bounce rates and spam complaints, as it ensures that subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails.
16 Oct 2024 - Sinch Email
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus responds that implementing a sunset policy to stop emailing inactive subscribers after a certain period can improve engagement metrics and overall deliverability.
24 May 2024 - Litmus
6 expert opinions
Effectively managing bounced, unsubscribed, and spam-complaint users requires careful attention to detail and adherence to best practices. For unsubscribes, maintaining a permanent record is crucial to avoid legal repercussions. When processing bounces, differentiate between hard and soft bounces, removing hard bounces immediately. While a few unsubscribe-resubscribe events are generally inconsequential, prioritize user happiness and consent. Data formats for suppression lists should minimize PII exposure, and operational and legal needs should guide data retention policies.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that when processing bounces, make sure you’re handling both hard bounces and soft bounces appropriately. Hard bounces should be immediately removed from the list while soft bounces may warrant a retry or two before permanent removal.
5 May 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests using a data format for suppression lists that prevents sending emails based on the data and doesn't contain PII, such as hashes, instead of subscriber list-like formats.
5 Nov 2022 - Email Geeks
4 technical articles
Effectively managing bounces, unsubscribes, and spam complaints involves technical implementations and monitoring. Accurate bounce messages (Delivery Status Notifications) from SMTP servers are essential for automated bounce processing. Monitoring spam rates via Google Postmaster Tools helps identify and address issues affecting deliverability. Implementing List-Unsubscribe headers facilitates easy unsubscribing for recipients. Using feedback loops allows for automatic removal of users who mark emails as spam.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC 5321 explains that SMTP servers should provide accurate bounce messages (Delivery Status Notifications) to inform senders of delivery failures, allowing for automated bounce processing.
17 Nov 2023 - RFC 5321
Technical article
Documentation from IETF RFC 8058 responds that implementing List-Unsubscribe headers (both mailto: and HTTP) is a best practice to allow recipients to easily unsubscribe from mailing lists, improving user experience and sender reputation.
20 Aug 2021 - IETF RFC 8058
Are abuse reports and feedback loops (FBLs) still useful in email marketing, and how do they work with different email clients?
Do email unsubscribes negatively affect sender reputation?
Do spam complaints from different email domains have different weights in deliverability?
How are email bounce rates calculated and what is considered a good bounce rate?
How can I accurately monitor complaint rates for email marketing using Google Postmaster Tools, Yahoo FBL, and my ESP?
How do DMARC, spam complaints, and IP reputation affect email deliverability and rejections?