Summary
When a pristine spam trap opens an email, it's a strong indication of unethical list acquisition practices, such as scraping or purchasing lists, and it's a major red flag for deliverability. Spamhaus uses these traps to identify and block spammers, potentially leading to blacklisting. Legitimate addresses can become recycled spam traps when mailbox providers convert abandoned or inactive accounts. These addresses, along with 'typo spam traps' created by form validation errors, can damage sender reputation if targeted. To avoid spam traps, it's crucial to practice good list hygiene, including using double opt-in, regularly removing unengaged subscribers, validating email addresses, and monitoring bounce rates. Remember that an email open does not equal consent, emphasizing the importance of explicit permission.
Key findings
- Pristine Trap = Unethical Acquisition: An email open from a pristine spam trap signals unethical list acquisition practices like scraping or buying lists.
- Recycled Addresses Become Traps: Legitimate addresses become recycled spam traps when mailbox providers repurpose abandoned or inactive accounts.
- Typo Traps Exist: Typos in email addresses entered on forms can create 'typo spam traps' when forms lack proper validation.
- Open ≠ Permission: An email open does not equate to the recipient granting permission to receive emails.
- Spamhaus Blocks Spammers: Spamhaus uses spam traps to identify and block spammers, which can result in blacklisting and deliverability problems.
Key considerations
- Prioritize List Hygiene: Maintain strict list hygiene practices, including regular cleaning and validation, to reduce the risk of hitting spam traps.
- Implement Double Opt-In: Use double opt-in to ensure recipients genuinely consent to receiving emails and to minimize the chance of spam complaints.
- Monitor Engagement and Bounces: Monitor subscriber engagement and bounce rates to identify and remove inactive or problematic addresses from your list.
- Validate Email Input: Implement email address validation on forms to prevent typo spam traps from entering your list.
- Obtain Explicit Consent: Always obtain explicit consent from recipients before sending emails to comply with regulations and maintain a positive sender reputation.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
When a spam trap opens an email, it's a strong signal that the sender's email list is problematic, often indicating unethical list acquisition practices like scraping or purchasing lists. Pristine spam traps identify senders using such methods. Legitimate addresses can become recycled spam traps through abandonment and subsequent repurposing by mailbox providers. Hitting these traps signifies poor list hygiene and can damage sender reputation, leading to deliverability issues and blacklisting. To avoid spam traps, marketers should prioritize list hygiene by using double opt-in, regularly removing unengaged subscribers, validating email addresses, and monitoring bounce rates and unsubscribes.
Key opinions
- Spam Trap Opens = Bad List: An email open from a spam trap indicates the sender likely acquired email addresses unethically.
- Pristine vs Recycled: Pristine spam traps are new addresses, while recycled spam traps are previously legitimate addresses repurposed after a period of inactivity.
- COI/DOI Still Susceptible: Even addresses obtained through Confirmed Opt-In (COI) or Double Opt-In (DOI) can become recycled spam traps.
- Damaged Reputation: Hitting spam traps negatively impacts sender reputation, potentially leading to blacklisting and deliverability problems.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene: Implement rigorous list hygiene practices, including regular cleaning and validation, to minimize the risk of hitting spam traps.
- Double Opt-In: Use double opt-in to ensure recipients genuinely consent to receive emails.
- Engagement Monitoring: Monitor engagement metrics and remove unengaged subscribers to prevent legitimate addresses from becoming recycled spam traps.
- Proactive Management: Take a proactive approach to email list management to maintain a healthy sender reputation and ensure optimal deliverability.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Constant Contact shares that if a spam trap opens an email, it's a strong indicator of poor list quality and can severely damage your sender reputation and deliverability. This is due to spam traps indicating the address has come from a purchased/harvested email list.
14 Mar 2022 - Constant Contact
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that hitting a spam trap can negatively impact your sender reputation, leading to lower deliverability rates and potentially getting blacklisted. This emphasizes the importance of proactive list management.
31 May 2023 - HubSpot
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Spam traps are identified as pristine or recycled addresses. Pristine spam traps are fake email addresses never used by real users and used to catch spammers. Recycled spam traps are legitimate addresses that have been abandoned and repurposed. Email opens from spam traps, especially pristine ones, are a major red flag. Even with proper opt-in, poor list hygiene can lead to legitimate addresses becoming spam traps, due to a lack of maintenance and validation. It's important to note that an email open does not automatically mean there was explicit permission granted by the recipient.
Key opinions
- Pristine vs. Recycled Spam Traps: Pristine spam traps are fake addresses, while recycled spam traps are repurposed legitimate addresses.
- Open ≠ Permission: An email open does not equate to the recipient giving explicit permission to be emailed.
- List Hygiene Matters: Even with opt-in, poor list maintenance can result in legitimate addresses becoming spam traps.
- Several Reasons for Hitting Traps: Several reasons can contribute to hitting spam traps, including list scraping, purchasing lists, or poor list hygiene.
Key considerations
- Validate Email Addresses: Routinely validate email addresses on your list to avoid sending to spam traps.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Implement proper list hygiene practices, including regular cleaning and validation.
- Obtain Explicit Permission: Ensure you have explicit permission from recipients before sending emails.
- Understand Spam Trap Types: Be aware of the different types of spam traps and how they operate.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that hitting spam traps can be due to various reasons, including list scraping, purchasing lists, or poor list hygiene. She emphasizes that even legitimate addresses can become traps if they are not properly maintained and validated.
28 Dec 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource answers questions about the different types of spam traps that are generally categorised by Pristine and Recycled. Pristine spam traps are addresses that have never been used by real users so are automatically considered bad. Recycled addresses have been used previously however have now been converted to spam traps.
1 Sep 2023 - Spamresource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Spam traps are used by organizations like Spamhaus to identify and block spammers, leading to blacklisting and deliverability issues. Email addresses become recycled spam traps when mailbox providers convert abandoned or inactive addresses. There are also 'typo spam traps' caused by lack of validation on email input forms. Sending to these recycled addresses, or those with typos, indicates poor list hygiene and damages sender reputation.
Key findings
- Spamhaus Use: Spamhaus uses spam traps to identify and block spammers, resulting in blacklisting.
- Recycled Addresses: Mailbox providers convert abandoned/inactive addresses into recycled spam traps.
- Typo Traps: Lack of validation on email input forms leads to typo spam traps.
- Poor Hygiene = Damage: Sending to recycled addresses or those with typos indicates poor list hygiene and damages sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Clean Email Lists: Maintain clean email lists to avoid Spamhaus traps.
- Address Validation: Validate email addresses on input forms to avoid typo spam traps.
- Engagement Monitoring: Monitor subscriber engagement and remove inactive addresses.
- Reputation Management: Implement strong list hygiene practices to protect sender reputation.
Technical article
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that Spamhaus uses spam traps to identify and block spammers. Hitting a Spamhaus spam trap results in listing on their blocklists, impacting email deliverability. They outline various types of spam traps, including pristine and recycled traps, and emphasize the importance of clean email lists to avoid them.
30 May 2022 - Spamhaus
Technical article
Documentation from Return Path (now Validity) explained that ISPs recycle email addresses that have been inactive for an extended period. These addresses are converted into spam traps. Sending to these recycled addresses indicates poor list hygiene and can damage sender reputation.
11 Oct 2021 - Return Path
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