Summary
Whether a spam report from a 3rd party email app reaches the mailbox provider is variable. Desktop clients generally only affect the local machine unless tightly integrated with the mail service. Some services monitor IMAP moves, though unreliably. Feedback Loops (FBLs) forward complaints, but most services don't send FBL reports. There is a reporting gap so trends should be analyzed, not absolutes. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple Mail utilize spam reports to refine filters. ARF is a standard format for reporting abuse. 3rd party clients might send reports to the mailbox provider. High complaint rates (>0.1%) damage sender reputation. Maintaining clean lists, handling bounces, and proper DNS configuration are crucial. AWS SES can automate spam report handling. The impact from 3rd party clients depends on their integration and agreements with the provider, but webmail interfaces (Gmail/Yahoo) see the most reporting activity.
Key findings
- Desktop Client Impact: Desktop email clients primarily affect local spam filtering; however, depending on integration the spam report may be sent to the mailbox provider.
- FBL Limitations: While Feedback Loops (FBLs) are the mechanisms used to report spam, most mail services do not send them.
- Reporting Inconsistencies: A consistent gap in spam reporting is present; meaning reports must be analyzed as trends, not absolutes.
- Provider Filtering: Major providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo utilize spam reports to train and improve their spam filters.
- ARF Standard: Abuse Reporting Format (ARF) provides a standardized abuse/spam reporting format.
- Sender Reputation: High spam complaint rates negatively impact sender reputation, affecting deliverability.
- Clean List Importance: Maintaining a clean email list and proper bounce handling are essential for reducing spam complaints.
- Threshold for Complaint Rates: Complaint rates exceeding 0.1% can significantly harm deliverability.
- Webmail vs 3rd Party Apps: Most spam reporting activity happens in webmail interfaces (Gmail/Yahoo) but impact of 3rd party apps reporting varies based on their agreements and integration with the provider.
Key considerations
- Email Client: Know which email client that your recipient is using and if they send reports to the mailbox provider.
- Feedback Loop: Setup Feedback Loops to properly receive notifications about spam reports.
- Trend Analysis: Use spam reports as trends to help improve email deliverability.
- Reputation Monitoring: Understand and monitor your sender reputation to avoid issues that affect deliverability.
- Cleaning: Remove unengaged users and those that report spam to improve sender reputation.
- Complaint Rate: Keep an eye on complaint rates to ensure that the complaint rate is under 0.1% to improve deliverability.
What email marketers say
8 marketer opinions
When users report spam through third-party email apps, the spam complaints may or may not reach the mailbox provider. Feedback Loops (FBLs) are the mechanism by which mailbox providers share spam complaint data with senders, allowing them to improve their email practices. Mailbox providers analyze spam reports to refine their filtering algorithms and may direct emails from senders with high complaint rates to the spam folder automatically. Maintaining a low spam complaint rate is crucial for sender reputation. Apple Mail allows users to report spam, and this data is used to improve filtering, possibly shared with mailbox providers. Maintaining a clean email list and sending only to engaged subscribers reduces spam complaints. Third-party email clients can collect spam reports and send them to the mailbox provider. Handling bounces, including spam reports, and setting up infrastructure for processing them is essential. Using services like AWS SES can automate spam report handling. Setting up DNS records to verify the domain helps prevent spam.
Key opinions
- Feedback Loops (FBLs): FBLs are essential for senders to receive spam complaint data from mailbox providers.
- Filtering Algorithms: Mailbox providers use spam reports to refine their filtering algorithms.
- Sender Reputation: High spam complaint rates negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability.
- Apple Mail: Apple Mail allows spam reporting and may share data with mailbox providers.
- Clean Email List: Maintaining a clean email list reduces spam complaints.
- Third-Party Clients: Third-party email clients can forward spam reports to mailbox providers.
- Bounce Handling: Handling bounces, including spam reports, is crucial for maintaining deliverability.
- AWS SES: Services like AWS SES can automate spam report handling.
- DNS Records: Setting up DNS records helps prevent spam.
Key considerations
- FBL Setup: Ensure Feedback Loops are properly set up to receive and process spam complaints.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists to remove inactive subscribers and reduce spam complaints.
- Sender Reputation Monitoring: Monitor sender reputation to identify and address issues affecting deliverability.
- Third-Party Client Reporting: Understand how third-party email clients handle spam reporting and their impact on deliverability.
- DNS Configuration: Properly configure DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to authenticate emails and prevent spam.
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailToolTester explains that 3rd party email clients can collect spam reports and send that to the mailbox provider. So if a user uses Apple mail on their Gmail account, the spam reports may be sent to Google.
30 Jun 2024 - EmailToolTester
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that maintaining a clean email list and regularly removing inactive or disengaged subscribers can help reduce spam complaints. Sending emails only to users who actively want to receive them lowers the likelihood of being marked as spam and improves sender reputation.
8 Dec 2023 - HubSpot
What the experts say
8 expert opinions
When users report spam in third-party email apps, the complaint may or may not reach the mailbox provider. Marking an email as spam in a desktop client generally only affects the local junk folder. Closer integration between a mail client and service (run by the same entity) may trigger server-side spam report actions. Some mail services monitor IMAP moves to the junk folder, but this is not a reliable data source. Feedback Loop (FBL) reports are a courtesy, and most mail services don't send them. There's a general gap in spam complaint reporting, and reports should be treated as trends. Complaints are registered via FBLs, which forward complaints to the sender. Complaint rates exceeding 0.1% can cause delivery problems. Spam reporting mostly happens in webmail interfaces, and the impact of third-party clients depends on their integration with the provider.
Key opinions
- Desktop Client Limitations: Marking spam in desktop clients generally only affects the local machine.
- Integrated Systems: Closely integrated mail clients and services may trigger server-side spam actions.
- IMAP Monitoring: Monitoring IMAP moves to junk folders is unreliable.
- FBLs are Limited: Most mail services don't send FBL reports.
- Reporting Gaps: There is a gap in spam complaint reporting.
- Complaint Registration: Complaints are registered via Feedback Loops (FBLs).
- Complaint Rate Threshold: Complaint rates over 0.1% cause delivery problems.
- Webmail Dominance: Spam reporting mostly happens in webmail interfaces.
- Third-Party Integration: Impact of third-party client reports depends on integration with the provider.
Key considerations
- Client Type: Consider the type of email client being used, as desktop clients have limitations.
- Service Integration: Understand how tightly integrated the mail client is with the service.
- FBL Reliance: Don't rely solely on FBLs for spam complaint data.
- Complaint Rate Monitoring: Monitor complaint rates to stay below the 0.1% threshold.
- Third-Party Client Support: Determine if third-party email clients are forwarding reports to the mailbox provider
- Trend Analysis: Treat spam reports as trends rather than absolutes due to reporting gaps.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that the majority of spam reporting happens within the webmail interfaces of providers like Gmail or Yahoo. However, some third-party email clients (like Outlook or Apple Mail) also offer spam reporting functionality. Whether these third-party reports directly impact the provider depends on the integration and agreements between the app and the provider. Some may, others may not.
1 Jan 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks mentions that some mail services watch for IMAP moves to and from a junk folder and take some action based on that, but those moves are often _not_ triggered by the user, so it’s not really a reliable source of data.
21 Sep 2021 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
When users report spam in email apps like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo, this information is used by the mailbox providers to improve their spam filters, identify and block similar emails in the future, reduce the volume of unsolicited emails, and improve the overall user experience. A standard format for reporting email abuse, including spam, is the Abuse Reporting Format (ARF), where an email client can generate an ARF report and send it to a designated email address for analysis and action. Spam reports contribute to the sender's reputation, impacting future deliverability.
Key findings
- Gmail Spam Filters: Gmail uses spam reports to improve its spam filters and block similar emails.
- Outlook Junk Email: Outlook uses spam reports to improve its junk email filters and identify/block future messages.
- Abuse Reporting Format (ARF): ARF is a standard format for reporting email abuse, including spam, for analysis and action.
- Yahoo Spam Filters: Reporting spam helps improve Yahoo's spam filters and reduces unsolicited emails.
- Sender Reputation: Spam reports contribute to the sender's reputation and impact future deliverability.
Key considerations
- Filter Improvement: Understand that spam reports are used to improve email filtering mechanisms.
- Format Standardization: Consider using Abuse Reporting Format (ARF) for standardized reporting of email abuse.
- Impact on Sender: Be aware that spam reports affect a sender's reputation and future deliverability.
- Feedback Loops: Implement and monitor feedback loops to respond effectively to spam complaints.
- User Reporting: Encourage users to report spam to help improve email filtering for all.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support explains that when a user marks an email as spam in Gmail, Google uses this information to improve its spam filters. This helps Gmail identify and block similar emails in the future, protecting users from unwanted or malicious content. This feedback also contributes to the sender's reputation; a high spam complaint rate can negatively impact future deliverability.
22 Nov 2022 - Google Support
Technical article
Documentation from Yahoo support shares that reporting spam helps improve Yahoo's spam filters. It reduces the volume of unsolicited emails. The spam filter automatically learns from user input.
19 Dec 2024 - Yahoo Support
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