Summary
The question of whether to resend a confirmation email if the recipient doesn't respond to the first one is a nuanced one in email deliverability. While some argue that a second attempt can boost conversions by capturing genuinely interested but busy recipients, others caution against potential negative impacts on sender reputation and compliance with anti-spam regulations. The consensus leans towards a cautious, data-driven approach, often favoring a single re-send for specific scenarios, such as when the initial email might have been missed or if an incentive is offered. It is crucial to distinguish between transactional confirmations and marketing opt-ins, as regulatory requirements and recipient expectations differ.
Key findings
- Boost conversions: A second confirmation email can yield additional sign-ups or sales, indicating that some recipients genuinely missed the first email or needed an extra nudge.
- Recipient intent: Lack of response may not always mean disinterest; recipients could be busy, or the email might have landed in spam or been overlooked.
- Testing is key: It is often recommended to test the impact of a second send, especially if the initial email did not bounce, to gauge effectiveness without risking deliverability.
- Compliance varies: Anti-spam laws like CAN-SPAM or CASL do not explicitly forbid re-sending confirmation emails, but the underlying principle of consent remains paramount.
Key considerations
- Recipient consent: Ensure that sending a second confirmation request does not imply adding an unconfirmed recipient to a provisional mailing list without explicit consent, which could violate regulations.
- Identify validity: Before any re-send, remove email addresses that generated hard bounces to protect your sender reputation. For more on this, see our guide on resending emails to hard bounces.
- Timing and frequency: If re-sending, do so after a reasonable delay (e.g., 24-72 hours) and limit it to a single follow-up to avoid appearing aggressive or spammy. Consider best practices for resending emails to non-openers.
- Incentivize action: Including a clear incentive in the confirmation email, such as a discount or valuable content, can significantly improve click-through rates for both initial and re-sent messages.
- Bot protection: Ensure your sign-up forms have robust bot protection to prevent fraudulent sign-ups that could lead to complaints if confirmation emails are repeatedly sent to invalid addresses. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides guidance on CAN-SPAM Act compliance.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often find themselves weighing the potential for increased engagement against the risks of being perceived as intrusive when considering re-sending confirmation emails. Many lean towards a pragmatic approach, recognizing that a single follow-up can be beneficial, particularly if it helps to convert genuinely interested subscribers who may have overlooked the initial message. However, there is a strong emphasis on maintaining good list hygiene and ensuring that any re-send adheres to best practices and avoids alienating recipients or triggering spam filters.
Key opinions
- Second attempts can be valid: Many marketers believe a second confirmation attempt is a valid strategy, especially if the first email didn't bounce, as recipients might have simply missed it.
- Conversion benefits: Some report significant improvements in confirmation rates and subsequent sales from sending a second confirmation email.
- Win-back scenarios: The idea of a second or third send is more commonly accepted for re-engagement or 'win-back' campaigns for dormant subscribers than for initial sign-up confirmations.
- Perception of provisional lists: Most users are aware that signing up might place them on a provisional list, making a second reminder generally acceptable in this context.
Key considerations
- Audience behavior: Consider your audience's typical email habits and the urgency of the confirmation. Waiting 3-5 business days before a follow-up is a common recommendation for general follow-ups, as advised by Exclaimer.
- Risk of complaints: Repeated sending to unconfirmed addresses, especially if the sign-up form is compromised by bots, can lead to increased complaints and damage your sender reputation. This risk is explored in topics like risks of resending email confirmations.
- Value proposition: If a recipient ignores the first confirmation, adding an incentive (e.g., a discount or exclusive content) to the second email can motivate them to complete the process.
- Context matters: The permissibility of a re-send often depends on whether there's an existing interaction or clear intent from the user (e.g., signing up via a website popup versus a cold email). For follow-up emails in general, Ignition recommends gentle reminders.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks notes that several of their clients send follow-up confirmation requests without issue. The only problems observed were when client forms were compromised by bots, leading to complaint generation. Otherwise, the practice has not caused problems.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks finds that a second confirmation email sent 24 hours later yields a click-through rate of approximately 6-8%. This additional engagement translates into worthwhile sales, making the re-send a valuable strategy for their business.
What the experts say
From an expert standpoint, the decision to resend a confirmation email is largely contextual. While there's a general caution about over-sending, especially to unconfirmed addresses, many experts acknowledge that a strategic, single re-send can be acceptable under specific conditions. Key factors include the timeliness of the initial send, the presence of bot sign-ups, and whether the recipient had any prior interaction or clear intent to subscribe. Experts emphasize that such practices should always be data-driven, with careful monitoring of engagement and deliverability metrics to ensure positive outcomes.
Key opinions
- Context dependency: The viability of a re-send heavily depends on the scenario, such as whether confirmations are sent in batches or if the initial email was delivered in near real-time.
- Recipient expectation: Experts suggest that people are not naive and often assume they will be placed on a provisional list after signing up, making a second reminder generally acceptable.
- Apathy vs. missed message: If a confirmation was not clicked, it could indicate either a missed email or apathy; understanding the reason helps determine if a re-send is appropriate.
- Incentives can help: Offering value, like a product activation code, a PDF report, or a discount code, within the confirmation email can significantly increase engagement.
Key considerations
- Remove invalids: Always remove invalid email addresses after the first attempt to prevent bounces and protect your sender reputation when considering a second send.
- Monitor engagement: Continuously monitor the results of any re-sends. If unconfirmed recipients are receiving offers or content without confirming, it could suggest a vulnerability in your sign-up process that needs to be secured.
- Consent clarification: While CASL (Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation) doesn't mandate confirmed opt-in (COI), it requires either implied or express consent. Sending a second confirmation to a previously uncontacted email address, as highlighted by EmailKarma's CRTC Infographic on Consent, could be interpreted differently depending on the context.
- Link validity: Consider how long confirmation links should remain valid. If they expire too quickly, a re-send might be necessary for those who become busy and revisit later. This impacts scenarios such as resending emails after outages.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks believes that trying a second confirmation email can be a valid approach. However, they emphasize the importance of removing any invalid email addresses after the first attempt to maintain list hygiene and protect sender reputation.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks advises that if a confirmed opt-in (COI) message did not bounce and was not clicked, it likely landed in a place where the recipient could have found it if they genuinely cared. Therefore, senders should proceed with caution when considering a re-send.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and research generally underscore the importance of clear communication and adherence to consent principles for all email campaigns, including confirmation emails. While not always explicitly addressing re-sending, the underlying guidance emphasizes minimizing unsolicited communication to maintain a positive sender reputation and comply with regulations. They highlight that email delivery failures or unresponsiveness can stem from various technical or recipient-related issues, suggesting that a lack of initial response doesn't always indicate disinterest, but also underscore the recipient's right to control what emails they receive.
Key findings
- Regulatory compliance: Laws like CAN-SPAM set rules for commercial email, focusing on explicit consent and the right for recipients to stop receiving messages, which is paramount when considering re-sends.
- Delivery issues: An initial email might fail to be delivered due to various reasons, making a re-send potentially necessary to ensure the message reaches its intended recipient.
- Confirmation purpose: Confirmation emails serve to inform recipients of successful actions (e.g., subscription, receipt of results) and often include links for further interaction, which a re-send could reinforce.
- Recipient behavior: A lack of response can stem from recipients being busy, having a full inbox, or simply overlooking the email, rather than a lack of interest.
Key considerations
- Clear communication: Ensure that the purpose of the confirmation email is clear and concise, as outlined in guides for confirmation email best practices.
- Distinguish email types: The rules for re-sending may differ between transactional emails (e.g., order confirmations) and marketing-related confirmation requests. For example, follow-up surveys are often considered transactional.
- Technical issues: Understand that an email failing to send can be due to various reasons, as described by Mailgun's guide to email delivery failures, suggesting that a re-send might solve a technical rather than an engagement problem.
- Drip campaigns: For ongoing engagement, consider setting up drip campaigns with automated follow-up emails, as suggested by LeadSquared, rather than manual re-sends for confirmations.
Technical article
Documentation from the FTC regarding the CAN-SPAM Act states that this law sets rules for commercial email messages. It establishes requirements for these messages and grants recipients the right to have senders cease sending them emails.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailgun explains that an email failure message, such as "email not deliverable," means exactly what it says: the email cannot currently be delivered. They clarify that while understanding delivery failures can be complex, this message directly indicates a delivery issue.
Related resources
11 resources
Related pages
What are the best practices for resending emails to non-openers?
What are the risks of resending email confirmations to unconfirmed addresses?
Should you resend emails to hard bounces, and how are hard and soft bounces defined?
How to re-engage inactive email subscribers and when should you stop sending?
Will sending identical emails flag as spam?
Should I resend emails that hard bounced during the Gmail outage?
Are follow-up surveys considered transactional emails and what are the best practices?
Why Your Emails Are Going to Spam in 2024 and How to Fix It
A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
Email Deliverability Issues: Getting Your Messages to the Inbox in 2025
