How do LiveIntent ads in emails affect deliverability and user experience?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 2 Aug 2025
Updated 16 Aug 2025
6 min read
Integrating third-party advertising, like LiveIntent ads, into email newsletters has become a popular strategy for publishers to monetize their content. The promise of dynamic, personalized ad delivery sounds appealing, offering a new revenue stream without the need for hard-coding static advertisements.
However, with any external content introduced into emails, questions naturally arise about its impact on crucial aspects like email deliverability and the overall user experience. My goal is to explore these effects, drawing on observations and industry insights to provide a comprehensive understanding of how LiveIntent ads function within the email ecosystem and what that means for your sending practices.
How LiveIntent ads work in email
LiveIntent is a platform that enables advertisers to place programmatic display ads directly within email newsletters. Unlike traditional banner ads that are hard-coded into an email template, LiveIntent ads are delivered dynamically. When a subscriber opens an email, a request is sent to the LiveIntent ad server, which then serves a relevant advertisement in real-time.
This dynamic serving mechanism allows for personalization based on user data, enabling more targeted and potentially effective advertising. For publishers, it means a streamlined process for managing ad inventory and a new way to monetize email newsletters without constant manual updates to ad creative. It's designed to integrate seamlessly, making the ads appear as a natural part of the content.
The integration typically involves embedding a small HTML snippet or tag into your email template. This tag acts as a placeholder that calls the LiveIntent server at the moment of email open, pulling in the appropriate ad creative. This approach differs significantly from embedding static images directly.
This code snippet demonstrates a simplified example of how a LiveIntent ad might be embedded. The src attribute points to LiveIntent's server, which dynamically serves the ad image when the email is opened.
Deliverability implications
When considering the impact on deliverability, a primary concern is the potential for external HTTP requests and email tracking pixels. While LiveIntent's system is designed for efficiency, any third-party content carries inherent risks. Mailbox providers (MBPs) closely monitor external calls, especially those that might indicate excessive tracking or unusual content loading, which could potentially trigger spam filters.
However, LiveIntent itself often states that their ads typically do not significantly impact deliverability, provided publishers do not overload newsletters with ad units. This suggests that the number and placement of ads, rather than the technology itself, is the critical factor. Too many external requests, or requests to servers with poor reputations, could potentially raise red flags with MBPs, leading to emails landing in the spam folder or on a blocklist (or blacklist).
Another consideration is how these ads affect loading times and email weight. While dynamic ads are optimized, they still add to the overall data load. If ads are slow to render, or if the email becomes too heavy due to multiple ad units and other images, it could lead to email clipping or a degraded experience, indirectly signaling lower engagement to MBPs. It is important to remember that all parts of the email affect deliverability, including images in emails, HTML structure, and hyperlinks.
Potential deliverability challenges
External requests: Multiple calls to third-party servers can be flagged by ISPs as suspicious behavior, impacting your domain reputation.
Tracking pixels: These are often used in dynamic ads to track opens, which some MBPs may view with scrutiny, especially if they are perceived as overly intrusive or obfuscated.
Loading speed and size: If dynamic ads cause emails to load slowly or exceed size limits, it can affect recipient engagement metrics, leading to poorer inbox placement.
Complaint rates: If users perceive ads as spammy or irrelevant, it can lead to increased spam complaints, directly harming deliverability.
How LiveIntent addresses this
Optimized delivery: LiveIntent's infrastructure is built for high-speed, real-time ad serving, minimizing latency that could affect email loading.
Reputable domains: As a recognized advertising platform, LiveIntent generally maintains a strong sender reputation, reducing the likelihood of their ad servers being blacklisted (or blocklisted) by ISPs.
Publisher control: They emphasize that deliverability impact is minimal as long as publishers avoid overwhelming newsletters with excessive ad units.
Native integration: The ads are designed to blend seamlessly with email templates, aiming for a less intrusive appearance.
User experience considerations
The user experience (UX) is where the direct impact of LiveIntent ads becomes most evident. While publishers seek monetization, subscribers typically open emails for content, not advertisements. The presence of ads, even personalized ones, can be perceived negatively if not handled carefully.
Intrusive or irrelevant ads can lead to subscriber frustration, increased unsubscribe rates, and a higher likelihood of marking emails as spam. This direct feedback loop from users to mailbox providers is a significant factor in your sender reputation. If users are consistently annoyed by ads, it can erode trust and engagement over time, regardless of how technically sound your deliverability infrastructure is.
Furthermore, factors like slow ad loading, poorly designed ad creatives, or ads that disrupt the email's layout can significantly degrade the reading experience. Many users disable images by default, and if the ad placeholder is not handled gracefully, it can leave unsightly blank spaces. The dynamic nature of these ads means that a consistent, high-quality user experience is dependent on the ad server's performance.
User sentiment toward ads
While LiveIntent aims to provide relevant ads, the fundamental truth is that most users open emails for the primary content. Any advertisement, regardless of its sophistication, introduces a commercial element that can detract from a purely content-focused experience. This can lead to decreased engagement and higher churn rates if not managed strategically.
Perceived intrusiveness: Even if a programmatic ad is relevant, its presence can still be seen as an interruption to the main content a subscriber signed up for.
Negative perception: Overloading emails with ads, or using ads that don't match the tone of the newsletter, can lead to negative brand perception.
Increased unsubscribes: If the value proposition of the email is diminished by ads, subscribers may simply opt out, harming your list health.
Best practices and mitigation strategies
To mitigate potential deliverability and user experience issues when using LiveIntent ads, a strategic approach is necessary. The key is balance, ensuring that ad revenue doesn't come at the expense of subscriber satisfaction or your sender reputation. Regularly monitoring your email program's performance is crucial.
One important practice is to start small and incrementally increase the number of ad units if performance metrics remain stable. It's also vital to ensure the primary content of your email remains high-quality and valuable, so subscribers perceive the ads as a minor addition rather than the main focus. Remember to apply general deliverability best practices.
Rigorous testing of your emails across various clients and devices is also paramount to ensure ads render correctly and don't break the layout. Pay close attention to your engagement metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and especially complaint and unsubscribe rates. Spikes in these negative metrics after implementing ads could signal a problem. Utilize an email deliverability tester to catch potential issues early.
Aspect
Best practice
Why it helps
Ad quantity
Limit the number of ad units per email to avoid overwhelming subscribers and minimize external requests.
Reduces risk of spam flagging and maintains focus on primary content.
Placement
Integrate ads naturally within the layout, avoiding prominent positions that disrupt the flow.
Enhances user experience, making ads less intrusive and more acceptable to readers.
Performance monitoring
Closely monitor deliverability metrics, blacklist status, and unsubscribe/complaint rates for any changes.
Identifies negative impacts quickly, allowing for prompt adjustments to ad strategy.
Content quality
Prioritize high-value, engaging primary email content that makes ads seem secondary.
Maintains subscriber loyalty and reduces the likelihood of negative reactions to ads.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Maintain a consistent sender reputation and list hygiene before integrating dynamic ads.
Ensure your email template is robust and handles dynamic content gracefully, especially if images are blocked.
Test ad placements extensively across different email clients and devices.
Common pitfalls
Overloading newsletters with too many ad units, leading to a spammy appearance.
Failing to monitor unsubscribe and complaint rates after ad implementation.
Ignoring slow loading times of dynamic ads, which frustrates subscribers.
Expert tips
Consider A/B testing different ad placements and quantities to see what resonates best with your audience without impacting deliverability.
Focus on the relevance of the ads served; personalized ads are generally better received.
Regularly review DMARC reports to identify any deliverability issues that might arise from external content, including ad servers.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they are not aware of LiveIntent ads creating any deliverability issues for their organization, Hearst Newspapers.
2023-02-15 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they do not ask for unsubscribe reasons, making it difficult to determine if ads cause people to opt out.
2023-02-15 - Email Geeks
Striking a balance
LiveIntent ads can be a valuable tool for email monetization, offering dynamic and personalized advertising that can integrate seamlessly into newsletters. For the most part, their direct impact on deliverability seems minimal, provided that publishers exercise caution regarding the quantity of ad units within an email. The platform itself is designed to handle ad serving efficiently, reducing inherent technical risks.
However, the nuanced aspect lies in the user experience. While ads can generate revenue, they must not detract from the core value proposition of your email content. An overloaded or poorly integrated ad experience can lead to increased complaints and unsubscribes, which will ultimately harm your sender reputation and deliverability in the long run, even if the ad technology itself is sound. Continuous monitoring of user feedback and engagement metrics is key to maintaining a healthy and profitable email program.
