Summary
The question of whether to include a 'move to primary inbox' request in welcome emails is a common one among email marketers. While seemingly beneficial for improving visibility, the effectiveness and perception of such requests are debated. Many experts suggest that focusing on core deliverability practices and engaging content is more impactful than direct requests for inbox placement, as user behavior and email client algorithms play a significant role. However, some believe it can be a harmless tactic for less sophisticated users.
Key findings
- Limited impact: Such requests are generally not a magic solution for deliverability and may have a minimal impact on overall inbox placement, especially for promotional emails. Email clients like Gmail use complex algorithms that prioritize engagement and sender reputation.
- User preference: Many users prefer commercial emails to remain in their 'Promotions' or other categorized tabs, keeping their primary inbox clear for personal communications. Interfering with this preference can lead to negative user experiences.
- Client-side limitations: Requests like 'add to Apple VIPs' are client-side functions and do not directly influence deliverability or inbox placement at the server level.
- Engagement signals: Actual user engagement (opens, clicks, replies, moving to primary) is what genuinely signals to internet service providers (ISPs) that your emails are valuable, not a direct request within the email itself. Gmail's categorization is dynamic and adapts to user behavior.
Key considerations
- Perception: Such requests can appear desperate or indicate underlying deliverability issues, potentially eroding subscriber trust.
- Focus on fundamentals: Prioritize strong content, list hygiene, proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and sending reputation over attempts to manually influence inbox placement. Learn more about why your emails are going to spam and how to fix it.
- Segmentation: If you do consider such a request, target it only to Gmail users, as other email clients do not have the same tab structure.
- Alternative strategies: Instead of asking, focus on creating content so valuable that subscribers naturally engage with it, moving it to their primary inbox or starring it. Consider strategies to get your emails into the Gmail main inbox tab more organically.
What email marketers say
Email marketers have varied opinions on whether to ask subscribers to move welcome emails to the primary inbox. Some find it a common, harmless practice, particularly for less tech-savvy audiences, while others view it as a superficial tactic that distracts from core deliverability efforts. There's a general consensus that direct requests have limited practical impact compared to sustained positive engagement.
Key opinions
- Not a magic fix: Marketers largely agree these requests are not a 'magic solution' for deliverability, offering more of a 'feel good' than a 'do good' outcome.
- Subscriber preference matters: Many subscribers actively prefer promotional content to be in their designated tabs, away from personal communications.
- Appearance of desperation: Some marketers feel such overt requests can make a brand appear 'desperate' for inbox placement, hinting at underlying deliverability issues.
- Target audience matters: While email professionals might view these requests skeptically, they could resonate with less technically sophisticated users who actively manage their inboxes this way.
- Visibility concern: A key question is how subscribers will even see this request if the email is already landing outside the primary inbox. Flowium discusses strategies to improve this.
Key considerations
- Alternative messaging: Instead of a prominent banner, a brief, subtle note within an onboarding series might be less intrusive.
- Segmentation capability: The ability to segment users by email client (e.g., Gmail users) is crucial to make such requests relevant and targeted, avoiding unnecessary messaging for other recipients. Consider audience segmentation for improved inbox placement.
- Content and frequency: Ultimately, the best approach is to invest in creating valuable, engaging content and maintaining optimal sending frequencies. These are the factors that truly drive positive inbox placement and conversions. This is also key to getting higher open rates on Gmail.
- User control: Respecting the user's choice in organizing their inbox can build better long-term relationships than trying to dictate where emails should land.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that asking users to move emails to the primary inbox is unlikely to cause harm but is also not a magical solution for deliverability. The effectiveness is often more about making the sender feel proactive than genuinely improving outcomes.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Beehiiv Blog asserts that moving emails to the primary tab can significantly boost engagement and deliverability, as emails in the promotions tab are frequently overlooked by recipients.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts generally advise caution when considering 'move to primary inbox' requests. They emphasize that while the intent might be to improve visibility, such tactics often miss the root causes of inbox placement issues. Experts highlight the importance of respecting user intent and the sophisticated nature of modern email filtering, which prioritizes legitimate engagement over direct manipulation attempts.
Key opinions
- Respect user choice: Experts stress that users should decide what is VIP or primary, and direct requests can be perceived as intrusive.
- Core deliverability focus: Instead of gimmicks, true inbox placement comes from consistent good sender practices, including list hygiene, engaging content, and appropriate sending frequency.
- Client-side vs. server-side: Many such 'move' actions (e.g., adding to VIPs) are client-side only and do not influence how ISPs categorize future emails from a sender.
- Gmail's intent: Gmail's tabs are designed to help users manage email overload, and senders should embrace, rather than try to bypass, this user-centric approach. Mailgun discusses Gmail's Promotions tab and its benefits.
- Education is key: There's a need to educate small business senders that not every email is 'special' enough to bypass tab categorization.
Key considerations
- Limited efficacy: The actual percentage of users who will follow such instructions is likely very low, making the effort largely ineffective.
- Focus on user experience: A better strategy is to create emails that are so valuable and relevant that users organically engage with them, which naturally signals positive intent to ISPs. This helps improve overall email deliverability rates.
- Avoid 'tricks': Relying on 'tricks' can distract from addressing the fundamental issues that might be causing emails to land in the promotions tab or even spam.
- Long-term strategy: Building a strong sender reputation through consistent positive interactions and compliance with best practices is a more sustainable approach. This can help you avoid welcome emails going to spam.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that asking recipients to add a sender to 'Apple VIPS' does not impact deliverability, as it is a client-side setting, and recipient choice should be respected above all.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource advises against attempting to force emails into the primary tab, emphasizing that content should naturally belong there based on user engagement and the sender's reputation.
What the documentation says
Official documentation from major email providers and industry bodies generally focuses on best practices for deliverability, user engagement, and adherence to email standards. They typically do not endorse or recommend explicit 'move to primary inbox' requests. Instead, emphasis is placed on signals of legitimate user interest and compliance with anti-spam policies.
Key findings
- User engagement is key: ISPs prioritize user engagement (opens, clicks, replies, adding to contacts) as the primary indicator of desired mail, rather than explicit requests within the email content.
- Categorization by design: Features like Gmail tabs are built to help users manage their inboxes effectively by categorizing emails, and senders should understand this design intent. Mailchimp explains Gmail's tab feature and its purpose.
- Sender reputation: Documentation consistently points to maintaining a healthy sender reputation, achieved through low complaint rates, high engagement, and proper authentication, as the most effective path to the inbox.
- Content relevance: The content and nature of the email itself play a significant role in its categorization. Promotional content is often (and intentionally) routed to the Promotions tab.
Key considerations
- Adherence to standards: Focus on complying with email authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and general sending guidelines to ensure deliverability. This includes understanding a simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
- Content optimization: Design emails that are clearly identifiable by recipients and email clients alike. This means avoiding deceptive practices and adhering to content best practices.
- Monitoring tools: Leverage tools like Google Postmaster Tools to understand how ISPs perceive your sending domain and email campaigns, rather than relying on manual user actions. The ultimate guide to Google Postmaster Tools V2 can provide valuable insights.
Technical article
Documentation from Gmail Help highlights that email categorization is an automated process based on various factors, and user interaction (such as moving emails) directly influences this categorization for future messages from the same sender.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that Gmail's tab feature automatically organizes emails, aiming to help users manage their inboxes more effectively by separating various types of mail.
Related resources
15 resources
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