Should I include a "you've received this email because..." message in COVID-19 related emails?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 12 May 2025
Updated 19 Aug 2025
7 min read
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many businesses found themselves in an unprecedented communication challenge. Suddenly, it was crucial to reach out to customers with updates, operational changes, and messages of support. For many, this meant sending emails to lists that might have been less engaged than usual, leading to questions about how to ensure messages were received and understood, especially concerning perceived consent.
One common consideration was whether to include a "you've received this email because..." message. While such disclaimers are standard in many automated or subscription-based emails, their suitability for urgent, sensitive communications like those related to COVID-19, especially at the top of an email, warrants careful thought. This decision impacts both recipient perception and deliverability.
The purpose of the message
The phrase "you've received this email because..." often appears in email footers to clarify how a recipient ended up on a mailing list. This is particularly common for newsletters, marketing communications, or automated system notifications. Historically, such phrases could even influence how SpamAssassin, an anti-spam program, scored incoming messages. While SpamAssassin is less widely used by major inbox providers today, the sentiment behind flagging such phrases persists.
The primary goal of this message is to provide transparency and reassure the recipient that the email is legitimate and not unsolicited spam. It directly addresses the implicit question, "Why am I getting this?" However, its placement and context are crucial, especially when dealing with sensitive and time-critical information such as COVID-19 updates. Placing it at the top of a message, particularly one that needs immediate attention, can be counterproductive.
Email deliverability during a crisis is paramount. You want to avoid any elements that might inadvertently trigger spam filters or cause recipients to mark your message as junk. While COVID-19 related emails didn't inherently cause deliverability issues due to their subject matter, certain practices could. The wording and structure of your emails always play a role in how they're perceived by recipients and, consequently, by inbox providers.
Recipient perception and deliverability
In urgent communications, the focus should be on conveying critical information quickly and clearly. A message like "you've received this email because..." can detract from this primary objective, especially if placed prominently at the top. It can introduce unnecessary friction, forcing the reader to process a disclaimer before getting to the main point. This can lead to a negative user experience and potentially lower engagement, or even cause a recipient to quickly delete the message. The perception of the recipient is often more critical than the technical aspects of email filtering.
Sender's intent
Transparency: We want to be clear about how we obtained your email address.
Reassurance: Remind recipients of their relationship with the sender.
Recipient's perception
Unnecessary preamble: Delays getting to the important information.
Suspicion: Makes the email seem like spam if the purpose isn't immediately clear.
Irritation: Breaks the flow, especially when the content is urgent.
Instead of focusing on why they received the email, prioritize answering the recipient's immediate question, "What's in it for me?" or "Why should I care about this right now?" Especially with sensitive topics, recipients want to quickly understand the relevance and urgency of the message. This approach directly aligns with advice from industry experts on communicating during crises, which emphasizes avoiding any perception of virtue signaling or greed.
Alternatives and best practices
For COVID-19 related emails, particularly if your list hasn't been highly engaged, focus on clear, concise messaging that immediately highlights the benefit or critical information. If you're updating customers about changes to services (e.g., carryout options for restaurants, as was common during the pandemic), make that the subject line and the first few lines of the email. For more information on best practices for large, unengaged lists, consider content that quickly establishes value.
While the "you've received this email because..." message is generally not recommended at the top of urgent or sensitive emails, it still has a place. It belongs in the footer, where recipients can find it if they genuinely question their subscription status. This placement allows the email's main content to take precedence while still providing necessary transparency and compliance. Always ensure your emails include a clear unsubscribe link as mandated by regulations such as CAN-SPAM and GDPR, even in transactional emails, to give recipients control over their communication preferences.
Focus on crafting a compelling subject line and opening sentences that immediately convey the importance and relevance of your message. If it's a critical update, stating that upfront builds trust and ensures the information is consumed. This approach helps maintain a positive sender reputation, preventing your messages from landing in the spam folder or being added to an internal blocklist (or blacklist).
Balancing transparency and urgency
Best practices for sensitive emails
Clarity is key: Ensure your subject line and first paragraph clearly state the email's purpose.
Value proposition: Immediately communicate what's in it for the recipient.
Placement: Keep disclaimers and unsubscribe links in the email footer.
Common pitfalls
Top-heavy disclaimers: They can increase the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
Vague subject lines: Fails to inform the recipient about the email's content quickly.
Lack of clear CTA: Does not guide the recipient on what action to take.
Expert tips for crisis communication
Prioritize directness: In times of crisis, get straight to the point without unnecessary fluff.
Segment audiences: Tailor messages to specific segments, especially less engaged ones.
Monitor engagement: Keep an eye on open rates and spam complaints for sensitive emails.
For specific advice on how to handle sensitive messaging without triggering filters or user complaints, there's more information available. Understanding how terms like 'COVID' or 'vaccine' affect deliverability is essential for maintaining good sender reputation. Ultimately, the goal is to provide clear, helpful information that respects the recipient's inbox and time.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always include a clear unsubscribe link in your email footer for transparency and compliance.
Focus the email's subject line and opening paragraphs on the most critical information.
Segment your audience and tailor the message based on their engagement level and relationship.
Regularly monitor your email deliverability metrics, like open rates and spam complaints.
Common pitfalls
Placing "you've received this email because..." at the top of an urgent email, causing friction.
Sending emails to highly unengaged lists without proper re-engagement strategies.
Using overly generic or vague subject lines for critical updates, reducing urgency.
Failing to adapt communication strategies for sensitive or rapidly evolving situations.
Expert tips
Prioritize immediate value and relevance in your crisis communications over disclaimers.
A disclaimer of consent or source belongs in the footer, not at the email's beginning.
Consider a short, direct message in the subject line that sets expectations immediately.
Verify that your email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is correctly configured.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that historically there was a rule in SpamAssassin that assigned a point value to text similar to "you've received this message because", which could impact spam scoring.
2020-03-17 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that while SpamAssassin is not as widely used, the necessity of engaging the audience with this specific message should be questioned, suggesting a disclaimer might be more appropriate in the footer.
2020-03-17 - Email Geeks
In a digital landscape where attention spans are short and inboxes are crowded, every element of an email counts. The choice to include a "you've received this email because..." message, especially at the top of a critical communication, directly impacts how your message is perceived and whether it achieves its purpose.
For urgent or sensitive emails, such as those related to COVID-19 or other crisis communications, prioritizing the core message and its immediate relevance is crucial. Your subject line and the initial content should clearly articulate the value and urgency for the recipient. The goal is to inform and guide, not to justify the email's presence.
While transparency is vital, it should be managed strategically. Placing subscription disclaimers in the email footer ensures compliance without creating unnecessary barriers to information. By focusing on direct, value-driven communication, you can enhance deliverability, maintain a strong sender reputation, and ensure your critical messages resonate with your audience, even with topics that may impact email deliverability issues.
Ultimately, your email strategy during a crisis should reflect empathy, clarity, and efficiency. This means putting the recipient's needs first by delivering essential information without preamble. This helps keep your emails out of the spam folder and builds trust with your audience during challenging times.
