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Summary

Sending identical emails, even with minor changes to the subject line or preheader, can significantly increase the likelihood of your messages being flagged as spam. While a single identical email to multiple recipients (like an A/B test) is generally understood by ISPs, repeatedly sending the exact same content to the same individual over a short period is a critical deliverability risk. This practice mimics the patterns of spammers and can lead to a rapid decline in your sender reputation, pushing your emails to the spam folder or even resulting in blocklisting.

What email marketers say

Email marketers often face challenges from stakeholders who may not fully grasp modern email deliverability nuances, especially concerning repetitive sending. While the consensus among marketers is clear, convincing others often requires demonstrating the real-world impact on engagement and inbox placement.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks questions if ISPs understand A/B testing, which involves minor variations of the same email, especially when sent to the same individuals in high quantities.

28 Jul 2020 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Email marketer from WPFunnels advises that repetitive identical emails in bulk campaigns are prone to triggering spam filters and being flagged.

15 May 2024 - WPFunnels

What the experts say

Deliverability experts consistently warn against sending identical or highly similar emails repeatedly, as it's a hallmark of spamming behavior. They emphasize that ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are sophisticated enough to detect such patterns, even with minor alterations, leading to severe reputation damage and impaired inbox placement.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that specific documentation on ISPs flagging identical emails as spam is scarce, suggesting case studies might be the only evidence to support this claim.

28 Jul 2020 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Deliverability expert from Spamresource.com highlights that ISPs employ advanced algorithms to identify spam patterns, especially when identical or highly similar content is sent in bulk.

10 Apr 2024 - Spamresource.com

What the documentation says

While specific, explicit documentation from ISPs about flagging identical emails is rare (as their algorithms are proprietary), general industry guidelines and technical specifications indirectly support the idea that repetitive, low-value content is a spam indicator. Documentation often focuses on content analysis, sender behavior, and user feedback as critical components of spam filtering.

Technical article

Official documentation from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states that each individual email violating the CAN-SPAM Act can incur penalties of up to $53,088, emphasizing the high cost of non-compliance.

01 Jan 2024 - FTC.gov

Technical article

Technical documentation on the Internet Message Format (RFC 5322) implies that while email headers change, the consistent body content across multiple messages is a key element that spam filters analyze for suspicious patterns and repetition.

01 Oct 2008 - RFC 5322

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