Can email spam traps show engagement like opens and clicks?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 18 Apr 2025
Updated 18 Aug 2025
7 min read
For a long time, there was a commonly held belief in the email deliverability world: if an email address showed any engagement, like an open or a click, it couldn't be a spam trap. This simplification was comforting, suggesting a clear line between engaged, legitimate subscribers and the deceptive addresses set up to catch spammers. I’ve certainly heard this sentiment expressed frequently in discussions among email professionals.
However, the landscape of email security and spam detection is constantly evolving. What was once considered a reliable indicator of a real subscriber versus a blocklist (or blacklist) trap has become far more nuanced. As anti-spam technologies advance to combat increasingly sophisticated threats, so too do the methods employed by spam trap operators.
The evolution of spam trap behavior
Spam traps (also known as honeypots) are email addresses specifically designed to identify spammers and poor list management practices. They don't belong to real people and are not intended to receive mail. When an email is sent to a spam trap, it signals to ISPs and anti-spam organizations that the sender may be engaged in questionable practices, which can severely damage sender reputation and email deliverability.
Traditionally, spam traps were passive. They would simply exist, waiting to receive mail. Any email sent to them would be logged, and the sender's IP address or domain would risk being added to a blocklist (or blacklist). The absence of opens, clicks, or any other engagement metric from these addresses was a key characteristic, reinforcing the idea that they were inert markers of trouble.
This passive nature meant that if you saw an open or a click from an address, you could generally assume it was a legitimate, albeit potentially inactive, subscriber. This led to common advice that regularly removing unengaged contacts, those who hadn't opened or clicked in a long time, would help clean out potential spam traps. While good list hygiene is always important, this approach might miss some modern threats.
Understanding the different types of spam traps can help you grasp why their behavior is becoming more complex. From pristine traps that have never been valid to recycled traps that were once active accounts, each type poses a unique challenge to email marketers.
Why spam traps might show engagement
Yes, they can. While it's relatively rare, and certainly not typical human behavior, some spam traps (or the systems managing them) can and do show signs of engagement like opens and clicks. This might seem counterintuitive, as the purpose of a spam trap is to be inert, but there are logical reasons behind this evolving behavior. An article from Spamhaus discusses the myths of spam trap clicks, confirming this phenomenon.
One reason for this is the need for spam trap operators to stay ahead of sophisticated spamming techniques. Spammers often try to mimic legitimate user behavior to evade detection. To counter this, anti-spam systems sometimes simulate user interactions, like opening emails or clicking links, to observe how a sender's infrastructure responds. This can also apply to how ESPs distinguish human versus bot engagement more broadly.
Another factor is the rise of security features in mailbox providers (ISPs). Many ISPs employ technologies that pre-fetch images and scan links within emails for malware or phishing attempts before the email even reaches the recipient's inbox. These automated scans can register as opens or clicks, regardless of whether a human ever interacted with the email. This activity, while not malicious in intent, can skew engagement metrics and potentially trigger false positives from your tracking systems, creating a dilemma about whether spam traps generate opens and clicks.
In a Mailgun article on spam traps, they acknowledge that while opens may be accidentally triggered, clicks should never be triggered on spam trap email addresses. This highlights a slight divergence of opinion within the industry, but the general consensus leans towards the possibility of both.
Traditional view
Behavior: Spam traps are passive, showing no opens or clicks.
Detection: Absence of engagement is a strong indicator of a trap.
Management: Removing inactive subscribers is often sufficient for trap avoidance.
Modern reality
Behavior: Some spam traps or security systems may generate opens or clicks.
Detection: Engagement alone is not a definitive sign of a human subscriber.
Management: Sophisticated analysis of engagement patterns is required.
Distinguishing genuine engagement from bot activity
Given that some spam traps can appear to engage with your emails, how do we differentiate between legitimate user interaction and automated bot activity? It's a complex task, and relying solely on open and click rates can be misleading. Mailbox providers track email engagement in sophisticated ways, moving beyond simple metrics.
Real engagement goes beyond a mere pixel load or a single click. It involves deeper interaction with your brand or content. For instance, if a user clicks a link and then proceeds to navigate your website, fill out a form, make a purchase, or spend significant time on a landing page, these are strong signals of genuine interest. This type of behavior is very difficult for automated systems or spam traps to replicate convincingly.
Instead of focusing solely on opens and clicks, consider other, more robust metrics that indicate human interaction. Look for patterns in engagement, such as the speed of clicks (too fast often indicates a bot), the location of the click (does it match the subscriber's known location?), and the sequence of actions after clicking an email. These contextual clues provide a much clearer picture.
Remember, the goal of identifying spam traps is to protect your sender reputation. If an address, even one showing superficial engagement, isn't contributing positively to your goals, it might be safer to remove it. Mitigating the effects of hitting a spam trap is crucial for maintaining good email deliverability.
Practical implications for email marketers
To maintain a healthy email list and strong sender reputation, it's essential to implement robust list hygiene practices that go beyond simply observing opens and clicks.
Action
Benefit
Implement double opt-in
Ensures all subscribers genuinely want to receive your emails, reducing the chance of hitting spam traps from mistyped or malicious addresses.
Regularly clean unengaged subscribers
Even if some traps show engagement, persistent non-engagement from real users is a negative signal to ISPs, impacting your email domain reputation.
Monitor delivery metrics beyond opens/clicks
Pay attention to bounces, spam complaints, and overall inbox placement rates. These provide a more accurate health check of your sending.
Use form validation
Implement real-time email validation on your signup forms to catch invalid or risky addresses before they enter your list.
The key takeaway is that while it's less common, email spam traps (or the systems interacting with them) can indeed show engagement like opens and clicks. This makes list hygiene more critical than ever, requiring a multi-faceted approach to ensure you're sending to genuine, engaged subscribers and protecting your sender reputation.
Continuously monitoring your email program's health, using advanced analytics, and staying informed about the latest spam detection techniques are vital strategies for long-term deliverability success.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always use double opt-in for new subscribers to confirm their intent and validity.
Regularly segment your list to identify and suppress inactive subscribers, as they can become recycled spam traps.
Analyze engagement patterns beyond simple clicks, looking for deeper interactions within your website or app.
Monitor IP and domain reputation closely, as this is often the first indicator of a spam trap hit.
Implement email validation at the point of signup to prevent invalid addresses from entering your list.
Common pitfalls
Solely relying on open and click rates as definitive indicators of a legitimate subscriber.
Neglecting to remove or re-engage subscribers who haven't interacted in 6-12 months.
Purchasing email lists, which are often riddled with spam traps.
Not segmenting or suppressing lists for re-engagement campaigns.
Ignoring bounce rates and spam complaints, which are direct signals of list health issues.
Expert tips
Leverage advanced analytics to spot anomalies in engagement data, such as extremely fast clicks or opens from unusual geographic locations.
Understand that some automated systems (e.g., security scanners) can generate false positives for opens and clicks.
Focus on conversion metrics and on-site behavior as stronger indicators of true engagement than just email opens.
Continuously educate your team on email list hygiene and best practices to prevent accidental spam trap hits.
Consider using a dedicated tool for blocklist monitoring to quickly identify if your IP or domain is listed due to spam traps.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says spam trap maintainers might occasionally open messages and follow links as part of their investigation process, so an open or click doesn't always guarantee it's not a spam trap. It's rare, but possible.
2025-03-01 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says it's increasingly common for spam filtering systems to fetch images, follow links, and run JavaScript, so relying on these naive metrics to identify non-spam traps is unwise. Correlating recipients with web app behavior provides a stronger signal of a real user.
2025-03-03 - Email Geeks
Adapting to the new reality of spam traps
The belief that email spam traps (or blocklists) are purely passive entities that never show engagement like opens or clicks is outdated. While many still operate this way, the sophistication of anti-spam systems and the need for comprehensive detection methods mean that some automated interactions with spam traps can indeed mimic genuine user engagement. This evolving behavior means email marketers must adjust their strategies.
Relying solely on opens and clicks to determine list hygiene is no longer sufficient. Instead, focus on a holistic view of engagement that includes deeper on-site actions, purchase history, and direct feedback from subscribers. Couple this with robust list management practices, including double opt-in and regular re-engagement campaigns or purges of inactive contacts, to ensure your email program remains healthy and your sender reputation strong.
