Summary
After Gmail blocks your email due to using a purchased list, the overwhelming consensus is to immediately cease sending to that list. Purchased lists are inherently problematic, filled with spam traps, invalid addresses, and non-consenting recipients, severely damaging sender reputation. The primary steps involve cleaning your existing list to remove unengaged contacts, authenticating your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and initiating a slow IP warm-up process with engaged subscribers. Monitor and address any blacklist appearances and prioritize building an organic, opt-in list. Some recommend 'resting resources' (stopping sending entirely for a period) and, cautiously, opening a ticket with Google Postmasters. Long-term success hinges on data quality, ethical sending practices, and consistently providing easy unsubscribe options.
Key findings
- Stop Sending Immediately: Discontinue emailing the purchased list to prevent further reputation damage and potential blacklisting.
- Clean Existing List: Remove unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses to improve engagement metrics and sender reputation.
- Implement Authentication: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your email and verify your sending domain.
- Warm-Up IP Address: Gradually increase sending volume, starting with engaged subscribers, to rebuild your IP reputation.
- Monitor Blacklists and Spam Traps: Regularly check for blacklist appearances and take steps to avoid spam traps by focusing on data quality and opt-in practices.
- Build Organic List: Focus on acquiring subscribers through legitimate, opt-in methods rather than purchasing lists.
- Rest resources: Consider resting your email sending completely for a short period
Key considerations
- Reputation Recovery: Rebuilding sender reputation is a lengthy process, potentially taking months, requiring consistent effort and adherence to best practices.
- Ethical Sending Practices: Prioritize ethical email marketing practices, respecting subscriber preferences and providing easy unsubscribe options.
- Data Quality: Focus on maintaining a high-quality, engaged email list by continuously cleaning and validating addresses.
- Compliance: Adhere to email marketing regulations and policies to avoid legal issues and maintain good standing with ESPs.
- Monitor Deliverability: Continuously monitor email deliverability metrics and adapt your strategy based on performance to identify and address potential issues proactively.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
After using a purchased email list and getting blocked by Gmail, the immediate consensus is to stop sending emails to that list entirely. Focus should then shift to cleaning your existing list by removing unengaged subscribers and invalid email addresses. It is crucial to authenticate your email sending practices using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to establish credibility with email providers. A slow and steady warm-up process, starting with highly engaged subscribers, is essential to rebuild your sender reputation. Monitoring blacklists, checking for spam traps, and setting up feedback loops with ESPs are also important steps. Some experts recommend opening a ticket with Google Postmasters and refraining from sending to Gmail or Google Workspaces for a period of time. Some recommend changing IP or using a new IP.
Key opinions
- Stop Sending: Immediately cease sending emails to the purchased list to prevent further damage to your sender reputation.
- List Cleaning: Remove unengaged subscribers and invalid email addresses from your existing email list to improve engagement metrics.
- Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols to verify your sender identity with email providers.
- IP Warm-up: Slowly warm up your IP address by sending emails to highly engaged subscribers first and gradually increasing volume.
- Monitor Blacklists: Regularly check if your IP address or domain is blacklisted and take steps to get removed if necessary.
- Engage Audiences: Only engage with audiences on organic lists and don't email to purchased lists.
Key considerations
- Patience: Rebuilding sender reputation is a time-consuming process that can take several months.
- Engagement Focus: Prioritize sending emails to subscribers who are actively engaged with your content.
- Feedback Loops: Set up feedback loops with ESPs like Gmail and Yahoo to monitor spam complaints and other deliverability issues.
- Spam Traps: Implement strategies to avoid sending emails to spam traps, such as using double opt-in and regularly cleaning your list.
- Domain Reputation: Monitor and maintain your domain reputation, as it significantly impacts email deliverability.
- Opening a ticket: Consider opening a ticket with Google Postmasters to explain the situation and demonstrate your commitment to improving email practices. Some also don't agree to this strategy.
Marketer view
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog recommends regularly cleaning your email list to remove unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses. This helps improve your sender reputation and deliverability. They advise using tools to identify and remove these problematic addresses and implementing a sunset policy to automatically remove inactive subscribers.
8 Oct 2022 - ActiveCampaign Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from StackOverflow states to completely stop emailing purchased addresses! Email service providers (ESPs) are very good at detecting this, and they will blacklist you in a hurry. You'll need to take some serious action to attempt to clean it up
15 Nov 2024 - StackOverflow
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
Experts strongly advise against using purchased email lists due to the high risk of deliverability issues, spam traps, and damage to sender reputation. If blocked by Gmail, a primary recommendation is to cease sending emails for a period to allow the block to lift. Rebuilding reputation after list bombing is a long and challenging process. Building an organic, opt-in email list is the recommended alternative.
Key opinions
- Avoid Purchased Lists: Purchased lists are a significant risk to sender reputation and should not be used.
- Rest Resources: Stopping sending emails for a period ('resting resources') may help lift a block.
- Organic Growth: Focus on building an organic email list of engaged subscribers who have opted-in.
- Deliverability Impact: List bombing, often resulting from purchased lists, severely damages deliverability and is difficult to recover from.
Key considerations
- Ethical Concerns: Sending unsolicited emails to non-opted-in recipients is unethical.
- Legal Implications: Sending unsolicited emails can have legal consequences.
- Long-Term Strategy: Building a healthy sender reputation is a long-term strategy that requires consistent effort and adherence to best practices.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that list bombing will ruin your deliverability and is difficult to recover from. They state you will be blocked and it will take a long time to recover your reputation. They also highly discourage the use of purchased lists and recommend building your list organically.
30 Aug 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource warns against using purchased lists. They state these lists often contain spam traps and invalid email addresses, which will damage your sender reputation. They also state that sending to people who haven't opted in is unethical and can lead to legal issues.
10 Jan 2025 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Using purchased email lists violates email sending best practices and policies, leading to deliverability issues. Documentation emphasizes sending wanted mail with easy unsubscribe options and obtaining subscribers organically. Sender reputation hinges on engagement, bounce rates, and spam complaints, all negatively impacted by purchased lists. Implementing authentication protocols like DKIM and DMARC is crucial for verifying sender identity and message integrity, helping to prevent spoofing and phishing.
Key findings
- No Purchased Lists: Buying email lists violates policies and damages deliverability.
- Organic Subscribers: Acquire subscribers organically to ensure engagement and consent.
- Easy Opt-Out: Provide simple unsubscribe options to reduce spam complaints.
- Authentication: Implement DKIM and DMARC for sender verification and message integrity.
- Double Opt In: Ensure that you use double opt-in so new subscribers confirm their interest.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Maintain a positive sender reputation through good sending practices.
- Compliance: Adhere to email sending policies and regulations.
- Security: Protect against email spoofing and phishing through authentication.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help emphasizes the importance of sending wanted mail. They recommend only sending to users who want to hear from you and providing easy unsubscription options. They also state that buying email lists is against their policies and can result in deliverability issues.
8 Nov 2023 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article
Documentation from RFC details the DKIM authentication framework. DKIM allows an organization to take responsibility for a message by associating a domain name with it, providing a means to verify the sender's identity and the message's integrity. Implementing DKIM helps prevent email spoofing and phishing attempts.
9 Apr 2024 - RFC Editor
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