Summary
Observing significantly higher open rates for new welcome email templates on Gmail, even with consistent subject lines and click-through rates, can be a perplexing scenario. While initial suspicions might point towards bot activity, expert consensus often shifts the focus to Gmail's sophisticated filtering mechanisms. The most probable explanation is that your previous template may have been consistently directed to promotional or bulk folders, while the new template, for the time being, is successfully landing in the primary inbox.
Key findings
- Gmail specific: The pronounced improvement in open rates is primarily noticeable for Gmail subscribers, with little to no comparable effect on other providers like Yahoo.
- Content perception: Gmail's algorithms might classify older templates as lower quality or less engaging based on accumulated data, potentially leading to their placement in the bulk or promotions folder.
- New template advantage: Newly introduced templates may initially bypass existing filters, securing placement in the primary inbox and consequently boosting reported open rates.
- Not bot activity: Experts generally agree that bot activity is an unlikely primary cause for such template-dependent changes in deliverability at Gmail.
- Email size impact: Emails exceeding Gmail's 102KB size limit can be truncated, which may conceal tracking pixels and thus lead to an underreporting of actual opens.
Key considerations
- Analyze by recipient MX: Break down open rate patterns by recipient Mail Exchanger (MX) or domain to pinpoint specific ISP behavior.
- Examine content reputation: Review the old template for any elements, like specific URLs or images, that might have acquired a low reputation score with Gmail. Learn more about understanding your email domain reputation here.
- Monitor inbox placement: Use monitoring to confirm that new templates are consistently landing in the primary inbox, differentiating them from previous campaigns that may have gone to promotions or social tabs.
- Check email size: Verify if the old template exceeded Gmail's 102KB size limit. This could cause truncation and lead to inaccurate open rate tracking, as discussed in detail by Shopify's deliverability insights.
- Tracking pixel placement: Confirm the location of your tracking pixel. Its placement (top versus bottom) can significantly impact open rate accuracy if message truncation occurs. Consider how Gmail image caching affects open rates here.
What email marketers say
Email marketers frequently encounter puzzling shifts in open rates, leading them to initially suspect factors like spam bot activity. However, when observing significant and localized improvements, particularly with new templates impacting Gmail performance, discussions quickly pivot to the nuances of inbox placement and the evolving reputation of email content within various ISP filters.
Key opinions
- Initial bot suspicion: Many marketers, upon seeing unexpectedly high open rates from new creative, first consider the possibility of bot activity inflating their metrics.
- Template-specific behavior: There is a general understanding that different email templates can yield vastly different performance metrics, even for the same sender and subscriber list.
- Gmail's unique impact: Marketers frequently observe that Gmail's distinct filtering system, including the primary and promotions tabs, can create unique deliverability patterns not seen with other ISPs.
- CTR and conversions: While open rates are important, marketers often prioritize click-through rates (CTRs) and conversion rates as more reliable indicators of genuine subscriber engagement.
Key considerations
- Segment data: It is crucial to segment open rate data by recipient domain to precisely identify where performance changes are most pronounced, such as when email open rates drop due to new templates on Gmail after a redesign.
- Compare conversion rates: Marketers should always compare conversion rates alongside open and click rates. Consistent conversions despite inflated opens might suggest artificial engagement.
- Test content variations: Regularly test different email template elements and content to understand their impact on deliverability and recipient engagement, aiming to improve low Gmail open rates.
- Accept the win: If new templates are performing well and conversions are stable, some marketers suggest simply enjoying the positive results rather than over-investigating.
Marketer view
A marketer from Email Geeks notes that they tested a few new templates for their welcome email and are seeing super high open rates for the new versions versus the original, even with the same subject line. They also reported higher CTRs compared to the original, despite one of the test versions having a very similar layout. Conversions, however, remained more steady, leading them to question if this might be due to spam bot activity.
Marketer view
A marketer from Shopify indicates that a high open rate serves as a strong signal, showing that a sender's subject line and timing are effective, and that their audience is genuinely interested in receiving and engaging with their communications.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts generally do not consider bot activity the primary reason for a sudden, marked increase in open rates for new email templates, especially when the impact is concentrated at a major Internet Service Provider (ISP) like Gmail. Instead, their analysis points to changes in how Gmail's sophisticated filtering algorithms perceive and route the new content, leading to improved inbox placement.
Key opinions
- Bulk folder hypothesis: A prevalent expert explanation is that the old template was consistently being routed to Gmail's bulk or promotions folders, while the new template is, for the time being, achieving primary inbox placement.
- Content reputation: Experts suggest that the old template likely contained specific elements, such as certain URLs, images, or even structural code, that had accumulated a low reputation, leading to filtering.
- Email size implications: If an email exceeds Gmail's 102KB size limit, it can be truncated. This may hide the tracking pixel and result in an artificially lower open rate for the larger, older template.
- Tracking pixel location: The positioning of the open tracking pixel within the email body (at the top versus the bottom) can affect reported open rates, particularly if message truncation occurs.
- Google image proxy: While Gmail utilizes an image proxy, experts typically do not expect it to independently cause differences in unique open rates solely due to template changes, unless the tracking mechanism itself was also altered.
Key considerations
- Detailed pattern analysis: Examine send patterns, recipient MX, and IP addresses to gain deeper insights into the origins of opens and clicks. This helps clarify why your emails might be going to spam and how to fix it.
- Content comparison: Thoroughly compare the content of old and new templates for subtle differences that could influence Gmail's perception, such as URLs or asset references. For more on how content impacts deliverability, see our guide on new email templates and Gmail deliverability.
- Email size check: Manually check the size of your sent emails by viewing the source and saving it as a text file to identify potential truncation issues. This is a crucial step for optimizing for Gmail's primary inbox placement.
- Testing variations: Consider A/B testing various template elements, particularly focusing on message size and tracking image placement, to optimize for Gmail's filtering mechanisms.
- Monitor for future changes: Be aware that initial success with a new template may be temporary. Gmail's algorithms could eventually adapt and re-filter messages based on ongoing user engagement patterns. Google Postmaster Tools can help you track this; you can explore the ultimate guide to Google Postmaster Tools for more information.
Expert view
A deliverability expert from Email Geeks states that bot activity would not be their initial consideration when observing unexpectedly high open rates for new email templates, especially if other engagement metrics remain stable.
Expert view
A deliverability expert from Word to the Wise advises a detailed analysis of email patterns broken down by recipient Mail Exchanger (MX) or recipient domain, as well as an examination of the IP addresses associated with both opens and clicks, to understand the true source of engagement.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and research on email deliverability, particularly concerning major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Gmail, consistently underscore the critical role of user engagement and content quality in determining inbox placement. Welcome emails inherently benefit from high subscriber anticipation, which contributes to their typically superior engagement metrics and higher likelihood of reaching the primary inbox.
Key findings
- High welcome email engagement: Welcome emails consistently demonstrate significantly higher open and click-through rates compared to other marketing campaigns, primarily driven by strong user expectation and immediate relevance.
- Inbox placement impact: The specific folder where an email lands (primary inbox, promotions tab, or spam folder) directly influences its visibility and the likelihood of it being opened.
- Content and reputation signals: ISPs, including Gmail, employ advanced algorithms that meticulously analyze various content signals and the sender's reputation to make placement decisions for incoming messages.
- Message size limits: Gmail imposes a known message size limit (102KB). Emails exceeding this threshold are truncated, which can impact how content is displayed and, consequently, how open rates are accurately measured.
- User interaction as a factor: Positive user interactions, such as opening, replying to, or moving emails to the primary inbox, significantly enhance future deliverability for that sender.
Key considerations
- Optimize for primary inbox: Design welcome email templates specifically to encourage placement in Gmail's primary inbox, which is paramount for maximizing open rates and overall engagement.
- Monitor deliverability metrics: Regularly review a comprehensive set of deliverability metrics, including not just open rates, but also click-through rates, complaint rates, and spam trap hits, to gain a holistic view of email health. This includes assessing why what open rates mean.
- Adhere to best practices: Ensure that all email templates strictly follow established HTML and CSS best practices to guarantee correct rendering across various email clients and to avoid inadvertently triggering spam filters. This attention to detail can prevent emails from going to spam in Gmail.
- Consider content elements: Pay close attention to every element within the email, including text, images, and links, as each contributes to the overall content reputation assessed by ISPs.
- A/B test strategically: Conduct A/B tests that extend beyond just subject lines, exploring how different content layouts and technical attributes impact inbox placement and overall engagement metrics.
Technical article
Documentation from BDOW! emphasizes that emails will achieve higher open rates if they consistently land in the primary inbox, as opposed to being filtered into the promotions or updates tabs in Gmail, or worse, the spam folder.
Technical article
Documentation from Selzy Blog reports that the average open rate for a welcome email stands impressively at 63.91%, according to their latest findings, highlighting the inherently strong engagement these initial emails receive.
Related resources
15 resources
Related pages
Why do new email templates affect deliverability with Gmail?
How to improve low Gmail email open rates?
Why are email campaigns suddenly being filtered to social or promotions tabs in Gmail?
Why do new email templates cause Gmail open rates to drop?
Why are promotional emails appearing in Gmail Primary?
How accurate are email open rates and how does Gmail image caching affect them?
Why did my email have lower open rates in Gmail, and go to spam?
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