How can I avoid getting spam complaints?

If you send large mailing lists there is a high chance you may receive spam complaints, this is normal and we typically expect 1 complaint per 3000 - 5000 messages sent.

It is very important that if you receive a spam complaint you take the necessary action to prevent further complaints from the recipient - for more information on spam complaints please see Everything you need to know about spam complaints.

To help reduce the possibility of spam complaints here are some useful tips:

  • Your Recipients
    • Only email genuine opt-in addresses where the recipient has specifically indicated they wish to receive emails from you
    • Do not buy email address lists from third parties - these are sold as being 'opt in' but (in our experience) they rarely are and not permitted for use with this service
    • Send your messages as one message per recipient rather than BCC'ing many recipients - for more information please see why is it best to send email as one message per recipient?
  • Email Basics
    • Send from an email address '@' your website / company domain name - do not send from a free email address
    • Configure your SPF record correctly for use with AuthSMTP
    • Configure a from name and email address that clearly identifies your company or organisation
    • Use a subject line that identifies your company / organisation and describes the purpose of the email
    • Avoid 'spammy' subjects lines such as 'Limited time offer' or 'Invoice 1234566'
  • Email Content
    • Personalize your emails to the recipient - some mailing list software allows you to include unique content for each recipient - for example 'Dear [first-name]'
    • The first paragraph in the email should explain why the recipient is receiving the email and how they can unsubscribe
    • The content of your email should be clear, concise and well structured - take care to avoid terms or phrases that may trigger spam filters
    • Never put your text content in images, your text content should be HTML or text only with images only for visual styling / branding purposes
    • Avoid using too many web links or images
    • Never include a web link that appears to go to one website but actually links to another (i.e. www.domain2.com)
    • If you are using HTML in your emails double check that the HTML is valid using a HTML validator and be sure to include a text only version
  • Maintenance
    • If you receive any bounces or non-delivery notifications it is important that you remove these from your mailing lists. Some ISPs count the number of emails sent to 'invalid' email addresses and too many can impact the reputation of your emails
    • If you receive any spam complaint notifications it is very important that you remove these from your mailing lists. For more information about spam complaints please see everything you need to know about spam complaints
    • If you have not emailed a recipient in a long time (2 years+) - carefully consider if you should as they may no longer want to receive emails from you or may not recognise you / your company and is much more likely to generate a spam complaint

If you have any questions please contact us.