Avoiding Gmail penalties for inactive email lists

Big email lists ≠ better results. In fact, a bigger list can kill your deliverability. Inbox providers like Gmail and Outlook don’t care how many subscribers you have. They care how many people engage. That means opening, clicking, and replying. And if half your list is ignoring you, Gmail starts assuming everyone will. So your deliverability drops. Even your best emails land in spam or promotions. You’re not being punished for sending too much. You’re being penalised for sending to the wrong people. That’s why regular list cleaning isn’t optional. It’s how you protect your sender reputation. Run this simple cleanup: → Segment no-opens from the last 90–180 days → Send a 2-part re-engagement campaign → Delete the rest without guilt What happens next: → Your emails hit more primary inboxes → Open rates climb → Clicks reflect real interest Keep it that way by: → Sending consistent value outside of launches → Set clear expectations in your welcome sequence → Running a quarterly list cleanup Because a smaller list of people who actually want to hear from you will always outperform a big one that doesn’t. When did you last remove cold subscribers from your list? If it’s been a while, take this as your sign.

In email marketing, deliverability is everything... If your emails aren’t landing in the primary inbox, they aren’t being seen. And if they’re not seen, you’re losing potential revenue—plain and simple. Deliverability refers to your ability to get emails into the primary inbox, not the spam or promotions folders. It reflects your sender domain’s reputation, influenced by how relevant, engaging, and compliant your emails are. Recent changes by email providers like Gmail and Yahoo have made deliverability more complex. Gmail now enforces stricter rules to combat phishing and spam, requiring proper email authentication like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. There’s also a spam complaint rate threshold of 0.36%, and they’ve introduced one-click unsubscribe. Similarly, Yahoo has tightened its own standards, making authentication essential for bulk senders and implementing higher thresholds for spam rates. For email marketers, this means maintaining clean, authenticated lists and paying close attention to complaint rates. Whether you're launching a new sender domain or working with an established brand, getting deliverability right from the start is crucial. Begin by setting up proper authentication to build trust with inbox providers. Start small by sending emails to highly engaged segments. (those who have interacted with your brand in the last 60 days.) Consistent, valuable campaigns over the course of 30 days can build a strong sender reputation that sets the foundation for future success. For established brands, maintaining or even rebuilding deliverability requires focusing on your most engaged audiences. Gradually expand your sends—about 15% each week,to avoid overwhelming inbox providers, and if deliverability takes a hit, give it at least a month to recover by sticking to your most active recipients. Avoid sending to inactive or suppressed lists, as this can damage your reputation and increase the chances of landing in spam. To ensure long-term deliverability success, always use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your sender identity. Make it easy for uninterested recipients to opt out with a one-click unsubscribe feature, which also helps keep your list clean. Monitor your spam complaint rates carefully—anything above 0.36% can hurt your sender score. Regularly cleaning your email lists by removing inactive subscribers ensures higher deliverability and better campaign performance. Remember: poor deliverability equals poor ROI. If you’re struggling to reach the primary inbox or need help setting up a foolproof deliverability strategy, let’s chat.

Poor email deliverability creates an invisible wall between you and your customers. We see this scenario play out too often: → A marketing team creates amazing content → The brand sends it out → Emails go to spam or bounce → Sales opportunities vanish That’s why you *must* make email deliverability your top priority. Here’s how: ↓ 1. Track key metrics daily Leverage your ESP to monitor: → Unsubscribe rates → Bounces → Domain health When numbers spike, find out why— Was it a specific campaign? A particular segment? Pinpoint the issue and fix it. 2. Segment strategically Ditch the “one size fits all” approach— Break your list into targeted groups: → New subscribers → Frequent buyers → People who browse but don’t buy → Fans of certain products → Engagement tracks based on varying levels of engagement …then write emails that fit each one. A skincare brand we work with split their list by skin type— Oily skin folks got different product recs than dry skin types… …and opens jumped 25% in just one month. 3. Keep your list clean Get rid of… → People who never open emails → Emails that bounce → Inactive contacts A small, engaged list beats a big, quiet one— This helps you avoid the dreaded Gmail promotions tab (once you get in, it’s hard to get out!). 4. Make it personal Use what you know about each subscriber to… → Recommend products they’ll like → Send emails when they’re likely to read → Create content based on their likes and needs Make your emails feel like they’re just for them. These elements work together: → Segmentation boosts relevance → Monitoring catches issues early → A clean list helps emails get through → Personal touches keep people reading The goal isn't more emails— It’s *better* emails that actually get in the hands of consumers when they are most likely to buy Quality content + the right consumers + engaged readers… …that's the formula for turning emails into revenue.

Emails going to Spam? Here’s how to fix it If your email open rates are below 25%, your emails are consistently getting filtered into spam and email providers don’t trust you. But here’s the good news: you can fix it. *The 4-Step Framework to Diagnose & Fix Email Deliverability Issues* → Step 1: Check your Sender Reputation Your sender reputation is like your credit score. It determines how trustworthy your emails appear to inbox providers like Gmail and Outlook. ▸ Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools or SenderScore to check your email reputation. ▸ If your reputation is low, it’s often due to high bounce rates, low engagement, or spam complaints. How to Fix it: Clean your email list regularly. Remove inactive subscribers who haven’t engaged in 90+ days and AVOID sending to purchased lists. → Step 2: Authenticate Your Emails Email providers block or filter out emails that seem suspicious. Authentication proves your emails are legitimate. ▸ SPF: Confirms your email is coming from an authorized sender (also blocks UV rays). ▸ DKIM: Ensures the email hasn’t been altered after being sent. ▸ DMARC: Prevents phishing attacks using your domain. How to Fix it: Ask your email provider or IT team to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. Without them, your emails will always be at risk. → Step 3: Optimize your Email Content to avoid Spam Triggers Spam filters scan for certain words, formats, and practices that make emails look untrustworthy. ▸ Avoid excessive capitalization and punctuation (🔥 LIMITED TIME OFFER!!!). ▸ Use a branded sender name instead of a generic one (“Ryan from [Dispensary Name]” instead of “info@[dispensary].com”). How to Fix it: Keep your emails natural, balanced, and engaging. If an email looks or feels spammy, it probably is. → Step 4: Improve Engagement Metrics Email providers prioritize senders who get high engagement (opens and clicks) and penalize those who get ignored. ▸ Start with engaged customers. Send emails to your most active list segment first before emailing everyone else. ▸ Monitor your open rates. If it’s consistently under 25%, your emails are likely being flagged. How to Fix it: Segment your audience, remove unengaged contacts, and write subject lines that actually make people want to open. → Test It: Want to see if you have a problem? Send a test email to multiple inbox types (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) and check where it lands. It can take 3-4 weeks to go from a low reputation to medium in Google Postmaster, so be patient. If more people get your emails in their main inbox it will lead to 💵 💵 💵 If you’re seeing issues, or just want to guarantee your emails reach more customers—we can help. Tact Firm specializes in cannabis email marketing that actually gets delivered. Let’s fix this together.

People don't open your emails? It's not because of your subject lines. Here's what I discovered after working with 60+ clients: The real issue isn't your subject lines. It's your sender reputation. When your emails constantly: → Get deleted without opening → Receive zero engagement → Land in spam folders ...Gmail and other providers start seeing you as "untrustworthy." I've seen accounts with: - Valuable content - Great copy inside - Perfect subject lines Still getting terrible open rates. What actually works: → Sending to engaged readers first → Building engagement gradually → Removing inactive subscribers → Regular list cleaning One of my clients cleaned their list from 15K to 5K. Their open rates? Jumped from 12% to 38%. Remember: It's not about crafting the perfect subject line. It's about maintaining a healthy relationship with email providers.

Just a reminder as you think about opening the "net" with your email list: - Microsoft & Gmail is sunsetting emails that haven’t been used for 2 years. - Yahoo is doing it after 12 months. When these emails “expire,” they can become spam traps and create a hard bounce report. Both will hurt your domain reputation and deliverability that could cripple your holiday. Easy way to avoid it? Use the opt in date with behavioral data and ensure you aren’t reaching too far back. My suggestion is simple: if they have NEVER engaged with any email or sms, it’s not the time to try to engage them. TL;DR: Use this as your reminder to perform list hygiene to your list and engage with those who are engaged with you.

Any proven way to have better email deliverability? And faster? Honestly no. Each scenario is case by case. I'll give you this. Here are the healthiest sending practices from my clients with the best email deliverability. 1. Fully Authenticated with SPF, DKIM & DMARC ↳ Your email foundation and infrastructure are how you get in the inbox and even protect your brand from any spoofing. 2. Makes Unsubscribing Easy ↳ If the process of leaving the email program is difficult, you'll probably get marked as spam and blocked. 3. Practices Double Opt-in ↳ This filters email sign-ups to the next level. Sending a 2nd email to confirm the consent of marketing emails. 4. Monitors Metrics and Domain & IP Reputation ↳ Watching your click rates, purchase rates, Google Postmaster Tools & Microsoft SNDS will guide you through any changes or improvements. 5. Regularly Cleans Email List ↳ This helps to remove any inactive & no longer existing email addresses. Improving the quality of your list. 6. Never Buying or Scraping Email List ↳ Where did those emails come from? You may waste your money by sending to fake addresses and even Pristine spamtraps that major ISPs are watching. 7. Consistent Email Volume Day by Day ↳ Sudden changes in email volume could cause mailbox providers to flag your emails as spam-like behavior. 8. Segments List by Audience's Behavior ↳ Separate and organize your subscribers based on their engagement and the type of customer they are. This makes the kind of content easier and smoother to send. 9. Not Sending To Inactive Subscribers ↳ Why are you sending it to the guy who hasn't clicked or opened your email in over 2 years? ISPs check how the engagement and if they are seeing extremely low metrics — they may filter you into the spam folder. 10. Not using "FWD" or "RE: "in their Subject Lines ↳ Don't trick your subscribers into opening your campaigns. This is manipulative and deceitful. Subscribers won't appreciate this trickery. 11. Easy to View Content in Dark Mode & Mobile ↳ If your campaigns don't render properly to popular and major devices, people will think it's a scam or might lose revenue on the email. Make sure you test your campaigns with full visibility on these devices. TLDR; > Send consistent email marketing to those consented addresses that are active and engage with your content. > Don't try to trick your subscribers into engaging or buying. > Give them a great email experience. Share this with any email marketers you may know! Follow Edward Ma 🐣 for more content on email marketing and deliveryability.

Stop blasting your entire email list. It's killing your deliverability. Here's why: Inactive subscribers hurt your sender reputation Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook - they're all watching how your emails perform across their users. The re-engagement window is shrinking After 30 days of no opens/clicks, it's incredibly hard to win a subscriber back. Passive negative signals add up quickly Even if subscribers aren't marking you as spam, low engagement rates damage your overall email program. The solution: • Email 2-3x per week minimum • Trigger re-engagement campaigns at 35 days of inactivity • Sunset subscribers after 75 days of no engagement • Segment ruthlessly and only send to engaged lists What you don't manage will hurt you. Treat your email list like the valuable asset it is.