How do unsubscribes impact email deliverability and should I automatically correct email address typos?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that while unsubscribes are a normal part of email marketing, a sudden spike in unsubscribes can raise red flags with ISPs. It's crucial to monitor your unsubscribe rate and investigate any significant increases to identify and address potential issues with your email content or targeting.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that while unsubscribes themselves don't directly harm deliverability like spam complaints, they are an indicator of engagement (or lack thereof). High unsubscribe rates suggest a mismatch between your emails and subscriber expectations, which can indirectly impact your reputation and future deliverability.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that correcting typos is a bad idea, the correct approach is to guide the user to correct the mistake themselves as part of the signup or checkout process.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that not just Google supports list-unsubscribe headers, but also Microsoft, Apple, 1&1, and Yahoo. He states they prefer senders to include these headers and expose them in the UI to encourage users to unsubscribe instead of marking emails as spam, to avoid reputation hits for good senders.
Email marketer from Reddit states that you should generally avoid automatically correcting email address typos. It's better to implement validation on the front end to prevent typos in the first place. Correcting them could lead to sending emails to unintended recipients.
Email marketer from Stackoverflow explains that automatically correcting typos can be risky and potentially violate privacy laws. Instead of automatically fixing, you can implement a 'Did you mean?' suggestion based on common typos, but the user should confirm the correction.
Email marketer from Hubspot shares that unsubscribes are an important metric to track, because they represent an opportunity to improve your campaigns, whether it be segmenting lists or making sure not to inundate prospects with emails. High numbers should lead to reviewing your marketing practices.
Email marketer from GMass says that a low unsubscribe rate is preferable, but a rising unsubscribe rate should prompt action. They are not a direct reflection of spam reports, but show a sign of decreasing email engagement.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that a high unsubscribe rate may signal to mailbox providers that your emails are not relevant or wanted by recipients. This can negatively impact your sender reputation and deliverability. While unsubscribes are preferable to spam complaints, consistently high unsubscribe rates should be addressed.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that unsubscribes are an important metric to track. Increases might point to a mismatch of your target audience, out-of-date material, or sending too many emails. These should be monitored to improve email marketing practices.
Expert from Email Geeks strongly advises against fixing bad email addresses, emphasizing that you can't be certain it's even a mistake. She notes that domains like "gamil.com" are active sites.
Expert from Email Geeks warns against assuming an email address is a typo, as domains like "gnail.com" are registered and may belong to actual users. Don't assume you know better than the recipient.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that while it may be tempting to correct typos in email addresses, it's fraught with danger. The intended recipient may not receive the email, and there's a risk of violating privacy if the corrected address belongs to someone else. Prevention through validation at the point of entry is always the best approach.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that list-unsubscribe options are not equally effective across different providers. Senders need to implement both one-click unsubscribe and a confirmation page to adhere to industry best practices. Providing only one option will limit subscriber opt-out and potentially result in negative reputation.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that unsubscribes generally appear as regular clicks, except at Google. At Google, if someone marks a message as spam and the sender has a good reputation, Google may ask if they want to unsubscribe. If they choose to unsubscribe via the List-Unsubscribe header, it can negatively impact reputation as it is treated like a spam complaint.
Expert from Email Geeks states to never fix a bad email address because you cannot infer the correct address from a typo. Instead, focus on fixing the process that allows bad addresses into the system, such as asking for address confirmation or using "did you mean" features.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the question of if you should automatically correct email address typos should be answered by saying no. It is a terrible practice that should be avoided.
Expert from Email Geeks highlights legal and privacy concerns with fixing addresses after the fact, as you're mailing an address not explicitly given. He recommends email verification during signup to guide users to correct their entries themselves.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Gmail Help explains that Gmail uses the List-Unsubscribe header to allow users to easily unsubscribe from emails. A prominent unsubscribe link is displayed, and if users choose this option, Gmail sends an unsubscribe request to the sender. Senders should honor these requests promptly to avoid negative impacts on their sender reputation.
Documentation from RFC Editor details the specification for the 'List-Unsubscribe' header field. It specifies how to embed an unsubscribe link in the email header, allowing mail user agents to provide an automated way for users to unsubscribe. This is essential for managing mailing lists and providing users with control over their subscriptions.
Documentation from IETF says that correcting email address is not recommended, as this could lead to security breaches and is not aligned with the defined IETF and DNS standards.
Documentation from Microsoft describes that their Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) provides data about your sending reputation. High complaint rates and low engagement (including unsubscribes) can negatively affect your sender reputation, leading to filtering or blocking of your emails.