How long before cold emails are blocked and what are Gmail's policies on cold email?

Summary

The answers provided paint a detailed picture of how cold emails are blocked and Gmail's related policies. Blocking is not immediate, taking months (6-12) to fully affect corporate email and often initially resulting in spam folder placement. Gmail is proactively blocking, even threatening permanent shutdowns for violations such as exceeding sending limits (which vary by account type, as detailed in Google Workspace Admin Help docs). Effective strategies include personalization, warming up IPs, list cleaning, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and gradual sending increases. Sender reputation, complaint rates, and email engagement are key blocking factors, assessed by Gmail's machine learning (as outlined in the Google Online Security Blog), with user feedback improving spam filters. Blocked emails can generate server error codes (per IETF documentation). Experts highlight the importance of genuine engagement and ongoing policy awareness. ISPs and mailbox providers use diverse metrics for blocking, as outlined by Spam Resource, and Word to the Wise emphasizes engagement's critical deliverability role.

Key findings

  • Blocking Delay: Significant blocking impact takes 6-12 months for corporate emails.
  • Gmail's Proactivity: Gmail actively blocks, threatening account shutdowns for sending limit violations.
  • Account-Based Limits: Sending limits vary by Google account type (free vs. Workspace).
  • Machine Learning: Gmail uses ML for spam detection (content, reputation, engagement).
  • Engagement Matters: Email engagement significantly impacts deliverability; low engagement leads to spam.
  • Technical Standards: Servers may return error codes for blocked emails (per IETF standards).
  • Third party blocking assessment: ISPs and mailbox providers use diverse metrics for blocking.

Key considerations

  • Long-Term Strategy: Recognize deliverability effects are often delayed, requiring long-term strategic practices.
  • Policy Vigilance: Stay updated on Gmail's ever-evolving cold email and sending policies.
  • Reputation Focus: Prioritize building and maintaining a positive sender reputation.
  • Genuine Engagement: Strive for genuine email engagement, avoiding a mass-blast approach.
  • Technical Setup: Implement SPF, DKIM, DMARC for authentication, warming up IPs.
  • List Maintenance: Clean email lists regularly and remove inactive addresses.
  • Sending Volume: Ramp up sending volumes gradually, especially with new accounts.

What email marketers say
9Marketer opinions

The provided responses indicate that the time it takes for cold emails to be blocked by Gmail and other providers depends on various factors, including sender reputation, email content, engagement metrics, and adherence to best practices. Key strategies for avoiding blocks include personalizing emails, warming up IP addresses, maintaining clean email lists, authenticating domains, and gradually increasing sending volume. Google enforces different sending limits depending on the account type and sender reputation.

Key opinions

  • Personalization: Personalized and targeted cold emails are more effective and less likely to be marked as spam.
  • Deliverability Factors: Sender reputation, email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and email content significantly impact cold email deliverability.
  • Warming Up: Warming up IP addresses and email accounts is crucial for establishing a positive sender reputation.
  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean and up-to-date email list is essential for avoiding spam traps and improving deliverability.
  • Sending Limits: Google enforces sending limits based on account type and sender reputation, and exceeding these limits can lead to temporary or permanent suspension.

Key considerations

  • Sender Reputation: Actively monitor and manage your sender reputation to ensure it remains positive.
  • Authentication: Implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify your identity and improve deliverability.
  • Content Quality: Craft high-quality, personalized email content that provides value to the recipient to avoid being marked as spam.
  • Sending Volume: Gradually increase your sending volume to avoid triggering spam filters, especially with new accounts.
  • Account Type: Understand and adhere to the sending limits associated with your specific Gmail or Google Workspace account type.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that cold emails can still be effective if personalized and targeted correctly, but highlights the importance of following best practices to avoid being marked as spam.

September 2024 - Neil Patel's Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sales Hacker shares that personalizing cold emails and tailoring them to the recipient's specific interests or needs greatly increases the likelihood of a positive response and reduces the chances of being marked as spam.

June 2021 - Sales Hacker
Marketer view

Email marketer from Quickmail responds that warming up your email address is essential for cold outreach, simulating human-like interaction with emails to improve sender reputation.

October 2023 - Quickmail.io Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Woodpecker Blog shares that numerous factors affect cold email deliverability, including sender reputation, email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and the content of the email itself, and suggests strategies for optimizing each of these to improve deliverability.

April 2024 - Woodpecker Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog responds that to avoid cold emails being blocked, it's crucial to warm up the IP address, maintain a clean email list, and personalize email content.

March 2025 - Mailjet Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Hunter.io responds that factors like having a dedicated IP address, authenticating your domain, and maintaining a good sender reputation are crucial for ensuring cold emails reach the inbox rather than being blocked.

May 2022 - Hunter.io Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass Blog responds that Google enforces different sending limits based on the type of Gmail account (e.g., free vs. paid Workspace accounts) and the sender's reputation and states that exceeding these limits can result in temporary or permanent account suspension.

October 2022 - Gmass Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Klenty Blog highlights the importance of regularly cleaning your email list and removing invalid or inactive email addresses to maintain a good sender reputation and prevent emails from being blocked or marked as spam.

November 2021 - Klenty Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that they have experienced temporary blocks when sending more than 50 cold emails in a short period from a new Gmail account and suggests gradually increasing the sending volume over time to avoid triggering spam filters.

October 2021 - Reddit

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

The responses highlight that blocking cold emails is a complex process influenced by several factors. It can take months for blocking to impact corporate email significantly, often resulting in emails landing in spam folders initially. Gmail is becoming more aggressive with outbound blocking, including limiting the number of emails sent per day and threatening account shutdowns for violations. Blocking decisions depend on sender reputation, complaint rates, engagement metrics, and ISP/mailbox provider policies. Email engagement significantly affects deliverability, with low engagement increasing the likelihood of emails being blocked or sent to spam.

Key opinions

  • Blocking Timeline: Cold email blocking is not immediate; it can take 6-12 months to significantly impact corporate email.
  • Gmail's Actions: Gmail is increasingly aggressive with outbound blocking, including email limits and account suspension threats.
  • Key Factors: Sender reputation, complaint rates, and engagement metrics determine blocking decisions.
  • Compliance Gaps: Despite Gmail's efforts, compliance measures for cold emails are still inconsistent.
  • Engagement Impact: Email engagement strongly influences deliverability; low engagement leads to spam folder placement or blocking.

Key considerations

  • Long-Term Impact: Recognize that the impact of cold email practices on deliverability might not be immediately apparent but can accumulate over time.
  • Monitor Gmail Policies: Stay updated on Gmail's evolving policies regarding cold email and sending limits.
  • Reputation Management: Proactively manage sender reputation by ensuring low complaint rates and high engagement.
  • Focus on Engagement: Prioritize building genuine engagement with recipients to improve deliverability and avoid being marked as spam.
  • Holistic Approach: Consider a holistic approach to email marketing that combines cold outreach with permission-based strategies.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that applying strict rules to cold leads is currently a gap, although Gmail is starting to address the issue, but their compliance measures are inconsistent and not a complete solution.

April 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that blocking cold emails rarely happens quickly, typically taking 6-12 months to affect corporate email, and even then, it often results in emails landing in the spam folder, with B2B mailers only reacting when their opt-in mail is affected.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that ISPs and mailbox providers use a variety of factors to determine whether to block emails, including sender reputation, complaint rates, and engagement metrics. The time it takes for cold emails to be blocked depends on how quickly these factors are negatively impacted.

February 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks mentions that Gmail is indeed blocking cold emails and being more aggressive about outbound blocking, noting past instances of blocking sales reps exceeding 500 emails a day and recent threats of permanent shutdowns for repeated violations.

December 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise responds that engagement with your emails heavily influences deliverability. Low engagement signals that your emails might not be wanted and can lead to placement in the spam folder or even blocking, and high engagment helps keep your emails out of the spam folder.

September 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Google's policies on cold email, as indicated by the provided documentation, include limitations on the number of emails sent per day to prevent spam and abuse, with these limits varying based on account type. Gmail employs advanced machine learning techniques to detect and filter spam by analyzing email content, sender reputation, and user engagement. User reports of spam contribute to the improvement of Gmail's spam filters. When emails are blocked, servers may respond with error codes to notify senders.

Key findings

  • Sending Limits: Gmail imposes daily sending limits to prevent spam, which vary based on account type.
  • ML Spam Detection: Google uses machine learning to analyze email content, sender reputation, and user engagement to detect spam.
  • User Feedback: User reports of spam help Gmail improve its spam filters.
  • Error Codes: Servers may use error codes to indicate that an email was blocked due to spam policies.

Key considerations

  • Account Type: Understand the sending limits specific to your Gmail or Google Workspace account type.
  • Reputation: Focus on building and maintaining a positive sender reputation to avoid being flagged as spam.
  • Content Quality: Ensure your email content is relevant and engaging to reduce the likelihood of being marked as spam by users.
  • Error Code Analysis: Pay attention to server error codes to understand why emails are being blocked and adjust sending practices accordingly.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help details Gmail's sending limits, specifying that users are limited to sending a certain number of emails per day to prevent spam and abuse, with specific limits depending on the type of account.

November 2021 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article

Documentation from IETF states that servers may respond with specific error codes (e.g., 4xx or 5xx) to indicate that an email was rejected due to spam policies or other reasons, providing feedback to the sender about why their email was blocked.

December 2021 - Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
Technical article

Documentation from Google Online Security Blog explains that Google uses sophisticated machine learning techniques to detect and filter spam, analyzing various signals like email content, sender reputation, and user engagement to identify and block unwanted emails.

June 2024 - Google Online Security Blog
Technical article

Documentation from Gmail Help Center states that when users mark an email as spam, Gmail learns from these reports to improve its spam filters and better identify and block similar emails in the future.

August 2021 - Gmail Help Center