How many links in an email is too many for good deliverability?

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog explains the importance of maintaining a healthy text-to-link ratio. They suggest ensuring the email content provides value independently of the links, and not to overload emails with too many links that distract from the main message. Focus on quality links that are relevant to the email's objective.

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that some email providers have different thresholds for the number of links they allow before flagging an email as spam. They recommend testing with different providers to see what works best for your audience.

Email marketer from Reddit explains that the number of links isn't as important as the reputation of the domains you're linking to. Linking to known spam sites will damage your deliverability, regardless of how many links you have. Focus on reputable, high-quality links.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that they use newsletters with over 30 links, most of which point back to their own sites. While not every link gets good engagement, overall engagement is solid.

Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog suggests focusing on the recipient's experience by limiting links to the most valuable and relevant resources. Too many links can overwhelm the subscriber. They suggest tracking click-through rates to determine which links are most engaging to subscribers.

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign answers explains that using spam words can affect sender reputation and land you in the spam folder. Links related to spam words can also have a negative affect.

Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog advises against excessive links in emails, recommending a focus on quality over quantity. He emphasizes that too many links can dilute the message and potentially trigger spam filters, suggesting that a few well-placed, relevant links are more effective.

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that while there's no strict limit, the number of links can influence deliverability. They recommend balancing links with substantial text and avoiding linking to suspicious or low-reputation domains, as these can negatively impact sender reputation and trigger spam filters.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that an overweighted link:text ratio can contribute to emails landing in the promo tab or even spam folder, especially if the link quality is poor. The advice is to limit the number of links compared to the text and ensure the links primarily direct back to your own domain. The email should drive traffic to the website, which then features off-domain links.

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that each unique domain in an email requires resources to investigate for reputation, influencing filtering decisions. A high number of different links/domains requires more resources for filtering algorithms. During traffic spikes, algorithms prioritize emails that are easier to assess, potentially favoring messages with fewer domains/URLs for quicker filtering. Having fewer links and domains can help providers save resources, possibly leading to preferential treatment.

Email marketer from Litmus says there's not a magic number, but the context and reputation matter more. Ensure links are trustworthy and relevant. Internal links are better than external to unknown websites. A healthy text-to-link ratio is important.

Email marketer from Constant Contact answers question about how to avoid the spam folder. They detail that having short links and links to bad websites can land you in the spam folder. They recommend ensuring that you are using links to trusted sources.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that there's no direct correlation between the number of links and deliverability problems. Filters prioritize link quality over quantity and must accommodate 1-to-1 emails, so a black-and-white approach to the number of links would block desired emails.

Expert from Word to the Wise discusses that while no precise number exists, the placement and context of links matter. Having lots of 'click here' style links are suspicious. Ensure you have a text-to-link ratio to reassure filters you aren't trying to deceive readers.

Expert from Email Geeks responds that if a reader has opened the email give them a fallback near the bottom (besides the unsubscribe). If people regularly engage with your fallback, it’s a sign that they are invested in your brand but there’s a mismatch with your primary message and this subsegment.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that using link shortening services can reduce trust and damage your reputation with filters. It is better to use branded links or full URLs.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that using a link tracking domain that is also used for sending, can cause issues for deliverability. It is better practice to separate link tracking domains from sending domains.

Documentation from Microsoft details bulk mail sender guidelines. While not directly related to number of links, if bulk mail is detected in your domain due to spam from links, it will affect sender reputation. Therefore quality matters more than the amount of links.

Documentation from RFC Editor focuses on security considerations for email, including links. Although not directly stating the number of links, It implies caution when including links to external sites, advising verifying URLs and using secure protocols (HTTPS) to prevent phishing attacks or malware distribution. Excessive external links can increase the risk of such vulnerabilities.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools recommends following general best practices for email content, which implicitly includes moderating the number of links. While they don't specify a number, they emphasize the importance of sender reputation and avoiding content that may be flagged as spam, suggesting restraint in link usage.