Should email seed lists be sent separately from regular email sends?

Summary

The general consensus is that seed lists are valuable for monitoring email deliverability but have limitations. Including seeds in regular sends provides real-time feedback, while separate sends might not be harmful but miss that immediate insight. Seed lists offer a limited view as they don't reflect individual user behavior, and they should be one part of a comprehensive deliverability strategy. Crucial aspects include representative lists, proper authentication, and avoiding confusion with spam traps.

Key findings

  • Real-time Feedback: Including seed lists in regular sends provides immediate feedback on deliverability.
  • Limited User View: Seed lists don't fully represent individual user behavior or custom filtering.
  • Comprehensive Strategy: Seed lists should be part of a broader deliverability strategy alongside other metrics.
  • No inherent Harm: Sending to seed lists separately might not cause harm, particularly in low volumes, but loses immediate feedback.
  • Skewed Results: Sending exclusively to seed lists for extended periods skews results.

Key considerations

  • Representation: Ensure seed lists accurately represent your target audience and ISP distribution.
  • Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for accurate results.
  • Spam Trap Avoidance: Avoid sending to spam traps, which can severely damage your sender reputation.
  • Data Integration: Combine seed list data with other deliverability metrics for a complete picture.
  • List Maintenance: Regularly clean seed lists to remove inactive or problematic addresses.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

The responses indicate that seed lists are a valuable tool for monitoring email deliverability across different ISPs and identifying potential issues. They provide a snapshot of inbox placement but have limitations. Seed lists should not be the sole measure of deliverability, as they don't account for individual user behavior, custom filtering rules, or engagement. It is best to use seed lists in conjunction with other deliverability tools and metrics, ensuring the seed list is representative of your target audience.

Key opinions

  • Deliverability Monitoring: Seed lists help monitor deliverability and identify issues early across different ISPs.
  • Inbox Placement Snapshot: Seed lists provide a snapshot of inbox placement at different ISPs.
  • Limited Scope: Seed lists do not guarantee deliverability for all recipients and don't account for individual user behavior or custom filters.
  • Comprehensive Analysis: Combining seed list data with other metrics provides a more comprehensive analysis.
  • Timing Matters: The timing of when seeds are sent and the non-engagement of seeds are important data points to consider.

Key considerations

  • Representativeness: Ensure the seed list is representative of your target audience.
  • Data Points: Seed lists provide a data point, and shouldn't be the only tool used when ensuring deliverability.
  • Regular Cleaning: Regularly clean seed lists to remove inactive or problematic addresses.
  • Internal vs External: Consider if you should use both internal and external lists.
  • Overall Picture: View deliverability data points as moments in time and emphasizing the importance of seeing the overall picture.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests regularly cleaning seed lists to remove inactive or problematic addresses. They also recommend monitoring seed list performance over time to identify trends and patterns.

September 2022 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that seed lists provide a snapshot of inbox placement at different ISPs but don't guarantee deliverability for all recipients. They suggest using seed lists in conjunction with other deliverability tools and metrics.

December 2021 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Quora explains that seed lists offer a good high-level overview, but it’s important to remember they don’t account for individual user settings or behaviors. Real-world results may vary.

September 2021 - Quora
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that they include seed lists in their regular sends to monitor deliverability across different ISPs. They also mention using separate seed lists for transactional emails to track their performance.

April 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackExchange notes that seed lists only provide a limited view of deliverability, as they don't account for factors like user engagement or custom spam filters. They suggest combining seed list data with other metrics for a more comprehensive analysis.

January 2023 - StackExchange
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that seed data points, the timing of seeds, and the non-engagement of seeds are all factors to consider when evaluating performance. She views deliverability data points as moments in time and emphasizes the importance of seeing the overall picture. She shares an example of a client consistently going to spam in seeds but still achieving desired engagement, indicating the need to consider other providers.

December 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit warns that seed lists may not always reflect the actual inbox placement for all users, especially if the seed list is not representative of the target audience.

August 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailToolTester shares that seed lists should not be the only tool used when trying to ensure deliverability. They also point out you need to use seed lists internally and externally to gain a bigger picture.

June 2023 - EmailToolTester
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that Seed Lists are best when you want to understand inbox placement before a big campaign goes out. They also state that it's good for checking if you have made any configuration changes which may have impacted deliverability.

February 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that seed lists help monitor deliverability across different ISPs and identify potential issues early. However, they also mention the limitations of seed lists, such as not reflecting individual user behavior or custom filtering rules.

October 2021 - Mailjet

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

The experts suggest a nuanced approach to seed list usage. Including seeds in regular sends offers real-time feedback on deliverability during the send process. While sending to seed lists separately might not directly harm deliverability, it may miss out on valuable insights from in-send monitoring. Ultimately, seed lists provide a limited view, as seed accounts differ from real users, and they should be integrated as one data point within a broader deliverability strategy that incorporates various tools and metrics.

Key opinions

  • In-Send Feedback: Including seeds in regular sends provides real-time feedback on deliverability and inbox placement as the send progresses.
  • Limited Harm Potential: Sending to seed lists separately is unlikely to directly and significantly harm deliverability, especially if the volume is low.
  • Limited View: Seed lists offer a limited view of deliverability because seed accounts behave differently than real users and don't reflect individual filtering preferences.
  • Data Point: Seed lists are best used as one data point among many in a comprehensive deliverability strategy.

Key considerations

  • Monitoring During Send: Consider the value of monitoring deliverability during a regular send versus isolating seed list sends.
  • Deliverability Strategy: Integrate seed list data with other deliverability metrics and tools for a more accurate assessment.
  • User Behavior: Remember that seed list results don't fully represent real user behavior and filtering.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise suggests seed lists are best used as a single data point in a larger deliverability strategy. Combining data from multiple deliverability tools, in addition to seed lists, will result in a more accurate outcome.

July 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that including seeds in the full send provides feedback on deliverability and inbox placement. He notes the importance of having multiple addresses at a given mailbox provider to spread them out across the send. This allows you to measure deliverability throughout the send, identifying if emails start going to spam.

February 2025 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares his opinion that sending to seed lists separately wouldn't cause problems. He argues that the volume of sends to the seedlist would have to be extremely high to negatively impact deliverability stats.

July 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that seed list monitoring, while useful, provides a limited view of deliverability because seed accounts often behave differently than real users. Factors like engagement history and individual filtering preferences are not reflected in seed list results.

January 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that automated sends to his seedlist for demo purposes, without a corresponding 'big send', never seemed to harm his measured deliverability.

February 2025 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
3Technical articles

The documentation emphasizes that seed lists should accurately represent your target audience across different ISPs. Avoid solely sending to seed lists for prolonged periods as it can distort deliverability metrics. It's crucial to distinguish seed lists from spam traps, as engaging with spam traps can severely harm your sender reputation. Proper email authentication is also a critical factor, as inaccurate seed list results may stem from incorrect configuration.

Key findings

  • Representative Sample: Seed lists should mirror your target audience and be distributed across various ISPs.
  • Avoid Exclusive Sending: Sending exclusively to seed lists for extended durations can skew deliverability metrics.
  • Seed Lists vs. Spam Traps: Seed lists are controlled monitoring accounts, while spam traps are designed to catch spammers; avoid confusing the two.
  • Authentication: Email authentication must be properly configured for accurate seed list results.

Key considerations

  • Audience Representation: Ensure your seed list accurately represents your target audience in terms of ISP distribution and other relevant factors.
  • Balanced Approach: Avoid over-relying on seed list data; use it in conjunction with other deliverability metrics.
  • Spam Trap Awareness: Be vigilant about avoiding spam traps, as they can significantly damage your sender reputation.
  • Authentication Setup: Verify that your email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is correctly configured.
Technical article

Documentation from Google explains that it is important to authenticate your email. Seed list results may vary if authentication is not configured correctly.

August 2022 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid warns against confusing seed lists with spam traps. They emphasize that seed lists are controlled accounts used for monitoring, while spam traps are designed to catch spammers. Sending to spam traps can severely damage your sender reputation.

October 2022 - SendGrid
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost shares that seed lists should be representative of your target audience and distributed across various ISPs. They also advise against sending exclusively to seed lists for extended periods, as this can skew deliverability metrics.

September 2024 - SparkPost