What are the best tips and tools to keep spam traps to a minimum?

Summary

Minimizing spam traps requires a multi-faceted approach encompassing list hygiene, permission-based practices, robust email authentication, proactive monitoring, and careful acquisition methods. Experts and marketers recommend regularly removing bounced and inactive addresses, securing opt-in forms with double opt-in and real-time verification, obtaining explicit consent, and segmenting lists for targeted content. It's crucial to authenticate emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, monitor sender reputation and engagement metrics, and set up feedback loops with ISPs. Avoid purchased lists and email harvesting. Use co-registration cautiously and warm up new IPs gradually. Understand the difference between pristine and recycled spam traps and recognize that hitting traps often indicates broader database health issues.

Key findings

  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers, bounced emails, and addresses with 'user unknown' errors.
  • Opt-in Process: Secure your opt-in forms with double opt-in and real-time verification to prevent invalid or mistyped addresses from entering your list.
  • Consent and Permission: Always obtain explicit consent from subscribers. Avoid purchased or harvested lists.
  • Email Authentication: Authenticate your email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your sending domain and build trust.
  • Monitoring and Feedback: Monitor sender reputation, bounce rates, complaint rates, and engagement metrics. Set up feedback loops with ISPs.
  • List Segmentation: Segment your email list based on engagement levels to send targeted content.
  • Re-engagement Campaigns: Implement re-engagement campaigns to win back inactive subscribers.
  • IP Warm-up: Gradually warm up new IP addresses to establish a positive sending reputation.

Key considerations

  • Database Health: Spam traps are often a symptom of underlying database health issues.
  • Acquisition Methods: Be cautious when using co-registration and avoid any methods that involve purchasing or harvesting email addresses.
  • Proactive Approach: Take a proactive approach to list maintenance and deliverability to prevent problems before they arise.
  • Tool Utilization: Utilize tools like Google Postmaster Tools and email verification services to improve deliverability and maintain a healthy list.
  • Data Recency: Regularly contact recipients (at least annually) to ensure their addresses are still valid and avoid stale data.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

To minimize spam traps, experts recommend focusing on list hygiene and acquisition practices. This includes regularly purging inactive accounts and bounces, securing opt-in forms (ideally with double opt-in), using real-time verification, and obtaining explicit consent. Segmentation and re-engagement campaigns for inactive subscribers are also crucial. Utilizing reputable ESPs, warming up IP addresses, and avoiding purchased lists further contribute to improved deliverability.

Key opinions

  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers and bounced emails.
  • Opt-in Process: Secure your opt-in forms with double opt-in and real-time verification to avoid mistyped or invalid email addresses.
  • Consent: Always obtain explicit consent from subscribers before adding them to your list. Avoid purchased or scraped lists.
  • Segmentation: Segment your email list based on engagement levels to send targeted content and reduce the risk of spam complaints.
  • Re-engagement: Implement automated re-engagement campaigns to win back inactive subscribers and prevent them from becoming spam traps.
  • ESP Choice: Use a reputable Email Service Provider (ESP) that has systems in place to manage bounces and complaints.
  • IP Warm-up: Gradually warm up new IP addresses to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.

Key considerations

  • List Acquisition: Focus on acquiring high-quality contacts through secure opt-in processes rather than relying on purchased lists.
  • Engagement Levels: Monitor engagement levels and adjust sending frequency or content based on subscriber activity.
  • Tool Selection: Consider using email verification services to identify and remove invalid email addresses before sending.
  • Proactive Approach: Implement proactive measures like re-engagement campaigns and list cleaning to maintain a healthy email list.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that you should clean your email list regularly, remove unengaged subscribers, and use double opt-in to verify email addresses. Also, segment your email lists to send targeted content.

August 2021 - Neil Patel's Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog shares to warm up your IP address gradually when starting to send emails from a new IP. This helps establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs.

March 2024 - HubSpot Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares to always tend to focus on the point of list acquisition, Secure your forms (double opt-in is best, but not mandatory, there are other ways to confirm contact activity after contact was opted in), add a layer of real-time verification to avoid mistyped domains and you will be set on the way to gather high quality lists.

December 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog shares that using a reputable email service provider (ESP) can help you avoid spam traps because they have systems in place to manage bounces and complaints. Also, use a dedicated IP address to control your sending reputation.

February 2022 - Email on Acid Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailDiscussions Forum suggests using a reputable email verification service to identify and remove invalid email addresses before sending. This prevents sending to recycled spam traps.

February 2022 - EmailDiscussions Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Constant Contact Blog shares that always get explicit consent from subscribers before adding them to your email list. Avoid using pre-checked boxes or purchased lists.

February 2024 - Constant Contact Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares to purge inactive accounts not just the bounces.

February 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog shares that creating automated re-engagement campaigns to win back inactive subscribers can help prevent them from becoming spam traps. Offer incentives to encourage them to re-engage.

August 2021 - ActiveCampaign Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus Blog shares that segmenting your list based on engagement levels and sending targeted content can improve deliverability and reduce the risk of hitting spam traps. Engaged users are less likely to mark your emails as spam.

February 2025 - Litmus Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit user r/emailmarketing explains that regularly scrubbing your list by removing inactive users (those who haven't opened or clicked in a set period) can help prevent hitting spam traps.

May 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from ZeroBounce Blog shares that using real-time email verification tools on your signup forms can prevent invalid or mistyped email addresses from entering your list in the first place. This reduces the risk of accumulating spam traps.

August 2021 - ZeroBounce Blog

What the experts say
7Expert opinions

To minimize spam traps, experts emphasize database health and permission practices. Remove bounces, especially 'user unknown' errors, and avoid emailing addresses that haven't been contacted in a year. Recognize that spam traps are indicative of broader data issues. Understand the difference between pristine and recycled spam traps. Never send to purchased lists or harvest emails through automated means. Use co-registration carefully, being wary of third-party promises of large lists.

Key opinions

  • Bounce Management: Remove addresses that bounce, particularly those with 'user unknown' errors, to maintain list hygiene.
  • Data Recency: Regularly contact recipients (at least annually) to ensure their addresses are still valid and avoid stale data.
  • Data Health: Spam traps are symptoms of larger issues within your email database, such as outdated or poorly maintained data.
  • Spam Trap Types: Understand the difference between pristine (never used) and recycled (old addresses) spam traps to better address prevention strategies.
  • List Acquisition: Avoid purchasing email lists, as they often contain invalid addresses and spam traps.
  • Email Harvesting: Ensure you are not harvesting emails through automated means as these are often spamtraps.

Key considerations

  • Database Maintenance: Prioritize regular database maintenance practices to ensure the accuracy and validity of email addresses.
  • Permission Practices: Always adhere to strict permission-based email marketing practices to avoid sending unsolicited emails.
  • Co-registration Caution: Be extremely cautious when using co-registration to grow your list, carefully vetting third-party providers.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the issue is not the trap addresses, but they are representative of the health of your overall database and your data is getting old and is not well maintained.

November 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that using co-registration carefully can help grow your list without spam traps but to be very careful of 3rd parties that promise large email lists.

May 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource.com shares that sending email to purchased lists is one of the fastest ways to get hit by spam traps, as these lists often contain invalid or inactive email addresses.

August 2023 - Spamresource.com
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise shares to make sure you aren't harvesting email addresses with bots or programs as they are usually spam traps.

July 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource.com explains that there are pristine spam traps which have never been used for legitimate email and recycled spam traps which are old email addresses that are now used to catch spammers.

February 2025 - Spamresource.com
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares to remove addresses that bounce with “user unknown” and to not go too far back into your database as permission is not indefinite.

December 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares to contact recipients at least every year to make sure their address isn’t bouncing.

September 2023 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

To minimize spam traps, technical documentation emphasizes authentication, monitoring, and proactive response to feedback. Authenticate your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your sending domain. Monitor bounce rates, complaint rates, and engagement metrics to identify potential issues. Set up feedback loops with ISPs to receive spam complaints and address them promptly. Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools to track your domain and IP reputation.

Key findings

  • Email Authentication: Authenticating your email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps verify your sending domain and improves deliverability.
  • Monitoring Metrics: Monitoring bounce rates, complaint rates, and engagement metrics is crucial for identifying potential problems.
  • Feedback Loops: Setting up feedback loops with ISPs allows you to receive and address spam complaints promptly.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Using Google Postmaster Tools helps track your domain and IP reputation, providing insights into sending health.
  • DMARC Implementation: Implementing DMARC protects against spoofing and phishing, indirectly reducing spam trap encounters.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Standards: Prioritize implementing and maintaining proper email authentication standards to build trust with ISPs.
  • Proactive Monitoring: Regularly monitor key metrics and address any issues promptly to prevent deliverability problems.
  • Feedback Responsiveness: Actively respond to feedback from ISPs and subscribers to improve your sending practices.
  • Tool Utilization: Effectively utilize tools like Google Postmaster Tools to gain insights into your sending reputation and identify areas for improvement.
Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid shares that monitoring bounce rates, complaint rates, and engagement metrics is crucial for maintaining good deliverability. High bounce and complaint rates can indicate that you're hitting spam traps.

June 2022 - SendGrid
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that monitoring your domain and IP reputation through Google Postmaster Tools can provide insights into your sending health and help you identify and address deliverability issues before they lead to spam traps.

July 2023 - Google
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps protect your domain from spoofing and phishing, which can indirectly reduce your chances of hitting spam traps.

June 2021 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from Mailchimp explains that you should authenticate your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your sending domain. They also recommend monitoring your sender reputation and avoiding spam trigger words.

November 2021 - Mailchimp
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost answers that setting up feedback loops with major ISPs allows you to receive reports of spam complaints. Addressing these complaints promptly helps avoid future spam traps.

October 2022 - SparkPost