What are the deliverability considerations when emailing group inboxes versus individual inboxes?

Summary

Sending emails to group inboxes presents numerous deliverability challenges compared to individual inboxes. These include potential blocking by platforms due to weaker opt-in consent, increased risk of spam complaints, lower engagement rates, and difficulties in A/B testing. Role-based addresses often have higher bounce rates, necessitating segmentation and close monitoring. Key to maintaining deliverability are proper list hygiene, verifying opt-in processes, adhering to authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and closely monitoring sender reputation and engagement metrics. Compliance issues related to billing practices in some ESPs also need consideration.

Key findings

  • Platform Blocking: Some platforms block emails to group inboxes due to weaker opt-in cases.
  • Increased Spam Risk: Group inboxes are more prone to spam complaints, negatively impacting sender reputation.
  • Lower Engagement: Sending to group inboxes can result in lower engagement rates.
  • Billing Compliance: Sending to group inboxes can violate compliance in some ESPs due to billing practices.
  • Technical Configuration: Proper setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records is crucial for email authentication.
  • Spam Traps: Sending to group lists can inadvertently lead to hitting spam traps.
  • List Hygiene Impact: Sending to outdated or inactive addresses can lead to deliverability issues.

Key considerations

  • Obtain Consent: Ensure explicit consent from each individual in the group to receive emails.
  • Segment Lists: Segment group inboxes and monitor their performance.
  • Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
  • Monitor Metrics: Monitor engagement metrics (open rates, CTR) and spam complaints.
  • Personalize Content: Consider personalizing emails rather than sending generic group emails.
  • Verify Email Addresses: Use email verification services to identify and remove invalid addresses.
  • Technical Setup: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for domain authentication.

What email marketers say
13Marketer opinions

Sending emails to group inboxes presents several deliverability challenges compared to individual inboxes. Key issues include increased risk of spam complaints, lower engagement rates, difficulties in A/B testing, and potential for compliance violations due to billing practices. Role-based addresses can lead to higher bounce rates and spam complaints, necessitating segmentation and monitoring. List hygiene, explicit consent, and email verification are crucial for maintaining sender reputation and deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Spam Complaints: Group inboxes are more prone to spam complaints, impacting sender reputation.
  • Lower Engagement: Sending to group inboxes can decrease engagement rates due to lack of personalization.
  • Billing Issues: Sending to group inboxes can be considered 'gaming billing' and a compliance violation.
  • Subscription Management: Managing subscriptions for group inboxes is tricky, as one unsubscribe affects all members.
  • Role-Based Issues: Role-based addresses can impact deliverability due to higher bounce rates.
  • A/B Testing Unreliable: Using group inboxes can be unreliable for A/B testing results.
  • Email Verification Needed: Email verification is necessary for maintaining a good reputation for group inboxes.

Key considerations

  • Obtain Explicit Consent: Ensure each individual in the group has given explicit consent to receive emails.
  • Segment Group Inboxes: Segment group inboxes and monitor their performance closely.
  • Maintain Clean Lists: Regularly clean email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
  • Monitor Engagement: Monitor engagement metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and complaints.
  • Personalize Emails: Consider personalizing emails to individual addresses instead of group inboxes.
  • Offer Separate Subscriptions: Offer separate subscription options for each individual within the group.
  • Verify Emails: Verify email addresses regularly to minimize bounces and maintain sender reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass shares that emails to inactive group inboxes can increase bounce rates. High bounce rates affect the sender's reputation. They recommend cleaning the list regularly by removing any inactive or undeliverable email addresses.

February 2022 - Gmass
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot explains sending emails to outdated or inactive addresses within group inboxes can lead to deliverability issues. They recommend maintaining clean email lists and regularly removing inactive addresses.

May 2021 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit User u/EmailNoob shares that group inboxes are more prone to spam complaints. If even one person in the group marks the email as spam, it impacts sender reputation and deliverability. They suggest obtaining explicit consent from each individual in the group.

November 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that using group inboxes can be unreliable for A/B testing results. Individual inboxes provide more accurate engagement data due to personalized user behavior. Therefore, group inboxes are not suitable for testing.

July 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow User TechEmail states that managing subscriptions for group inboxes can be tricky, as one unsubscribe action affects all members of the group. They suggest offering separate subscription options for each individual within the group.

April 2021 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that sending to group inboxes can be a 'gaming billing' consideration as multiple emails are sent for the price of one, which can be a compliance violation in some ESPs.

January 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares sending emails to multiple recipients through group inboxes can decrease engagement rates. They suggest individual emails often perform better due to personalization and relevance, making individual opt-ins more effective for engagement.

March 2023 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that deliverability depends on sender reputation and list engagement. Sending to group inboxes can decrease overall engagement because there might not be a single interested party. Therefore, consider personalizing emails to individual addresses instead.

January 2023 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that sending emails to generic email addresses such as info@ or sales@ can lead to lower engagement rates, as these inboxes are typically managed by multiple individuals. Segmenting these recipients can greatly improve the deliverability and engagement of your emails.

July 2022 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from ZeroBounce shares email verification is necessary for maintainining a good reputation. Verification identifies inactive group addresses that negatively affect bounce rate and sender reputation. Recommend cleaning addresses regularly, and verifiying any new ones.

June 2021 - ZeroBounce
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that SFMC tries to auto suppress role-based email addresses (they maintain a list of what they normally are - admin@, etc). You can request to have it turned off but its on be default.

January 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that it only takes one recipient to opt-out or mark an email as spam to cause a reputation ding and increase support costs when the opt-in user wonders where their emails are.

May 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that role-based addresses (like sales@ or info@) can impact deliverability because they often have higher bounce rates and spam complaints. They recommend segmenting these addresses and monitoring their performance closely.

January 2023 - Mailjet

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

Emailing group inboxes presents unique deliverability challenges. Some platforms block role accounts due to weaker opt-in consent. A single spam report from a recipient can negatively impact sender reputation, making individual opt-ins preferable. Maintaining clean lists and verifying opt-in processes are essential to avoid spam traps and ensure deliverability. Proper list hygiene and verifying consent are crucial for sending to group addresses.

Key opinions

  • Role Account Blocking: Some platforms block role accounts due to weaker opt-in cases.
  • Spam Reports Impact: One spam report can negatively impact sender reputation.
  • Spam Traps Risk: Sending to group lists can inadvertently lead to hitting spam traps.
  • IT Filtering Preferences: When sending to group addresses, those who do not want it may cause IT to filter it.

Key considerations

  • Individual Opt-Ins: Press for individual email opt-ins instead of group sign-ups.
  • List Hygiene: Maintain clean email lists by removing inactive or invalid addresses.
  • Verify Opt-In: Verify opt-in processes to reduce the risk of hitting spam traps.
  • Audience Specifics: Engagement and deliverability depend on audience specifics, being more common in B2B contexts.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the main issue is whether everyone on the group email opted in. One person can report it as spam, so pressing for individual emails is highly recommended. Also when one person wants it and one person doesnt the don't wins when it comes to IT filtering

October 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that group inboxes are also known as 'role accounts' and some platforms block emails to them due to weaker opt-in cases. They also point out that anyone receiving the email can unsubscribe the entire department, and engagement/deliverability depends on audience specifics, being more common in B2B contexts.

April 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that maintaining good list hygiene is crucial when sending to group addresses. They recommend regular scrubbing of the list to remove inactive or invalid addresses to prevent deliverability issues.

February 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource shares that sending to group lists can inadvertently lead to hitting spam traps. They suggest to clean lists regularly and verify opt-in processes. This lowers risk of hitting traps, thereby improving deliverability.

August 2021 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Sending emails to group inboxes necessitates careful configuration and adherence to email authentication standards. Proper setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records is crucial to authenticate emails and avoid deliverability issues. Regular list cleaning, monitoring of bounce rates and spam complaints, and maintaining a good sender reputation are essential. Following best practices for bulk email sending and ensuring proper DNS settings, including PTR and A records, are vital for successful email delivery.

Key findings

  • Domain Authentication: Proper domain ownership verification and SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup are critical.
  • DNS Settings: Proper DNS settings, including PTR and A records, impact deliverability.
  • List Maintenance: Regularly clean email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is critical for deliverability and should be monitored.
  • Authentication Standards: Following DMARC policies is key for email authentication and deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Configure Email Authentication: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate emails.
  • Maintain Clean Lists: Regularly clean email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
  • Monitor Engagement Metrics: Monitor bounce rates, spam complaints, open rates, and click-through rates.
  • Follow Bulk Email Best Practices: Adhere to best practices for sending bulk emails.
  • Ensure Proper DNS Settings: Ensure proper DNS settings, including PTR and A records, are in place.
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor covers specifics on email sending and deliverability, including the recommendation to ensure proper DNS settings for email servers. Proper PTR and A records are critical for reverse DNS lookups, which impacts deliverability.

October 2023 - RFC Editor
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC policies play a key role in email authentication. Sending emails to group inboxes without proper DMARC setup can cause deliverability issues, as DMARC helps ISPs verify the authenticity of the sender. DMARC also gives domain owners control over what happens to messages that fail authentication checks.

September 2024 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that using Google Groups for email lists requires proper configuration to avoid deliverability issues. They emphasize verifying domain ownership and setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate emails.

January 2023 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains the importance of following best practices for sending bulk emails. When sending to distribution lists (group inboxes), they recommend cleaning the list regularly to remove inactive or invalid addresses, as well as monitoring bounce rates and spam complaint rates.

April 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from Validity suggests that sender reputation is critical for deliverability. Sending to group inboxes without proper engagement monitoring can negatively impact reputation. They suggest monitoring engagement metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and complaints.

January 2025 - Validity