Why am I seeing deliverability issues after a subject line change?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Email marketer from StackOverflow answers the question saying that a change in subject line could lead to an increase in complaints or flags, potentially causing deliverability to plummet. If the new subject lines are misleading or contain certain words, it could trigger spam filters.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that it could be increased spam complaints due to the new subject lines. If users are reporting the emails as spam after the subject line change, that will negatively affect deliverability.
Email marketer from HubSpot Blog responds that a sudden change in subject line style or content can sometimes trigger spam filters. If the new subject lines are perceived as more aggressive or sales-oriented, it could negatively affect deliverability. Review subject lines and how they align with audience expectations.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that sudden use of certain keywords within the subject line can trigger spam flags. If the new subject lines are using more promotional or "salesy" language, it could be affecting deliverability.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor advises that sudden changes in subject line practices could lead to deliverability issues. They recommend keeping subject lines consistent and relevant to the email content to maintain a good sender reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that changes to subject lines can affect deliverability, and they recommend A/B testing the new subject lines to ensure they don't negatively impact your sender reputation. A/B testing can also help identify any phrases that might be causing issues.
Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog shares that a subject line change might lead to deliverability issues if the new subject line contains words or phrases commonly associated with spam. They advise using a subject line tester to check for potential problems before sending.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that while subject lines themselves might not be the sole cause, drastic changes can trigger spam filters if they suddenly contain spam-like keywords or phrases. It recommends A/B testing subject lines and monitoring deliverability metrics after any changes.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares that Yahoo found the issue to be an increase in complaints from recipients. They emphasize that deliverability problems are often driven by recipients objecting to the mail and that recipient behavior can change even without changes to the email program.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests the new subject line might be generating more complaints and recommends reverting to the old subject line to see if that resolves the issue.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that a sudden drop in deliverability after a subject line change can be due to spam filters identifying new keywords or phrases as suspicious. They suggest reviewing the new subject lines for potentially problematic terms and testing deliverability to different mailbox providers.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that changes in subject lines can negatively impact deliverability and suggests split testing different subject lines to identify which ones perform better and are less likely to trigger spam filters. They suggest running inbox placement tests.
Expert from Email Geeks states that a subject line change should not directly cause deliverability issues and offers to examine an example email to identify potential problems.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft answers that inconsistencies in email content, including sudden changes in subject lines, can be a trigger for spam filters in Outlook. Changing subject lines to contain misleading or irrelevant content can reduce deliverability.
Documentation from Google explains that a sudden change in sending patterns, including subject line content, can impact sender reputation. If users start marking emails as spam after the change, it can signal to Gmail that the messages are unwanted.
Documentation from Mailchimp answers the question stating that email content, especially the subject line, can affect deliverability. Using deceptive or misleading subject lines can damage sender reputation and trigger spam filters.
Documentation from RFC explains that incorrect formatting or the inclusion of spam-like keywords within the Subject header field can lead to deliverability issues. The Subject header must adhere to specific syntax requirements, and the content should be genuine.
Documentation from SparkPost explains that changes to email content, including subject lines, can impact deliverability. Spam filters may be triggered by changes in the subject line's style or content, especially if it includes spammy keywords or misleading information.