Why are identified spam campaigns low in Google Postmaster compared to spam complaints?

Email marketer from Reddit suggests that spam filtering algorithms could be improving in identifying and filtering spam before it even reaches the user's inbox. If the email is filtered before the user sees it, then the email cannot be marked as spam.

Email marketer from SendGrid suggests that one reason is you should monitor campaign statistics as quickly as possible as it allows you to take immediate action and stop sending if the spam rate climbs too quickly.

Email marketer from Word to the Wise points out that the differences between spam complaints and identified campaigns might stem from varied spam reporting mechanisms. Not every user complaint is processed and attributed back to a campaign in the same way. Different email providers have different systems, affecting the data aggregation in Google Postmaster Tools.

Marketer from Email Geeks states that GPT doesn't share information about emails landing in the spam folder automatically and you need to use other signals to make an assumption, but mailbox providers don't typically share what happens to mail after it's been delivered.

Email marketer from MailPoet explains that a high spam rate can indicate issues with targeting or email content. They suggest analyzing the content for potentially spammy words or phrases and ensuring that the email list is properly segmented and targeted to the right audience to reduce user complaints.

Email marketer from Stack Overflow suggests that the discrepancy between spam complaints and identified spam campaigns in Google Postmaster Tools might be due to the fact that not all spam complaints are directly attributable to a specific campaign. Some users may mark emails as spam based on the sender's reputation or overall content, rather than a specific campaign identifier. This can lead to lower numbers of identified campaigns.

Email marketer from Gmass suggests that Gmail's spam filters are constantly evolving, leading to variations in spam detection and user reporting. They recommend staying updated with Gmail's best practices and regularly monitoring sender reputation to ensure emails are delivered successfully.

Email marketer from Mailjet points out that the lower reporting of campaign-identified spam might be attributed to multiple factors such as poor list hygiene, misleading subject lines, and inconsistent sending practices, leading to a higher rate of 'This is Spam' clicks by recipients.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that their feedback loops in Google Postmaster are finally populating and asks if others are noticing a low number of identified campaigns marked as spam compared to the spam complaints, assuming Google is still in the process of generating data.

Marketer from Email Geeks mentions they get times more identifiers in v2 compared to v1.

Email marketer from EmailonAcid suggests that campaign identifiers are only one piece of the puzzle and may not reflect all reasons why users mark messages as spam. Often reasons that cause people to mark as spam are annoyance, fatigue or simply not finding the unsubscribe button.

Marketer from Email Geeks explains they use Iterable, which automatically populates the Feedback-ID in the header, and that some email marketing platforms may have the option to customize this.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that in Google Postmaster, the Identifiers Flagged correlates with the campaignId/templateId for their Iterable project and that the data in GPT is not fully populated, as it looks like it may still be populating on their end.

Expert from Spam Resource shares to ensure your Google Postmaster Tools Feedback Loop (FBL) setup is fully functional and accurately associating complaints with the relevant campaigns. Confirming proper identifier setup is essential for reliable data.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that data discrepancies within Google Postmaster Tools can arise from various factors, including how Gmail categorizes and filters emails, the accuracy of campaign identification through headers, and the timing of data aggregation.

Documentation from RFC-Editor outlines technical requirements for the Feedback-ID header, used by Gmail to associate messages with campaigns. Inconsistent or incorrect use of this header can result in misattribution, leading to lower identified spam campaigns.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help indicates that the spam rate calculation may not reflect real-time data. It also clarifies that the data displayed can be delayed and subject to processing variations, which might account for the differences between observed complaints and campaign-identified spam.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help states that discrepancies may arise if the Feedback-ID header (used to identify campaigns) is not consistently implemented across all emails. Missing or incorrectly formatted identifiers can result in lower reported numbers.