Unsubscribes, bounces and staying out of spam

Inboxes like Gmail and Outlook decide where your email lands based on how people react to it. If people open it, it goes to the inbox. If it bounces or gets marked as spam, more of your mail goes to spam. SendDuo handles the rules for you, and a few habits on your side do the rest.

An unsubscribe link in every email

SendDuo adds a footer to every email with an Unsubscribe link, your physical mailing address and a line saying why the person is getting the email. You do not need to add any of this yourself.

SendDuo also tells inbox apps how to unsubscribe, so many of them show their own unsubscribe button next to your name. Either way, the person is unsubscribed straight away.

Who is never emailed again

SendDuo keeps an unsubscribe list for your account. Anyone on it is never sent another campaign. People are added when they:

• Unsubscribe from one of your emails.
• Bounce: the address does not exist or permanently refuses mail.
• Complain: they mark your email as spam.

A bounce or spam complaint also takes the person out of any automation they are in.

This list is permanent. Importing the same address again keeps it unsubscribed, and deleting the contact keeps the record too. Someone who unsubscribed can only resubscribe themselves.

To unsubscribe someone yourself, for example after they ask you by email:

1. Open Contacts and click the person's email address.
2. Under Actions, click Unsubscribe.

Only email people who opted in

The biggest cause of spam complaints and bounces is the list, not the email. Addresses that were bought, scraped or collected a long time ago bounce more, and people who never agreed to hear from you mark mail as spam. That is why purchased or rented lists cannot be imported, and why you confirm permission when you import. See Import contacts.

Store buyers who did not opt in to marketing are kept as Customer, not subscribed. They do not get your campaigns.

A verified domain

Every email is sent from your own verified domain and signed with DKIM. Your DMARC record tells inboxes what to do with fakes. Together they prove the email really comes from you, which inboxes reward. See Verify your sending domain.

Your first campaign is reviewed

For new accounts, SendDuo reviews the first campaign before it sends. This usually takes a few hours. After that, your campaigns send straight away. Test emails to yourself are not held for review.

When sending gets paused

SendDuo watches your bounce and spam complaint rates over the last 7 days, once you have sent at least 500 emails in that time.

• If the rates start rising (2.5% bounces or 0.05% complaints), we email you a heads-up.
• If they get high (5% bounces or 0.10% complaints), we pause sending for your account.

When sending is paused, campaigns that were sending or scheduled are stopped. Your drafts and contacts are not touched. A notice at the top of the app says Sending is paused for this workspace. and we email you the numbers.

To start sending again, clean up your list, then reply to the email we sent or contact support. We review your account and resume sending.

Tips to stay in the inbox

• Turn on double opt-in on your sign-up forms, so every new subscriber confirms their address by email first. See Add forms to any website.
• Before importing an old list, remove addresses you have not emailed in the last year and anyone who did not sign up themselves.
• Send regularly. People who hear from you often remember who you are and are less likely to mark you as spam.
• Do not send emails that are mostly images. Some inboxes hide images until clicked, and spam filters score image-only email lower. Add some text and alt text.
• Use a sender name people recognize, like your shop's name.
• Send yourself a test before every campaign and check that it looks right.