Email Marketing Term
What is Spam Complaint?
When a recipient marks your email as spam/junk using their email client's report button.
Spam complaints are the most damaging metric for sender reputation. ISPs weight them heavily because users are explicitly saying "I don't want this."
Complaint rate is calculated: (Complaints ÷ Emails Delivered) × 100. A healthy rate is under 0.1% (1 per 1,000). Rates above 0.3% cause serious deliverability problems.
Why recipients complain: - Didn't recognize sender - Can't find unsubscribe link - Too many emails - Irrelevant content - Never signed up (purchased lists)
Once someone complains, immediately remove them. ISPs share complaint data, so the same person complaining across platforms compounds the damage.
Examples
- 0.1% complaint rate = 1 complaint per 1,000 emails
- Gmail "Report Spam" button triggers complaint
- Complaints hurt sender reputation for weeks
Tips for Spam Complaint
- ✓Make unsubscribe link prominent and easy
- ✓Use recognizable "From" name
- ✓Never email purchased lists
- ✓Honor unsubscribes immediately
Related Terms
Sender Reputation
A score assigned to your sending domain and IP address based on email sending practices.
Email Deliverability
The ability to successfully deliver emails to recipients' inboxes rather than spam folders.
Unsubscribe Rate
The percentage of recipients who opt out of receiving future emails after a campaign.
List Hygiene
The practice of regularly cleaning your email list by removing invalid, inactive, or unengaged subscribers.
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