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Deliverability

Graymail

Legitimate bulk email that recipients opted into but may not actively engage with or want anymore.

Definition

Graymail is legitimate bulk email that recipients technically opted into but may not actively want anymore. Unlike spam (unsolicited), graymail was requested at some point but now goes unread or ignored. Examples include newsletters that no longer interest the subscriber, promotional emails from past purchases, or updates from services rarely used. It is not spam, but it is not wanted.

Why It Matters

Graymail damages engagement metrics and can hurt deliverability. Email providers notice when recipients consistently ignore emails and may start filtering them to spam. Managing graymail - through re-engagement campaigns, preference centers, and proactive list cleaning - maintains list health and sender reputation.

How It Works

Graymail accumulates naturally as subscriber interests change over time. Someone who eagerly signed up for your newsletter may lose interest after six months. The subscription remains valid, but engagement drops. Email providers increasingly filter graymail based on individual recipient behavior, even from reputable senders.

Best Practices

  • 1Run re-engagement campaigns for inactive subscribers
  • 2Offer easy preference adjustment rather than just unsubscribe
  • 3Sunset inactive subscribers after re-engagement attempts fail
  • 4Segment engaged versus unengaged subscribers
  • 5Make unsubscribing easy to prevent spam complaints

Frequently Asked Questions

Look for subscribers who have not opened or clicked in 60-90+ days despite receiving multiple emails. These inactive subscribers represent graymail risk. Segment them for re-engagement or sunset campaigns.

Try re-engagement first - some will re-activate. For those who remain inactive after re-engagement attempts, yes, remove them. Keeping chronically unengaged subscribers hurts your metrics and deliverability.