← Glossary

What is Spam complaint rate?

The share of delivered messages that recipients mark as spam.

How it works in practice

Gmail and Yahoo ask bulk senders to stay under 0.3% and aim for under 0.1%. Gmail reports it in Postmaster Tools; Yahoo and Microsoft pass complaints back through feedback loops. It is the single most damaging signal, because it's a direct statement from the recipient.

The common mistake

Making unsubscribing hard to find, which pushes people to the spam button instead.

Check it yourself

Related terms

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