Email Glossary
General Email Marketing Terms
A coordinated set of email messages sent to achieve a specific goal (e.g., promoting a product, nurturing leads).
A collection of email addresses gathered through subscriptions or sign-ups, forming your audience.
Dividing an email list into smaller, targeted groups based on criteria like behavior, location, or purchase history.
Customizing email content using subscriber data (e.g., name or past purchases) to increase relevance and engagement.
Email content that changes based on subscriber data (like personalized product recommendations).
Setting up pre-scheduled or behavior-triggered emails (e.g., welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails).
A series of automated emails sent over time, guiding users through a sales funnel.
A targeted email strategy to win back inactive subscribers.
Emails triggered by a user’s action (e.g., order confirmations, password resets).
Marketing emails sent to promote products, services, or special offers.
The process of a user consenting to receive emails — can be Single Opt-In (one-step) or Double Opt-In (confirmation required).
When a recipient chooses to stop receiving emails by clicking the unsubscribe link.
A form on a website or landing page where users enter their email to join your list.
A page allowing subscribers to update their email preferences (like frequency or topics of interest).
Email Metrics & Performance
The percentage of recipients who opened your email — indicates subject line effectiveness.
The percentage of email recipients who clicked a link inside the email — reflects engagement.
The number of clicks as a ratio of unique users who clicked against the number of emails delivered.
The percentage of recipients who took a desired action (e.g., purchase, sign-up) after clicking a link.
The percentage of emails that couldn’t be delivered. It includes:
- Hard Bounce: Permanent delivery failure due to invalid email addresses.
- Soft Bounce: Temporary delivery failure due to full inboxes or server issues.
The percentage of recipients who opted out of your email list.
The percentage of recipients who reported your email as spam.
The ability of an email to reach the recipient’s inbox without being blocked or filtered into spam.
The percentage of emails that reach the inbox (not spam or junk folders).
The rate at which an email list is expanding — new subscribers minus unsubscribes and bounces.
Combines open rates, click rates, and conversion rates — shows overall email interaction.
When a recipient chooses to stop receiving emails by clicking the unsubscribe link.
A form on a website or landing page where users enter their email to join your list.
A page allowing subscribers to update their email preferences (like frequency or topics of interest).
Email Content and Design
- The clickable headline that recipients see in their inbox — crucial for open rates.
The short summary text following the subject line in inboxes — acts as a teaser for the email content.
A button or link encouraging readers to take a specific action (e.g., “Buy Now,” “Learn More”).
The code containing metadata like the sender, recipient, and subject — crucial for deliverability.
The main content of your email, including text, images, and CTAs — optimized for design and responsiveness.
The bottom section of an email containing unsubscribe links, contact info, and legal disclaimers.
An email with images, colors, and fonts — more visually engaging than plain text emails
A simple email without design elements — often used for personal or transactional messages.
Placeholder text that auto-populates subscriber info (like ‘Hi {{FirstName}}’) for personalization.
The rate at which an email list is expanding — new subscribers minus unsubscribes and bounces.
Combines open rates, click rates, and conversion rates — shows overall email interaction.
When a recipient chooses to stop receiving emails by clicking the unsubscribe link.
A form on a website or landing page where users enter their email to join your list.
A page allowing subscribers to update their email preferences (like frequency or topics of interest).
Email Testing and Optimization
Sending two variations of an email to a small audience to see which one performs better before sending the winning version to the full list.
Sending test emails to a ‘seed list’ to check deliverability and design before full deployment.
Checking how an email appears across different clients (Gmail, Outlook) and devices for consistent design.
Sending emails in batches over time to avoid triggering spam filters.
Deliverability and Compliance
The process of regularly cleaning an email list by removing invalid, inactive, or unengaged subscribers.
A service by mailbox providers like Yahoo and Outlook that notifies you when recipients mark your emails as spam.
A list of approved email addresses marked as trusted by recipients, ensuring emails go straight to their inbox.
A list of IP addresses blocked due to spam complaints or poor sending practices, preventing email delivery.
A method where servers temporarily delay emails from unknown senders — legitimate senders retry, while spammers often don’t.
A list of email addresses excluded from future campaigns, including unsubscribers and spam reporters.
U.S. law setting rules for commercial email — covers transparency, opt-outs, and penalties.
European law governing data privacy, including consent rules for email marketing.
Technical Email Marketing Terms
A platform used to create, send, and track email campaigns (e.g., cmercury, Mailchimp, Brevo).
A protocol used to send emails between servers.
Allows email platforms to integrate with other apps or websites for automation.
Software that sends emails from the sender’s server to the recipient’s inbox.
A unique number assigned to the server sending emails — crucial for tracking sender reputation.
- Dedicated IP: An IP address solely used by one sender — ideal for high-volume email marketing.
Shared IP: An IP address used by multiple senders — suitable for smaller senders.
A score assigned by ISPs based on email quality, affecting inbox placement.
An authentication method that verifies the sender’s IP is allowed to send on behalf of a domain.
Adds a digital signature to emails, ensuring they haven’t been altered during transit.
An email authentication policy that prevents spoofing by aligning SPF and DKIM.
Displays brand logos next to emails in supported inboxes for brand trust.
A Microsoft service that notifies email senders when messages are reported as spam
An invisible image embedded in emails to track opens and user activity.
Tags added to email links to track campaign performance in Google Analytics.
Analytics and Reporting Tools
A free tool to monitor email reputation and deliverability for Gmail users.
A hidden feature in emails that allows recipients to easily unsubscribe with one click.
A header used to classify automated emails (e.g., auto-replies or bulk mail) — helps ISPs identify email type.
How an email appears across different email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail) and devices.
The ability of your emails to reach recipients’ inboxes, affected by sender reputation and authentication.
A line-up of emails waiting to be processed and sent by the mail server — crucial for managing large sends.
Numeric codes explaining bounce reasons — usually:
- 5xx: Permanent errors (hard bounces)
- 4xx: Temporary errors (soft bounces)
A database storing detailed subscriber data — key for hyper-personalization.