Email Marketing Terms You Need To Learn

A

• A/B test: A metric used to analyze two versions of an email and find out which performs better
• Abandoned Cart Email: Automated email sent to remind customers about items left in their shopping cart.
• Accessibility: Designing emails that can be used by users with disabilities.
• Acceptance/Deliverability rate: The ratio of emails accepted by recipient servers.
• Allowlist: A list of approved senders that ensures their emails bypass spam filters.
• Alt text: Text describing an image for accessibility or when the image cannot load.
• AMP emails: Interactive emails allowing users to perform actions like RSVP or fill out forms directly in the email.
• Animated GIF: A series of frames or images that creates animations.
• API (Application Programming Interface): Tools developers use to incorporate email services into other applications.
• Apple Mail Privacy Protection (AMPP): A privacy feature that blocks email tracking, affecting open rate accuracy.
• Autoresponder: Automated replies triggered by specific email actions or events.
• Authentication protocols: Security measures verifying the sender’s identity to protect against spoofing.

B

• Bayesian filter: A spam filter that uses statistical methods for identifying unwanted emails.
• Behavioral email: Emails triggered by recipient actions, like browsing or purchasing behavior.
• BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification):  an authentication feature that uses brand-controlled logos to improve trustworthiness. 
• Blast (batch-and-blast): Pertains to sending an email to several recipients, or the entire subscriber/contact list. 
• Blocklist: A list of IPs or domains flagged for sending spam.
• Bulletproof: Ensuring email content renders properly across various clients.
• Bounce rate: The percentage of undelivered emails returned by recipient servers.

C

• Call-to-action (CTA): An email marketing term that encourages the reader to take action. E.g “Shop Now” or “ Learn more”
• CAN-SPAM: U.S. legislation regulating commercial emails, ensuring recipients can opt-out.
• Carousel: A rotating display of images or contents.
• Cellpadding: Space between cell content and its border in email tables.
• Clickthrough rate (CTR): The percentage of email recipients who click a link in the email.
• Click-to-open rate (CTOR): The percentage of clicks compared to opened emails.
• Components: Reusable building blocks of email design.
• Conditional code: Code used to customize email content based on recipient attributes.
• Consent (express and implied): Permission to send marketing emails, either directly given or inferred.
• Contact: An individual in your email list database. Usually indicate the email address and name.
• Content Delivery Network (CDN): A network of servers optimizing the delivery of email content.
• Customer Data Platform (CDP): Software that unifies customer data across channels.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): A tool for managing customer interactions and relationships.

D

• Dark mode: A popular display setting showing lighter text on a darker background.
• Dedicated IP: An IP address assigned exclusively to a specific sender.
• Delivery rate: The percentage of emails successfully delivered to recipients’ inboxes.
• Deployment: The process of sending out an email campaign.
• DKIM: An authentication protocol validating the sender’s domain.
• DMARC: An email authentication policy preventing spoofing.
• DocType: A declaration at the start of an email defining its HTML version.
• Double opt-in: A subscription method requiring users to confirm their signup via email.
• Domain Warm Up: The process of gradually increasing the volume of emails sent from a new or inactive domain. 
• Drip campaign: A series of automated, scheduled emails sent over time.
• DPO (Data Privacy Officer): Term used for an individual that ensures compliance with data protection regulations.
• Dynamic content: Email content that changes based on the recipient’s data.

E

• Email body: The main content of an email.
• Email campaign: A coordinated series of emails sent to a target audience.
• Email client: Software or apps like Gmail or Outlook used to access emails.
• Email Deliverability: Refers to the likelihood of an email reaching the recipient’s inbox. It’s influenced by factors like sender reputation, email authentication, and content quality.
• Email Domain: Part of an email address that comes after the @ symbol. 
• Email editor: A tool for designing and formatting email content.
• Email framework: Prebuilt structures used to develop consistent email designs.
• Email harvesting: Collecting email addresses, often without consent.
• Email preview: A tool to see how an email will look across different devices.
• Email Service Provider (ESP): A service used to send bulk emails.
• Email strategy terms: Keywords describing approaches to email marketing.
• Email validation: The process of verifying the authenticity of email addresses.
• Email verification: Ensuring an email address exists and can receive mail.
• Email Warm Up: Gradual increase of sending activity for a specific email address 
• Email weight: The file size of an email, affecting loading speed.
• Engagement: How recipients interact with emails, like opening or clicking links.

F

• False-positive: A situation where an email or message is incorrectly flagged as spam or malicious when it is actually legitimate.
• Fallback: A backup solution or alternative used when the primary option fails, e.g., a fallback font or email image.
• Fluid/Hybrid design: A flexible email design that adjusts to various screen sizes, blending fluid elements (that scale proportionally) with fixed-width ones.
• Font stack: A list of fonts that a device or email client can display. If the first font isn’t available, the next one in the stack is used.
• Friendly from: A sender name that is easily recognized by the recipient, often used to increase trust and open rates.
• From address: The email address that appears in the “From” field of an email, showing the sender to the recipient.

G

• GANGA: A framework or approach, but it’s unclear in the context of email marketing or tech, so further clarification might be needed.
• GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation; EU regulation protecting privacy and data of individuals.
• Ghost table: An invisible table in an email that helps with layout consistency, often used in HTML email templates.

H

• Hard bounce: A permanent failure in email delivery, often due to an invalid email address.
• Header: The top section of an email or webpage containing important information like sender details, subject line, and preview text.
• Honeypot: A trap designed to catch spammers, typically used in forms to detect and block automated submissions.

I

• Image blocking: A practice in which email clients prevent images from displaying automatically to avoid potentially malicious content.
• Image validation: The process of ensuring that images in emails are correctly loaded and displayed to recipients.
• Image-only email: An email that contains only images and no text, which may cause issues with deliverability or accessibility.
• IMAP: Internet Message Access Protocol; a protocol for accessing email on a remote mail server.
• Inbox display: The way an email is presented to a recipient when it lands in their inbox.
• Inbox placement rate: The percentage of emails that successfully land in a recipient’s inbox (as opposed to their spam or junk folder).
• Inbox Service Provider (ISP): Companies that provide email inbox services, such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook.
• Inline CSS: CSS code written directly in the HTML email document, rather than in external files, to style the email’s content.
• Interactive email: Emails with elements that allow users to engage directly within the email (e.g., polls, carousels, or forms).
• IP warming: The gradual increase of email sending volume from a new IP address to build a good sender reputation and avoid being flagged as spam.

L

• List: A collection of email addresses used for marketing or communication purposes.
• List building: The process of gathering email addresses and creating a contact list for marketing purposes.
• List churn: The rate at which contacts unsubscribe or become inactive in an email list.
• List fatigue: A condition where subscribers lose interest due to excessive or irrelevant communication.
• List growth: The increase in the number of subscribers or contacts on an email list.
• List hygiene: The process of maintaining a clean and active email list, removing inactive or invalid contacts.

M

• Mail delivery agent (MDA): Software responsible for delivering email messages to the recipient’s inbox.
• Mail merge: A process that allows for personalized email campaigns by merging recipient-specific data into email templates.
• Mail submission agent (MSA): A server that handles the submission of email messages from clients to mail servers for further processing.
• Mail transfer agent (MTA): A server responsible for transferring emails between mail servers.
• Mail user agent (MUA): An email client or application used by end users to read, compose, and send emails.
• Mailbox provider (MBP): See Inbox Service Provider (ISP).
• Marketing Automation Platform (MAP): Software used to automate marketing tasks, such as sending emails, segmenting lists, and tracking performance.
• Media query: CSS techniques used to apply different styles based on the characteristics of the device, such as screen size or orientation.
• Merge tag: Placeholder text that is replaced with specific information (like a name) when an email is sent.
• MIME (Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions): A standard for formatting email messages that include multimedia content such as images, audio, or attachments.
• Minify (HTML/CSS): The process of removing unnecessary characters (like spaces or comments) from HTML or CSS code to reduce file size and improve performance.
• MJML: A markup language designed to simplify the creation of responsive email templates.
• Modular email design: A design approach where emails are created using reusable blocks or modules for easy customization and consistency.

N

• Newsletter: A regular email publication sent to subscribers containing news, updates, or other content.
• No-reply address: An email address used for outgoing communications that doesn’t accept replies from recipients.
• Nurture track/nurture sequence: A series of automated emails designed to build relationships with subscribers or leads over time.

O

• Onboarding emails: Emails sent to new users or customers, often as part of a welcome sequence.
• Open rate: The percentage of recipients who open an email after it is sent.
• Opt in/opt out: The process by which individuals give consent (opt-in) or withdraw consent (opt-out) for receiving marketing communications.

P

• PCI: Payment Card Industry; refers to security standards for handling payment information.
• Personally identifiable information (PII): Information that can be used to identify an individual, such as name, email, address, etc.
• Plain text email: An email composed only of text with no images, links, or formatting.
• Postmaster: A role or team responsible for managing email services, including troubleshooting delivery issues.
• Preference center: A page where subscribers can manage their email preferences, such as frequency or types of communication.
• Preheader text (preview text): The snippet of text that appears below or beside the subject line in the inbox preview, giving additional context.
• Preview pane: A section in an email client where a user can see a portion of an email without opening it fully.
• Privacy policy: A document that explains how an organization collects, uses, and protects personal data.
• Progressive enhancement: A design approach where basic content and functionality are provided to all users, and additional features are added for those with better capabilities.
• Progressive profiling: The practice of collecting more information about a user over time, instead of asking for everything at once.
• Promotional email: An email primarily focused on promoting a product or service.
• Pseudo element: A CSS element used to style specific parts of a web page or email (e.g., adding styles to the first letter of a paragraph).

Q

• Quarantine: A folder where potentially suspicious or spam emails are held for review before being delivered to the inbox.

R

• Read, Skim, Glance/Delete: A framework describing how recipients interact with emails, either by reading thoroughly, skimming, or deleting without reading.
• Re-engagement campaign: A campaign aimed at reactivating inactive subscribers or customers.
• Recipient: The individual or group receiving the email message.
• Rendering: The process of displaying email content in a way that matches the intended design across different devices and email clients.
• Reply-to address: The email address where responses to a message will be directed.
• Responsive design: An email or web design that adapts to different screen sizes, ensuring readability and usability on any device.

S

• Seed list: A list of email addresses used to test email deliverability, ensuring messages are being received as expected.
• Segmentation: The process of dividing an email list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or behaviors.
• Semantic HTML: HTML that uses proper tags and structure to convey the meaning of content, improving accessibility and SEO.
• Sender: The person or organization sending the email.
• Sender name: The name that appears in the “From” field of an email.
• Sender reputation: A score assigned to a sender’s email address or IP based on factors like delivery rates and spam reports.
• Shared IP: An IP address used by multiple senders or email marketing services to send messages.
• SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol; a protocol used for sending email messages between servers.
• Snippets: Short pieces of content (e.g., subject lines or preview text) that are used in email or web content.
• Soft bounce: A temporary failure in email delivery, such as a full inbox or a server issue.
• Spam trap: A fake email address or domain designed to catch spammers.
• Spam Test: A process used to evaluate whether an email or message might be flagged as spam by filters depending on its content, format, and sender reputation.
• Spam/spammer: Unsolicited or unwanted emails, often sent in bulk, typically for advertising purposes.
• SpamAssassin: An open-source software used to identify and filter spam emails.
• SPF: Sender Policy Framework; a system for preventing email spoofing by verifying the sender’s domain.
• Spoofing: The act of falsifying the sender’s email address to appear as though it is from a trusted source.
• Subject line: The line of text in an email that gives the recipient a preview of its content, encouraging them to open it.
• Suppression list: A list of email addresses that should not receive marketing emails, often due to unsubscribes or complaints.
• Subscriber: An individual who has opted in to receive emails from a brand or service.

T

• Table role: The intended purpose or layout function of a table element within an email, e.g., for structure or content.
• Template: A pre-designed email layout that can be customized for different recipients or purposes.
• Text-to-image ratio: The balance between text and images in an email, which can affect deliverability and accessibility.
• Throttling: The practice of controlling the speed or volume at which emails are sent to avoid spam filters or delivery issues.
• Top-Level Domain: The suffix that comes after the domain name. E.g .com, .org, .net  
• Tracking pixel: A small, invisible image included in emails used to track recipient behavior, such as open rates.
• Transactional email: Emails triggered by a user’s actions, such as order confirmations or password resets.
• Trigger email: Emails that are automatically sent based on specific user actions, such as signing up or abandoning a cart.

U

• Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE): Unsolicited emails sent for commercial purposes, often considered spam.
• Unique opens: The number of unique recipients who open an email, measured once per recipient.
• Unsubscribe link: A link included in marketing emails that allows recipients to opt-out from future communications.
• Unsubscribe rate: The percentage of recipients who opt out of receiving further emails from a sender.

W

• Web fonts: Fonts that are hosted on the web and used in emails or web pages, allowing for consistent typography across platforms.
• Webmail: Email services accessed through a web browser (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo Mail).
• Welcome series: A series of emails sent to new subscribers or customers, designed to introduce them to a brand or service.
• WYSIWYG editor: “What You See Is What You Get” editor; a tool that allows users to create email content visually without coding.