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OVERVIEW
1
Automatic E-mail
2
Email Confirmations
3
Simple Email Confirmations
3
Advanced E-mail Confirmations
4
E-mail Notifications
4
Viral Marketing
5
Friends Asking Friends E-mails
5
Spread the Word Email
6
E-mail to a Friend E-mails
7
Forward to a Friend E-mails
7
Bulk E-mail
8
eMail Overview
9
Sequential eMails Overview
9
eNewsletter Overview
10
Campaign Manager E-mails
11
E-mail Campaigns
11
Email Mailings
12
E-mail Receivers Overview
13
Understanding eMail Receivers
13
Understanding Sequential eMail Receivers
14
Understanding eNewsletter Receivers
15
Understanding Campaign Manager Receivers
15
E-mail Content
15
Testing and Scheduling an Email Mailing
16
Testing an E-mail Before Distribution
16
Scheduling an E-mail for Distribution
16
Custom Email Schedule Privilege Groups
17
Funtional Accss Type: Send Test
17
Functional Access Type: Approve
18
How Sphere Sends E-mails
20
Identify Receivers and Merge Content
21
Send to E-mail Addresses and Receive Status Updates
21
Success Codes
21
Soft and Hard Failure Codes
21
Hard Bounce Failures
22
Hard Bounce – Unknown User 22
Hard Bounce – Bad Domain 23
Hard Bounce – Address Error 24
Soft Bounce – Greylist 27
Block Failures
27
Block – Spam Complaints 28
Block – Blacklist 29
Block – ISP Block 30
Block – Content Block 31
Block – URL Block 31
Block – Excess Traffic 33
Block – Security Violation/Virus 34
Block – List Management 34
Block – Authentication 35
Technical Failures
36
Too Busy 36
Data Format Error 36
Network Error 37
Other Error 37
Determine Whether to Resend to E-mail Addresses
37
E-mail Delivery
38
Suppression
38
Authentication
39
Whitelisting
40
Throttling
40
Opt-In
40
E-mail Suppression
40
Kintera Blacklist
41
Kintera Blacklist Email Address Query
44
Reviewing a Kintera Blacklist Email Address Query List
44
Opt-Out Forms
45
“Opt-Out E-mail/eNewsletter” Form
47
“Opt-Out All E-mails” Form
48
Adding an Opt-Out Form to a Campaign
48
E-mail Reporting
49
E-mail Report Statistics
49
Powered by Blackbaud Logo in Bulk Emails
60
Email Activity Records Overview
62
Email Activity Record Field Table
63
Email Activity Name Tables
65
Historical Email Activity Records
65
Historical E-mail Activity Record Sequences 67
Current Activity Records
67
Current E-mail Activity Record Sequences 73
HOW-TO
75
E-mail Campaigns
75
Sequential E-mail Campaigns
101
eNewsletter Campaigns
104
Event E-mail Template Campaigns
109
Suppressed E-mail Addresses
114
E-mail and eNewsletter Reports
117
E-mail Options
119
E-mail Forms
132
FREQUENTLY
ASKED
QUESTIONS
151
Permission Marketing
151
List Management
152
E-mail System/Processing
153
Suppression
153
Reporting
154
Powered by Blackbaud logo FAQs
155
Opt-Out Forms FAQs
155
E-mail Overview
Automatic E-mail 2
Bulk E-mail 8
E-mail Campaigns, Campaign Manager, and Mailings 74
Unlike regular E-mail where you are limited by the number of messages you can send to your supporters because of your E-mail service provider’s restrictions or regulations, Sphere E-mail is designed to handle the capacity or volume of E-mails normally generated during fundraising. Additionally, it has automatic capabilities built-in that enable you to enrich your supporters’ experience, while giving them the tools that will help you to reach new supporters.
Sphere E-mail enables you to communicate with your supporters, and allows your supporters to distribute your messages to potential supporters. E-mail addresses are added to your database when you import them, or when supporters submit them to your organization through an initiative. Sphere uses the E-mail addresses for
confirmations and bulk E-mails. When supporters distribute your messages to potential supporters, the E-mail addresses of their contacts are not added to your database.
The following figure illustrates the ways E-mail addresses are added to Sphere and the types of E-mails Sphere sends:
l Get your message to supporters faster and cheaper because you are not limited by the speed or
capabilities of the regular postal system.
l Reach potential supporters and increase fundraising.
l Communicate with new and existing supporters.
l Track communications and responses to them
l Advertise services and programs to generate or maintain interest in your organization’s mission.
l Retain your existing supporters and interact with new or potential supporters.
l Send confirmations to supporters when you receive information through a form and eliminate manual
paper receipts.
Automatic E-mail
Sphere generates an automatic E-mail when a supporter performs an activity in an online initiative (event) that requires the system to acknowledge the activity.
Automatic E-mails include:
Confirmationsto supporters for donations and registrations
Notificationsto Sphere administrators when supporters submit information
Viral Marketingwhen supporters send messages through Sphere to raise money for your organization, or to promote your cause
Sending automatic E-mails to supporters involves the following high level steps:
l Create the initiative.
l Enable the E-mail field on initiative forms. l If necessary, create the advanced confirmation. l If necessary, enable the E-mail notification checkbox. l If necessary, enable the Spread the Word option.
Email Confirmations
Confirmations are E-mails Sphere sends when supporters submit information to your organization. If a
supporter provides you with an E-mail address through a form, Sphere automatically sends the supporter a confirmation E-mail. The E-mail uses a default message unless you create a custom message for your initiative. We refer to default confirmations assimple confirmations, and custom confirmations asadvanced
confirmations.
Simple Email Confirmations
Simple confirmations are automatic E-mails Sphere sends to supporters when they complete the Email field on a form and submit contact information. Simple confirmations are available for every online initiative in Sphere and you do not need to create them because they use templates which are stored in your account’s Confirmations
Library. For information about the Confirmations Library, see the Libraries and Templates section of the help file.
Advanced E-mail Confirmations
Advanced confirmations are automatic E-mails Sphere sends to supporters when they complete the Email field on a form and submit contact information. Advanced confirmations are available for most online initiatives in Sphere and are based on custom messages you create for the initiative. You use the Content Editor to create a template for the layout of the E-mail message and to insert merge fields. Sphere stores the template in the
Confirmations Library. where you can review and update it.For information about the Confirmations Library, see
the Libraries and Templates section of the help file.
Enable an advanced confirmation through the initiative by clicking the Advanced Confirmation Setup link. If you do not enable advanced confirmations, Sphere sends simple confirmations. The figure below is an example of an advanced confirmation.
E-mail Notifications
Sphere enables you to create a custom E-mail notification by using an advanced confirmation for the initiative and then adding your E-mail address to the Send Copy of Email to field in the Content Editor. You receive the same E-mail the supporter receives which allows you to review new information without accessing Sphere. Consider using E-mail notifications when you need to take an action after a supporter provides information (for example, send a brochure, make a phone call, and so on). Do not use them as a substitute for running regular reports for an initiative because the E-mails may not always reach you.
Viral Marketing
Viral marketing E-mail is when your supporters send messages to personal contacts to raise money for your organization or to promote your cause. Supporters access a form through a Web site and enter E-mail address information. Sphere then sends an E-mail to the specified address and also includes a link to the Web site where supporters access the form.
Friends Asking Friends E-mails
Spread the Word Email
A Spread the Word E-mail is an automatic E-mail Sphere sends when supporters access a Spread the Word form through a fundraising Web site and use the form to promote your cause by sending messages to personal contacts. Spread the Word forms are available when you create fundraising initiatives, and when you create
When you set up the initiative, you enter text for the E-mails Sphere will send (for example, I think this is a great cause you should learn more about, and so on). After a supporter accesses the form and enters a personal contact’s E-mail address, Sphere sends a message to the contact which contains your text and a link to the Web site where supporters access the form. Sphere only saves a supporter’s personal contact in the database if the contact submits information to your organization through a form.
E-mail to a Friend E-mails
An E-mail to a Friend E-mail is similar to a Spread the Word E-mail, except it is sent from a CMS Web site form instead of a form in an event Web site. Sphere automatically sends this E-mail when supporters access an E-mail
to a Friend form through a Web site and use it to promote your cause by sending messages to personal
contacts. The figure below is an example of an E-mail to a Friend E-mail.
When you set up a CMS Web site you can add HTML code to the site’s Kintera Template File (KTF) which adds a link to the form within the Web site layout. When you add the E-mail to a Friend form you can use the Sphere version or you can modify it by creating custom page content, confirmation content, and a wrapper. After a supporter accesses the form and enters a personal contact’s E-mail address, Sphere sends a message to the contact which contains text and a link to the Web site. Sphere only saves a supporter’s personal contact in the database if the contact submits information to your organization through a form.
Forward to a Friend E-mails
A Forward to a Friend E-mail is an automatic E-mail that your supporters can send to their friends, families, or others they choose. Sphere sends Forward to a Friend E-mails when supporters access a Forward to a Friend form through an E-mail mailing and use it to promote your cause by sending messages to personal contacts. You create Forward to a Friend forms via Communications > Mail Specific Features > “Forward This eMail Form” and then create a hyperlink to the forms when you create content for E-mail mailings. The figure below is an example of a Forward to a Friend E-mail.
When creating the form, you enter text for the E-mails Sphere will send (for example, I think you might be
interested in this E-mail, and so on). After a supporter receives the E-mail mailing, accesses the form, and enters a
link to the Web page version of the E-mail content. Sphere only saves a supporter’s personal contact in your database if the contact submits information to your organization through a form.
Use Forward to a Friend to preserve E-mail content. Forwarding an E-mail directly from a receiver’s E-mail provider can cause corruption in the content’s HTML code and can alter the look and feel of the message.
Bulk E-mail
Bulk E-mails are those you generate and send to your supporters by creating messages for groups of supporters who exist in your database.
Using bulk E-mail is more effective than using your local E-mail service provider because Sphere’s E-mail system is designed to send large numbers of E-mails simultaneously and it conforms to E-mail sending standards for high volume senders. Sphere eliminates the need for you to manage changes in the E-mail industry so you can focus on your content and delivery strategies.
You have a number of options for sending bulk E-mail including using:
eMail- when you need to search in your database to find individuals or organizations (referred to as receivers) to whom you will send bulk E-mails
eNewsletter- when supporters are signed up as receivers
Sequential eMails- when you want to send a series of E-mails and filter the receivers for each mailing according to actions from previous E-mails
Campaign Managerwhen you are sending an E-mail appeal to a prospect list you associate with a Campaign
Manager campaign. For information about Campaign Manager, see the Campaign Manager section of the
help file.
Custom events - when you are sending E-mails to individuals associated with a custom event Sending bulk E-mails to supporters involves the following high level steps:
l Create a campaignwhich is a folder for messages with related content.
l Create a mailingwhich is the method you choose to send a message through a campaign.
l Identify the receiversby searching for contacts in the database, reviewing an existing group of subscribers,
or entering their information in the database if they are prospects.
l Define the E-mailby using Sphere’s built in Content Editor to create or import the message you will send
to supporters.
l Test and schedulethe mailing by sending sample E-mails to yourself or other designated contacts within
your organization to preview mail content, and then indicating when to send the E-mail.
Sphere finds the contacts in your database who are receivers and merges your content with their addresses. The system searches the list of receivers to find E-mail addresses it should remove and automatically suppresses them from the receivers. Sphere suppresses E-mail addresses when receivers unsubscribe, when E-mail addresses fail delivery attempts, and when receivers report messages as SPAM.
they receive messages. You can use reports to measure the success of your mailings, and target contacts for future mailings.
To ensure message delivery, use opt-in (a term used when you provide a supporter the option to receive bulk E-mail. The subscriber is choosing to be added to an E-mail list by accepting the organization’s terms of service) methods when you build your contact database, and regularly review reports so you can remove contacts who continually do not open messages and who do not have valid E-mail addresses.
eMail Overview
eMail enables you to use Advanced Search to find receivers in the database, define content, and then schedule a
time to send your message. For example, if you are hosting an event and need to provide information to registrants, you use eMail to search for them. You also use eMail when the receivers you need are not
subscribers of the same eNewsletter campaign. For example, if you need to send a message to subscribers who typically receive weekly updates as well as to subscribers who receive monthly updates, you could use eMail to include both groups in one mailing.
When you search for receivers, you can include any contact with an E-mail address from your contact database in the search criteria. Since you should only send messages to contacts whoopt-in1to receive them, and eMail recipients do not subscribe to receive messages, you should first consider which contacts have an interest in the message content. To understand your receivers’ interests, use trackable links in E-mails and then review reports of the receivers who clicked the links. You can also search for receivers based on previous actions such as registrations and donations, or with source codes you attach to your marketing efforts.
Using eMail entails completing the following high level steps:
l Create or select an existing campaign
l Select a mailing type
l Create a receiver list with a query
l Define E-mail content
l Test and schedule the E-mail mailing
l View the E-mail report
Sequential eMails Overview
Sequential eMails enables you to send a series of E-mails and filter the receivers for each mailing according to
actions from previous E-mails. For example, you can send an E-mail request for donations and have Sphere automatically remove supporters who make donations from subsequent messages.
Select existing supporters in your database using Advanced Search, define content, and then schedule a time to send your message for the first mailing. Follow the same procedures to create subsequent mailings. However, before you select the receivers select the filter criteria.
When you search for receivers, you can include any contact with an E-mail address from your contact database in the search criteria. Since you should only send messages to contacts whoopt in1to receive them, and
Sequential eMails recipients do not subscribe to receive messages, you should consider which contacts have an
interest in the message, and also use filtering options that exclude receivers who do not open messages or click links.
Using Sequential eMails entails completing the following high level steps:
l Create or select an existing campaign
l Create an initial mailing
l Create a receiver list with a query for the initial mailing
l Define E-mail content for the initial mailing
l Test and schedule the initial mailing
l Create the second mailing
l Select filter criteria for the second mailing’s receivers
l Define E-mail content for the second mailing’s receivers
l Test and schedule the second mailing
eNewsletter Overview
eNewsletter enables you to define content and schedule a time to send your message to supporters who sign up
as receivers. For example, you can offer to send periodic program updates to supporters who donate. To do this, you would create an eNewsletter campaign, and then provide the option to sign up for it on the donation form. Supporters sign up to receive eNewsletter messages through forms by selecting eNewsletter campaign names. We refer to the process of signing up as subscribing and opting-in. You can create an eNewsletter Subscription
Form and add it to your Web site, or add eNewsletters to forms when you create them. Sphere will automatically
add supporters who sign up to the eNewsletter receiver lists. When you provide the option for supporters to sign up for eNewsletters, you should select double opt-in which requires them to click a confirmation E-mail link to complete their subscriptions.
We require opt-in and highly recommend using double opt-in because many E-mail systems track and block senders who deliver E-mail which is reported by users as SPAM, and who send messages to invalid E-mail addresses.
Using eNewsletter entails completing the following high level steps:
l Create or select an existing eNewsletter campaign
l Add the eNewsletter to a form and allow supporters to subscribe to it
l Select a mailing type
l Define eNewsletter content
l Test and schedule the eNewsletter mailing
l View the eNewsletter report
Campaign Manager E-mails
Campaign Manager enables you to use eMail or Sequential eMails to create E-mail appeals and automatically
identify receivers using a prospect list you associate with a Campaign Manager campaign. For example, if you are running a disaster relief campaign and targeting donors from previous disaster fundraising efforts as prospective donors for your current campaign, you could use eMail through Campaign Manager to send messages to those supporters and associate their actions with the campaign. You only use Campaign Manager to send E-mails when the E-mails are for Campaign Manager campaigns.
When you create an E-mail appeal in Campaign Manager, you also create an eMail campaign or a Sequential
eMails campaign.
Using Campaign Manager to send E-mails entails completing the following high level steps:
l Create or select an existing Campaign Manager campaign
l Add a prospect list to the Campaign Manager campaign
l Select an appeal category
l Create the appeal, and then depending on the type of appeal you select, follow the appropriate
procedures
For information about Campaign Manager, see the Campaign Manager section of the help file.
E-mail Campaigns
An E-mail campaign is a grouping of E-mail messages with related content. Depending on where you are in Sphere, an E-mail campaign has different names.
In...
An E-mail Campaign is referred to as...
eMail and Sequential eMails Campaign
Campaign Manager
Appeal
Group related mailings into logical campaigns so supporters understand the types of messages they will receive. This is important because all Sphere campaign mailings contain a receiver opt-out link so supporters can
unsubscribe from future messages in the campaign. For example, if you plan to send multiple messages for an event, create an E-mail campaign and then use it to send all the related mailings. This way, supporters who do not wish to receive more information about the event can unsubscribe from all of the messages.
Note: A receiver opt-out link is also available if you want to provide the option for supporters to unsubscribe
from all future mailings from your account.
Consider supporters who opt-out from one campaign when you create another. If you create similar campaigns and use the same groups of mailing receivers for each, you send messages to supporters who do not wish to receive them. This frustrates supporters and causes them to unsubscribe from mailing content multiple times, to unsubscribe from all future mailings from your account, or to report your messages as SPAM to E-mail service providers.
Email Mailings
After creating an E-mail campaign, send messages to supporters using E-mail mailings. Choose any of the following mailing types depending on the content you want to send.
l Single mailing – allows you to send a one time message to targeted recipients. You use this mailing type
when you need to send one message to each receiver in a group you identify. For example, you can send event participants an announcement for an upcoming meeting. This mailing type is available when you use eMail, eNewsletter, and eMail through Campaign Manager.
l Split mailing with random distribution – allows you to send a one time message to a group of recipients
that Sphere randomly splits into subgroups. You use this mailing type when you want to compare the effectiveness of more than one version of mailing content. For example, you can identify a group of receivers, create two versions of a donation request, and have Sphere randomly choose the receivers for each version so you can determine which one is the most effective. This mailing type is available when you use eMail, eNewsletter, and eMail through Campaign Manager.
l Split mailing with custom distribution – allows you to send a one time message to a group of recipients
that you split into subgroups. You use this mailing type when you want to change sections of E-mail content for different groups within your list of receivers. For example, you can create regional subgroups for your receivers and provide a list of upcoming events in the mailing content specific to each area. This mailing type is available when you use eMail, eNewsletter, and eMail through Campaign Manager.
l Recurring mailing – allows you to automatically schedule messages you plan to send more than once.
You use this mailing type when you need to send mailing content at regular intervals to a group of receivers you identify with one query. For example, you can create a mailing which searches daily for new donors and then sends them a welcome E-mail. This mailing type is available when you use eMail,
eNewsletter, and eMail through Campaign Manager.
l Sequential mailing – allows you to send E-mails based on criteria from previous mailing actions within a
and have Sphere automatically remove supporters who make donations from subsequent messages. This mailing type is available when you use Sequential eMails and Sequential eMails through Campaign
Manager.
l eNewsletter mailing – allows you to send messages using single mailing, split mailing with random
distribution, split mailing with custom distribution, or recurring mailing types when supporters subscribe to receive content from your organization. You use this mailing type when you are sending content related to an eNewsletter campaign. For example, you can use the single mailing type to send eNewsletter mailings to supporters who subscribe to receive periodic program updates. This mailing type is available when you use eNewsletter.
E-mail Receivers Overview
A receiver is a contact you identify when completing the required steps to send an E-mail mailing, and ultimately the recipient of your message. A group of receivers can be referred to as a receiver list, and also as a receiver base. The way you generate receivers is based on whether you use eMail, Sequential eMails, eNewsletter, or
Campaign Manager.
When you build your contact database, consider how you plan to send bulk E-mails to your supporters. E-mails are most effective when you communicate with contacts who wish to receive your messages.
When you add E-mail address information, make the contacts aware they will receive message content from your organization (also known as being opted-in) by allowing supporters to sign up as receivers of your organization’s eNewsletter campaigns when they complete forms on your Web site. You can also direct supporters to use your
eNewsletter Subscription Form. When supporters sign up for eNewsletters, use double opt-in and require them
to click a confirmation E-mail link to complete their subscriptions.
We recommend opt-in because many E-mail systems track and block senders who deliver E-mail which is reported by users asSPAM1and who to deliver to invalid E-mail addresses.
Understanding eMail Receivers
eMail receivers are the contacts you select when completing the required steps to send an eMail mailing. You
create an E-mail receiver list with a queryby searching the database using Advanced Search which contains the following folders:
l Contacts – search for contacts using information associated with a contact record including profile data,
financial transactions, segmentation, and constituencies
l Members – search for contacts using membership contact information including membership type, start
date, and membership expiration date
l Communities – search for contacts associated with online Sphere initiatives including registrants,
donors, and team leaders
l Saved Queries – search for contacts using previously saved criteria
l Communications – search for contacts from previous mailings or subscriber bases
Use Advanced Search to preview the list of contacts you are targeting. The preview lists the first 500 contacts that meet the search criteria, and includes a record count of the total number of records included in the receiver base. The actual mailing will only send E-mails to the records which contain an E-mail address and are not suppressed by our suppression logic.
Understanding Sequential eMail Receivers
Sequential eMails receivers are the contacts you select when completing the required steps to send Sequential eMails mailings.Create a Sequential eMails receiver list with a queryfor the first mailing in the campaign by searching the database using Advanced Search. Before you access Advanced Search for subsequent mailings, select filter criteria from previous mailing actions. For example, you can send an E-mail request for donations and have Sphere automatically remove supporters who make donations from subsequent messages.
Advanced Search contains the following folders:
l Contacts – search for contacts using information associated with a contact record including profile data,
financial transactions, segmentation, and constituencies
l Members – search for contacts using membership contact information including membership type, start
date, and membership expiration date
l Communities – search for contacts associated with online Sphere initiatives including registrants,
donors, and team leaders
l Saved Queries – search for contacts using previously saved criteria
l Communications – search for contacts from previous mailings or subscriber bases
Filter criteria contains the following groups:
l Based on initial mailing – filter contacts using actions taken after receiving the first mailing in the series l Based on previous mailing – filter contacts using actions taken after receiving the most recent mailing in
the series
Understanding eNewsletter Receivers
eNewsletter receivers (also known as subscribers) are the contacts who subscribe to receive eNewsletter mailings.
Create receiver lists by allowing supporters to sign up through forms when you add youreNewsletter campaigns
to them, or when you direct supporters to use youreNewsletter Subscription Form.
When you create eNewsletter mailings, you can review the list of subscribers by clicking the Subscribers ( ) icon in the campaign mailing list Subscriber column. The list will display current subscribers, but the mailing will only send E-mails to addresses not suppressed by our suppression logic.
A subscriber can unsubscribe from an eNewsletter by selecting one of the unsubscribe options contained in a mailing. You also have the option to remove a subscriber from an eNewsletter by selecting Delete from the eNewsletter campaign’s Subscriber Base. Each method prohibits a contact from subscribing to the eNewsletter again.
Understanding Campaign Manager Receivers
Campaign Manager receivers are the contacts you select when completing the required steps to create a Campaign Manager appeal mailing. Create a Campaign Manager receiver list by associating a prospect list with
the campaign. The prospect list, which is generated from the Static List Library, is automatically inserted as a link for the query criteria in the Receivers column. If you do not use a prospect list, you can create a receiver list using
Advanced Search.
Advanced Search contains the following folders:
l Contacts – search for contacts using information associated with a contact record including profile data,
financial transactions, segmentation, and constituencies
l Members – search for contacts using membership contact information including membership type, start
date, and membership expiration date
l Communities – search for contacts associated with online Sphere initiatives including registrants,
donors, and team leaders
l Saved Queries – search for contacts using previously saved criteria
l Communications – search for contacts from previous mailings or subscriber bases
Click the name of the prospect list to open the Advanced Search tool and preview the list of targeted contacts. The preview lists the first 500 contacts that meet the search criteria, and includes a record count of the total number of records included in the receiver base. The actual mailing will only send E-mails to the records which contain an E-mail address and are not suppressed by our suppression logic.
For information about Campaign Manager, see the Campaign Manager section of the help file.
E-mail Content
E-mail content is the E-mail header and body information you define when completing the required steps to send
The header consists of the Subject Line, From Name, From Email, and Reply To Email fields. You can customize these fields so that recipients can immediately see the mailing is from your organization. This is important because recipients who do not recognize senders are more likely to report to their E-mail service providers that messages are SPAM.
For the body, you can create content in HTML and Text formats. If a recipient’s E-mail provider accepts HTML formatted E-mail messages, the recipient will see the content in a Web page. If the E-mail provider accepts text formatted E-mail messages, the recipient will see a plain text file without HTML or images.
Use the Content Editor to create E-mail content using one of the following methods:
l Define new content
l Load an existing template from the eMail Template Library
l Load existing content from the Mail Content Library
l Import files from another HTML editor such as Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage
You can store content in your account by saving it to the Mail Content Library, or by creating a template within the eMail Template Library.
Testing and Scheduling an Email Mailing
Testing and scheduling are the final steps before you send a bulk E-mail mailing.
Testing an E-mail Before Distribution
Send a test E-mail to yourself or other designated contacts within your organization from the Schedule Mail page to preview mail content before sending it to the entire receiver list. You may want to enter E-mail addresses for multiple E-mail providers to preview how the content will appear at each destination. For each test, an HTML and a text version is sent along with aSPAM score report.
Note: If you use a merge field in the content, the test mailings will show the default value you select and not
merged data from a contact record (for example, if the merge field is Last Name, you will see the field Last Name instead of the recipient's last name). If the test E-mails show the default value, then you can be assured that the mail merge value is properly configured.
Scheduling an E-mail for Distribution
When you schedule a mailing, you designate a time for Sphere to begin merging the receivers with the content. When the merge process is complete, the data is sent to a queue where it waits to be distributed through Sphere'smessage transfer agent (MTA)1. Many factors can affect the time it takes to send an E-mail including throttling2, limitations for E-mail service providers, receiver list query complexity, and combined E-mail account volume.
1
A program which sends E-mail files from one system to another.
Custom Email Schedule Privilege Groups
Create custom E-mail schedule privilege groups if more than one person is responsible for testing and approving E-mail messages. When you create a privilege group, you specify the functional access rights that will apply to all users you assign to the group.
Funtional Accss Type: Send Test
Configure eMail, Sequential eMail, and eNewsletter functional access for users who will send test messages by providing full access rights to Send Test and restricting access rights for Approve. The following figure displays the
Privilege Group page when you assign Send Test access to a privilege group:
Functional Access Type: Approve
Note: Sphere does not display Preview Content for split E-mail mailings with custom distribution. Users with
approval access can only click Next.
How Sphere Sends E-mails
Sphere follows three main steps to send automatic and bulk E-mails:
l Identify E-mail receivers and merge content with E-mail addresses
l Send messages to the E-mail addresses and receive notifications of the messages’ sent statuses
Identify Receivers and Merge Content
For automatic E-mails, Sphere identifies receivers and merges content according to supporter actions. When a supporter submits information through a form, Sphere enters the information into the contact database and merges relevant fields (for example, first name, last name, amount received, and so on) into a confirmation message which is sent to the E-mail address specified on the form. The confirmation E-mail uses a default message unless you create a custom message for your initiative. The form submission may also trigger a notification E-mail which uses a standard template and is sent to an E-mail address you specify.
When a supporter sends automatic viral marketing E-mails, Sphere uses the E-mail addresses supporters enter into a Web site form to merge with E-mail content but does not store the addresses in your contact database. For example, if a registrant for a fundraising event sends a Friends Asking Friends E-mail to a family member, the family member’s E-mail address is not stored in your database as a contact. You will not able to identify the family member as a receiver for bulk E-mails unless the person makes a donation or registers. The viral marketing message to the contact contains standard or custom text and a link to the Web site where supporters access the form.
For bulk mails, Sphere finds the contacts in your database that you identify as mailing receivers, removes E-mail addresses that meet system criteria for suppression, and then merges your custom E-mailing content with the remaining E-mail addresses.
Send to E-mail Addresses and Receive Status Updates
The merge process for automatic and bulk E-mails creates files which Sphere transfers to amessage transfer agent (MTA)1which physically transfers the files to E-mail service providers using multipleIP addresses2. Many factors determine the time it takes for a merged file to leave the Sphere system including throttling limitations for mail service providers, and combined volume for accounts sending mail. Sphere can send up to 500,000 E-mails per hour.
During the sending process, receiving mail systems provide codes to indicate message delivery status and signal whether or not Sphere should try to send E-mails to the addresses again. Sphere tracks the codes and provides them through reports available for each mailing. Sphere receives three types of codes – success, soft failure, and hard failure.
Success Codes
Success codes inform our system when the E-mail service provider accepts the message. Large E-mail service providers often accept messages in bulk from senders they trust, and then determine if the E-mail addresses are valid. For example, if Sphere sends a large number of E-mails to Hotmail at one time, Hotmail will accept all the messages and then send individual messages to mail inboxes (for example, [email protected]). For bulk E-mails, Sphere may initially receive a code indicating a successful delivery, but later the E-mail service provider could send a failure message.
Soft and Hard Failure Codes
If there is a problem with the intended E-mail address, the E-mail service provider will send Sphere a soft or hard failure code. For bulk E-mails, Sphere places the codes into failure reason categories. Problems which are not permanent are assigned to soft failure reason categories (for example, mailbox is full, inactive account, network error, and so on), and problems that are permanent are assigned to hard failure reasons categories (for example, unknown user, address error, closed account, and so on). The actual codes Sphere receives are combinations of
numbers and text. The figure below shows an example failure code and the failure reason category to which it is added:
Hard Bounce Failures
The E-mail is permanently undeliverable due to address or domain errors or status. Possible Cause
l Hard Bounces occur for multiple reasons, such as address errors, bad domain names, unknown users and
closed accounts. Examine the specific Failure Types to determine the likely causes. Suggested Actions
l Invalidate the records immediately and remove them from your list. Contact the recipient for
replacement or corrected E-mail address.
Note: We automatically place, after the first instance, all E-mail addresses which hard fail on the blacklist so they
are suppressed from future mailings.
Hard Bounce – Unknown User
The E-mail address is valid for the domain but nonexistent. Generally, this means the account has been closed for some time.
Possible Cause
l Stale Data: Your list may contain a high number of undeliverable records if it has not been recently mailed
to or too much time has elapsed between data capture and mailing. This is an important data point to review as it is one of the main reasons incoming E-mail messages are blocked by some of the major ISPs. Suggested Actions
l While mail frequency should be adjusted for customer preference and value, review all segments of your
list on a regular basis to ensure brand visibility, continuity of communication and address deliverability.
l Set standards for the first communication after data capture (5 to 10 days). This action will also reduce
the likelihood of complaint.
l If mailing to an "old" segment, do a test before full deployment. Deploy the mailing slowly to avoid
spikes in Unknown User failures. Possible Cause
l Poor Data Capture: You may not be adequately validating email addresses at the point of data capture.
Suggested Actions
l Send a follow up E-mail to new customers to confirm opt-in permission and validate deliverability of
l Require double entry of E-mail addresses to minimize typographical errors.
l Perform Address Correction (hygiene) to correct common misspellings on major domains before adding
large quantities of new records to your list. Send confirmation E-mail on corrected records. Possible Cause
l Unreliable Data Source: You may be introducing undeliverable records to your list because of unreliable
data sources (list rental, affiliate, etc.) A high incidence of tale, inaccurate or fictitious data suggests a problem.
Suggested Actions
l Know your data sources. Investigate their data compilation and management practices. Confirm
consent and deliverability before incorporating third party names into your list.
l Perform Address Correction (hygiene) to correct common misspellings on major domains before adding
large quantities of new records to your list. Send confirmation E-mail on corrected records.
l Contact the recipient for replacement E-mail address.
Hard Bounce – Bad Domain
The E-mail has a domain name that is invalid or no longer exists. Possible Cause
l Stale Data: Your list may contain a high number of undeliverable records if it has not been recently mailed
or too much time has elapsed between data capture and mailing. This is an important data point to review as it is one of the main reasons incoming E-mail messages are blocked by some of the major ISPs. Suggested Actions
l While mail frequency should be adjusted for customer preference and value, review all segments of your
list on a regular basis to ensure brand visibility, continuity of communication and address deliverability.
l If mailing to an "old" segment, do a test before full deployment. Deploy the mailing slowly to avoid
spikes in Unknown User failures. Possible Cause
l Poor Data Capture: You may not be adequately validating email addresses at the point of data capture.
Suggested Actions
l Send a follow up E-mail to new customers to confirm opt-in permission and validate deliverability of
l Require double entry of E-mail addresses to minimize typographical errors.
l Perform Address Correction (hygiene) to correct common misspellings on major domains before adding
large quantities of new records to your list. Send confirmation E-mail on corrected records. Possible Cause
l Unreliable Data Source: You may be introducing undeliverable records to your list because of unreliable
data sources (list rental, affiliate, etc.) A high incidence of stale, inaccurate or fictitious data suggests a problem.
Suggested Actions
l Know your data sources. Investigate their data compilation and management practices. Confirm
consent and deliverability before incorporating third party names into your list.
l Perform Address Correction (hygiene) to correct common misspellings on major domains before adding
large quantities of new records to your list. Send confirmation E-mail on corrected records.
l Contact the recipient for replacement E-mail address.
Hard Bounce – Address Error
The E-mail address has a format or syntax error (multiple or missing @ sign). Possible Cause
l Poor Data Capture: You may not be adequately validating email addresses at the point of data capture.
Suggested Actions
l Send a follow up E-mail to new customers to confirm opt-in permission and validate deliverability of
address provided. If E-mail bounces for specific reasons that may indicate an invalid or inactive E-mail account, remove E-mail address and contact customer for new/corrected address.
l Require double entry of E-mail addresses to minimize typographical errors.
l Perform Address Correction (hygiene) to correct common misspellings on major domains before adding
large quantities of new records to your list. Send confirmation E-mail on corrected records. Possible Cause
l Unreliable Data Source: You may be introducing undeliverable records to your list because of unreliable
data sources (list rental, affiliate, etc.) A high incidence of tale, inaccurate or fictitious data suggests a problem.
Suggested Actions
l Know your data sources. Investigate their data compilation and management practices. Confirm
consent and deliverability before incorporating third party names into your list.
large quantities of new records to your list. Send confirmation E-mail on corrected records.
l Contact the recipient for replacement E-mail address.
Hard Bounce – Closed Account
The E-mail address is valid for the domain, but is now closed or suspended. Possible Cause
l E-mail Address Change: At 33% address churn per year, closed accounts is a major cause of list attrition.
Suggested Actions
l Given the rate of address churn, customer reactivation should be a key component of any E-mail
communication program. This highlights the need to continually maintain good list hygiene and mailing practices. Consider E-mail a relationship with the recipient and nurture it appropriately.
l Request second/back-up E-mail address or new/better one as standard part of your data capture and
ongoing communications.
l Contact the recipient for replacement E-mail address if now closed.
Possible Cause
l Stale Data: Your list may contain a high number of closed accounts if it has not been recently mailed or
too much time has elapsed between data capture and mailing. This is an important data point to review as it is one of the main reasons incoming E-mail messages are blocked by some of the major ISPs. Suggested Actions
l While mail frequency should be adjusted for customer preference and value, review all segments of your
list on a regular basis to ensure brand visibility, continuity of communication and address deliverability.
l If mailing to an "old" segment, do a test before full deployment. Deploy the mailing slowly to avoid
spikes in Unknown User failures.
Soft Bounce Failures
Your E-mail is temporarily undeliverable due to mailbox status, etc. Possible Causes
l Soft bounces occur for multiple reasons, including mailbox over limit conditions and inactive accounts.
Examine the specific Failure Types to determine the likely causes. Suggested Actions
l Resend records that fail for temporary conditions.
l Invalidate records only if the same result is received on subsequent mailings over at least 30 days.
Note: Some soft bounces are added to the Kintera blacklist based on a number of factors and after a specific
number of attempts dependent on the specific soft bounce code. Some specific soft bounce codes never result in an E-mail being placed on the suppression list as these are not a result of a problem with the E-mail address.
Soft Bounce – Inactive/Disabled Account
The recipient’s E-mail account is inactive or temporarily disabled. Possible Cause
l Delinquency or Dispute: The recipient may not have paid his subscription fee or is involved in dispute with
the ISP. Suggested Action
l Resend and monitor acceptance.
Possible Cause
l Temporary Condition: The recipient may not have checked E-mail due to access reasons (vacation, travel).
Suggested Action
l Resend and monitor acceptance.
Possible Cause
l Infrequent Use: The ISP may have flagged the recipient’s account as inactive due to no activity. Watch for
it to appear as a Hard Bounce/Closed in future mailings. Suggested Action
l Consider Inactive failures as a warning sign. Request a second/back-up E-mail address or new/better
one. Attempt contact with customer through alternate means. Possible Cause
l Address Change: The recipient may have abandoned this E-mail address. Watch for it to appear as a Hard
Bounce/Closed in future mailings. Suggested Action
l Contact the recipient for replacement E-mail address if reported Closed in subsequent mailings.
Soft Bounce – Mailbox Full
The recipient’s mailbox is full or has exceeded its allowed storage. Possible Cause
l Temporary Condition: The recipient may have received unusually high E-mail volume or has not checked
his account for a while (vacation, travel). Suggested Action
Possible Cause
l Infrequent Use: With consumers averaging three E-mail accounts, a full mailbox may signify that you’re
mailing to one of lesser importance. Suggested Action
l Consider Full Mailbox failures as a warning sign. Attempt contact with customer through alternate
means and request new/better one. Possible Cause
l Address Change: The recipient may have abandoned this E-mail address. Watch for it to appear as a Hard
Bounce/Closed in future mailings. Suggested Action
l Contact the recipient for replacement E-mail address if reported Closed in subsequent mailings.
Soft Bounce – Greylist
The E-mail was greylisted, a type of temporary block to combat spam.
Note: The receiving domain is not refusing the E-mail. You’re being tested to see whether you will retry
delivery. Spammers will not. Possible Cause
l Greylisting: This is a technique used by smaller ISPs and corporate domains.
Suggested Action
l Resend and monitor acceptance.
Block Failures
The E-mail was intentionally refused by the receiving ISP or domain. Blocks occur when the receiving server refuses the connection, refuses to accept the E-mail during the connection, or returns the E-mail undelivered after several delivery attempts.
Note: This may be the result of other campaigns sent from other clients and not directly related to the specific
campaign/mailing under review. However, should you see these types of failures, please note the best practices outlined in this section to minimize these occurrences in future mailings.
Possible Causes
l Blocks occur for multiple reasons, including the receiver’s use of a blacklist or other filter, as well as the
spam complaint rate or bounce rates for specific bounce codes. The specific Failure Reasons can help determine the likely causes.
Suggested Actions
l If the block is from one of the major ISPs, our Network Operations team will work to take the appropriate
corrective action and seek to have the block removed with the ISP. No action is required by the client.
being delivered to it and if additional action is needed notify us for further assistance.
Block – Spam Complaints
The E-mail was blocked because of recipient complaints that E-mails sent through the IP address are unwanted (spam). This may be the result of other campaigns sent from other clients and not directly related to the specific campaign/mailing under review.
Possible Cause
l Low Engagement: Recipients may not be engaged with your organization (no/low opens or clicks).
Inactivity directly correlates to complaint. Suggested Actions
l Conduct separate reactivation mailings to inactive recipients. Purge non-respondents from your list.
l Identify inactive customers from regular mailing programs who have not opened or clicked in the past 6
months.
l Send those customers a separate E-mail reminding them of the relationship allowing them to opt out if
they no longer wish to continue the E-mail relationship.
l Provide opportunities in subsequent regular mailings for 30 more days to re-engage.
l For those who did NOT opt-out and those with activity in the subsequent campaigns continue normal
mailings.
l Permanently remove those users who have not had click activity during this window, sending a final “we
are sorry to see you go” E-mail that gives the user a final chance to opt back in to the mailing program. Possible Cause
l High/Low Frequency: Recipients may be associating your E-mail with spam if you’re mailing too frequently
or not frequently enough to prompt recall of permission to send to the address. Suggested Actions
l Review your E-mail sending cadence and reset it consistent with customer expectations.
l Ensure that the recipient understands what they are signing up to receive including the frequency
(possibly the day and time) of when they can expect to receive the E-mail.
l Offer choice to recipients on both frequency and content.
Possible Cause
l Poor Relevance: Recipients may associate your E-mail with spam if not targeted appropriately or if the
l Tighten your targeting criteria and associate your content with preferences. Develop feedback
mechanisms to confirm relevance.
l Provide the recipient with sample E-mails/newsletters that can be reviewed during the sign-up process.
l Allow recipients to update their profile with added information used to increase the relevance of
content. Possible Cause
l Weak Branding: Recipients may not realize that the E-mail is from you if your branding is weak.
Suggested Action
l Use consistent; prominent branding in your From Address, From Name and Subject Line.
Possible Cause
l Weak Permission: Recipients may not associate your E-mail with permission granted to you or a third
party (list rental, affiliate programs). Suggested Actions
l Use more explicit methods to obtain and disclose permission such as using the double opt-in feature on
forms.
l Investigate permission practices of affiliates.
l Send follow- up message to confirm consent before incorporating third party names into your list.
l Provide permission statements to remind recipients why they’re getting your E-mail in prominent
locations on all messages sent. For example, you may want to provide a sentence or two describing how the end user subscribed to your mailing list.
l Reconfirm permission and/or track other indicators of sustained interest (response, purchase, donation,
etc.). Possible Cause
l Inadequate Complaint Management: Recipients who have opted to not receive mailings from one
campaign are included in the receiver base for another similar one. Suggested Action
l Build E-mail campaigns and newsletters with related topics and content to help constituents identify
which they would like to receive.
l Build the proper E-mail/eNewsletter template structure to ensure opt-out processes for specific E-mails
and campaigns are handled in the proper hierarchical fashion.
Block – Blacklist
Possible Cause
l High Spam Complaints: Your E-mail may be generating a high rate of spam complaints. See “Block/Spam
Complaint” for likely causes. Suggested Action
l See “Block/Spam Complaint” for suggested actions.
Possible Cause
l Spam Trap Hits: Your E-mail may have been caught in spam traps used to identify spammers. Spam traps
are E-mail addresses that once belonged to recipients but were at some point closed or are intentionally published on websites. Rather than reissuing the addresses to other recipients, the ISP will mark them as traps to identify senders who attempt to send unsolicited email to the addresses multiple times.
Suggested Actions
l Know your data sources and keep your organization’s list management practices updated and active.
Investigate their compilation and management practices.
l Confirm consent before incorporating third party names into your list.
l Clean your list as part of your normal E-mail management practices. We take a proactive approach in
helping to identify and suppress known bad E-mail addresses to help reduce the issue of being blocked when sending future mailings.
Possible Cause
l Inadequate Complaint Management: Recipients who have opted to not receive mailings from one
campaign are included in the receiver base for another similar one. Suggested Actions
l Build E-mail campaigns and newsletters with related topics and content to help constituents identify
which they would like to receive.
l Build the proper E-mail/eNewsletter template structure to ensure opt-out processes for specific E-mails
and campaigns are handled in the proper hierarchical fashion.
Block – ISP Block
The E-mail was blocked because your domain name or IP address is on an ISP internal blacklist. Possible Cause
l High Spam Complaints: Your E-mail may be generating a high rate of spam complaints. See “Block/Spam
Complaint” for likely causes. Suggested Action
l See “Block/Spam Complaint” for suggested actions.
l Poor List Management: Your E-mail may be generating high failure rates that are associated with spam or
poor list management practices. See “Block/List Management” for likely causes. Suggested Action
l See “Block/List Management” for suggested actions.
Block – Content Block
The E-mail was blocked because some aspect of the E-mail content triggered a spam filter.
Note: There are hundreds of spam filters. Most have low penetration and no appreciable impact on your
deliverability. Others may have broader impact depending on usage at the domains on your list. Possible Causes
l The E-mail may have triggered a spam filter due to:
l Prohibited words or phrases
l Too many HTML tags
l Too many images
l Too many different font styles, sizes or colors
Suggested Action
l Content Review: Send the content through the spam score test in the schedule area of the mailing.
Based on the score, re-examine your E-mail templates, adjusting the language, style and HTML as much as possible without sacrificing effectiveness.
Note: ISPs rely less on content blocks than has traditionally been the case. The move has been made to rely
more heavily on other factors including the sender’s overall reputation in monitoring whether E-mail is accepted and sent to the recipient’s inbox or junk mail folder.
Block – URL Block
The E-mail was blocked because one or more of the URLs in the E-mail is associated with spam complaints. This may be the result of other campaigns sent from other clients and not directly related to the specific
campaign/mailing under review. Possible
Cause-l Poor URL Usage: URLs are being used too broadly. The practices of affiliates or others may be impacting
l Segregate your URLs. Use distinct URLs for each class of mail (transactional, commercial, newsletter, etc).
l Verify URL is not being used in other E-mail perceived as spam (other divisions, affiliates). Investigate
underlying cause of problem URLs. Possible Cause
l Low Engagement: Recipients may not be engaged with you (no/low opens or clicks). Inactivity directly
correlates to complaint. Suggested Actions
l Conduct separate reactivation mailings to inactive recipients. Purge non-respondents from your list.
l Identify inactive customers from regular mailing programs who have not opened or clicked in the past 6
months.
l Send those customers a separate E-mail reminding them of the relationship allowing them to opt out if
they no longer wish to continue the E-mail relationship. It is advised that this type of list maintenance correspondence be sent in low volumes through a separate internal IP address if possible.
l Provide opportunities in subsequent regular mailing for 30 more days to re-engage.
l For those who did NOT opt-out and those with activity in the subsequent campaigns continue normal
mailings.
l Permanently remove those users who have not had click activity during this window, sending a final “we
are sorry to see you go” E-mail that gives the user a final chance to opt back in to the mailing program. Possible Cause
l High/ Low Frequency: Recipients may be associating your E-mail with spam if you’re mailing too
frequently or not frequently enough to prompt recall of permission to send to the address. Suggested Actions
l Review your E-mail sending cadence and reset it consistent with customer expectations.
l Ensure that the recipient understands what they are signing up to receive including the frequency
(possibly the day and time) of when they can expect to receive the E-mail.
l Offer choice to recipients on both frequency and content.
Possible Cause
l Poor Relevance: Recipients may associate your E-mail with spam if not targeted appropriately or if the
content is not relevant to their preferences. Suggested Actions
l Tighten your targeting criteria and associate your content with preferences. Develop feedback
l Provide the recipient with sample E-mails/newsletters that can be reviewed during the sign-up process.
l Allow recipients to update their profile with added information used to increase the relevance of
content. Possible Cause
l Weak Branding: Recipients may not realize that the E-mail is from you if your branding is weak.
Suggested Action
l Use consistent, prominent branding in your From Address, From Name and Subject Line.
Possible Cause
l Weak Permission: Recipients may not associate your E-mail with permission granted to you or a third
party (list rental, affiliate programs). Suggested Actions
l Use more explicit methods to obtain and disclose permission such as using the double opt-in feature on
forms.
l Investigate permission practices of affiliates.
l Send follow- up message to confirm consent before incorporating third party names into your list.
l Provide permission statements to remind recipients why they’re getting your E-mail in prominent
locations on all messages sent. For example, you may want to provide a sentence or two describing how the end user subscribed to your mailing list.
l Reconfirm permission and/or track other indicators of sustained interest (response, purchase, donation,
etc.). Possible Cause
l Inadequate Complaint Management: Recipients who have opted to not receive mailings from one
campaign are included in the receiver base for another similar one. Note: We ares connected to many of the top ISPs feedback loop programs enabling us to manage and automate spam complaint suppression of specific email addresses known to have complained about a specific mailing.
Suggested Actions
l Build E-mail campaigns and newsletters with related topics and content to help constituents identify
which they would like to receive.
l Build the proper E-mail/eNewsletter template structure to ensure opt-out processes for specific E-mails
and campaigns are handled in the proper hierarchical fashion.
Block – Excess Traffic
l Sending Too Much/Too Fast: We may be exceeding the receiving domain’s traffic thresholds. Sending too
much/too fast is associated with spamming and can result in temporary or permanent blocks. Suggested Action
l We maintain proper throttling with the ISPs in an attempt to eliminate this issue The Network team
maintains awareness of these types of issues so domain controls can be considered for the receiver mail server (speed throttling, connection limits).
Block – Security Violation/Virus
The E-mail was blocked because of a security policy violation. Possible Cause
l Sender Identity Problem: Your identifying information can’t be verified (reverse DNS or valid From and
Reply To addresses). Suggested Action
l Update your DNS entries. Validate your From and Reply To addresses to be sure they actually exist.
Possible Cause
l Excess Volume: Your cumulative daily volume exceeds the number of E-mails allowed. (Some smaller
domains limit inbound volume to protect their servers from Spam). Suggested Action
l Determine incidence (percent block) and importance of domain. If warranted, spread volume over
multiple days.
Block – List Management
The E-mail was blocked because Unknown User failures reached an unacceptably high level. Possible Cause
l Stale Data: Your list may contain a high number of undeliverable records if it has not been recently mailed
to or too much time has elapsed between data capture and mailing. This is an important data point to review as it is one of the main reasons incoming E-mail messages are blocked by some of the major ISPs. Suggested Actions
l While mail frequency should be adjusted for customer preference and value, review all segments of your
list on a regular basis to ensure brand visibility, continuity of communication and address deliverability.
l Set standards for the first communication after data capture (5 to 10 days). This action will also reduce
the likelihood of complaint.
l If mailing to an “old” segment, do a test before full deployment. Deploy the mailing slowly to avoid
l Poor Data Capture: You may not be adequately validating email addresses at the point of data capture.
Suggested Actions
l Send a follow up E-mail to new customers to confirm opt-in permission and validate deliverability of
address provided. If E-mail bounces for specific reasons that may indicate an invalid or inactive E-mail account, remove E-mail address and contact customer for new/corrected address.
l Require double entry of E-mail addresses to minimize typographical errors.
l Perform Address Correction (hygiene) to correct common misspellings on major domains before adding
large quantities of new records to your list. Send confirmation E-mail on corrected records. Possible Cause
l Unreliable Data Source: You may be introducing undeliverable records to your list because of unreliable
data sources (list rental, affiliate, etc.) A high incidence of stale, inaccurate or fictitious data suggests a problem.
Suggested Actions
l Know your data sources. Investigate their data compilation and management practices. Confirm
consent and deliverability before incorporating third party names into your list.
l Perform Address Correction (hygiene) to correct common misspellings on major domains before adding
large quantities of new records to your list. Send confirmation E-mail on corrected records.
l Contact the recipient for replacement E-mail address.
Possible Cause
l Failure to Invalidate: You may not have invalidated previously identified Unknown User failures and
removed them from your list. Suggested Action
l Verify that Unknown User failures identified have been properly invalidated and removed from your list.
If not, immediately do so.
Block – Authentication
Authentication prevents unauthorized people from forging your E-mail address or domains. Senders publish a record identifying the servers authorized to send E-mail for a domain. Upon the receipt of E-mail, the receiving domain checks the record against data in the E-mail header to be sure that the sending server (IP address) and domain name match.
Possible Cause
l Your identifying information cannot be verified via a SPF or Sender–ID record because of a bad record or
no record at all. Your DomainKeys signature has not been properly configured in your E-mail and DNS servers, or is not configured at all.
