Email Marketing Glossary

In today’s digital landscape, email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to engage with customers, nurture leads, and drive conversions. However, navigating the world of email marketing can be challenging, especially with the vast array of terms and jargon involved. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, understanding key concepts is essential for maximizing the success of your campaigns.

This comprehensive glossary covers everything you need to know—from A to Z—giving you the clarity and confidence to optimize your email strategies. Dive in to explore the essential terminology and take your email marketing efforts to the next level.

A

• A/B Testing: A method of comparing two versions of an email to determine which one performs better.
• Abandonment Rate: The percentage of users who start but do not complete a desired action, such as not purchasing after clicking an email link.
• Above the Fold: The portion of an email that is visible without scrolling.
• Acceptance Rate: The percentage of emails accepted by the mail server of the recipient.
• Acquisition Cost: The total cost of acquiring a new subscriber, including advertising, promotions, and other expenses.
• Affirmative Consent: Explicit permission given by a user to receive marketing emails.
• Automated Email: Emails sent automatically based on predefined triggers or user behavior.
• Autoresponder: An email automatically sent in response to a specific user action, such as a sign-up confirmation.
• Authentication: A process that verifies the legitimacy of the sender to reduce the chance of emails being marked as spam.
• Average Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who clicked a link in your email compared to the total recipients.
• Average Open Rate: The percentage of recipients who open an email, compared to the total number sent.
• API (Application Programming Interface): A set of tools that allow different software systems to communicate with each other, often used in email marketing for integrating tools and platforms.
• Audience Segmentation: The process of dividing your email list into specific groups based on demographics, behaviors, or preferences.
• Attachment: A file sent alongside the body of an email, such as a PDF or image.
• Autoresponder Series: A series of emails automatically sent at specific intervals after a user subscribes.
• Appended Email: A process where missing email addresses are added to an existing database using third-party services.
• Acquisition Email: An email specifically designed to attract new subscribers or customers.
• Alert Email: A notification email sent based on certain events or triggers, like shipping updates.
• Abandoned Cart Email: A follow-up email sent to users who added items to a shopping cart but did not complete their purchase.

B

• Behavioral Email: An email triggered by a user’s actions, such as browsing or purchasing behavior.
• Bounce Rate: The percentage of emails that cannot be delivered and are returned to the sender.
• Blacklist: A list of IP addresses or domains flagged as spammers, preventing emails from reaching inboxes.
• Bulk Email: Large volumes of email sent to multiple recipients at once.
• Branded Email: An email that features a company’s logo, design, and consistent messaging aligned with the brand identity.
• B2B (Business-to-Business): Email marketing focused on communicating with other businesses.
• B2C (Business-to-Consumer): Email marketing aimed at individual consumers.
• Bounce Message: The email received by the sender when a message is undeliverable.
• Blocked Email: An email that is stopped by the recipient’s server and never reaches the inbox.
• Batch-and-Blast: The process of sending the same email to an entire list of subscribers without segmentation.
• Benchmarking: The process of comparing your email marketing performance metrics to industry standards or competitors.
• Blacklist Removal: The process of getting an IP address or domain removed from a blacklist.
• Broad-Based Opt-in: A method where users agree to receive emails about a wide range of topics from a single sign-up.
• Brand Awareness Email: An email campaign designed to increase recognition of a brand, not necessarily to generate sales.
• Best Practice: A set of generally accepted, industry-standard methods to improve email performance.
• Behavioral Targeting: Tailoring email content based on a user’s prior actions, like past purchases or site visits.
• Block: The act of preventing emails from being delivered to certain addresses or domains.
• Batch Processing: Sending emails in large groups or batches instead of individually.
• Bounce Handling: The process of managing bounced emails to maintain a healthy email list.
• Browser-Based Email: Emails that can be viewed in a web browser, often used when there’s difficulty displaying the email in a user’s inbox.

C

• Call to Action (CTA): A prompt in the email that encourages users to take a specific action, such as “Shop Now” or “Subscribe.”
• Campaign: A coordinated series of emails with a specific goal or theme, often sent over a set period.
• CAN-SPAM Act: A U.S. law that sets rules for commercial email, including opt-out options and other requirements.
• Click-through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who clicked a link within an email, compared to the total emails delivered.
• Content Personalization: Tailoring email content to individual subscribers based on their preferences or behaviors.
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of recipients who completed a desired action, like making a purchase, after interacting with an email.
• Customer Journey: The complete process a customer goes through from awareness to purchase, often used to tailor email messaging at different stages.
• Customer Retention Email: An email designed to maintain a relationship with an existing customer, often through personalized offers or updates.
• Click Map: A visual representation of where users clicked within an email, used to measure engagement.
• Conversion Funnel: The steps a recipient takes from receiving an email to completing a conversion action, such as purchasing a product.
• CASL (Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation): A Canadian law that regulates email marketing, requiring explicit consent from recipients.
• Confirmed Opt-in: A process where a user signs up for emails and then confirms their subscription via a second email, reducing the chance of spam.
• Cold Emailing: The practice of sending unsolicited emails to potential customers who have no prior relationship with your business.
• Customer Data Platform (CDP): A centralized platform that collects customer data from multiple sources, often used for email marketing personalization.
• Creative Brief: A document that outlines the strategy, goals, and design elements for an email campaign.
• Contact List: A list of email addresses that have opted in to receive emails from a brand.
• Churn Rate: The percentage of subscribers who unsubscribe from an email list over a period.
• Complaint Rate: The percentage of recipients who mark an email as spam.
• Content Blocks: Sections of an email template that contain different types of content, such as images, text, or buttons.
• Customer Lifecycle Email: An email targeted based on where a customer is in the buying lifecycle, from acquisition to retention.

D

• Dedicated IP Address: A unique IP address used only by one sender, often employed to improve email deliverability.
• Deliverability: The ability of an email to reach the recipient’s inbox without being marked as spam.
• Double Opt-in: A process where a user confirms their email subscription by responding to a confirmation email.
• Drip Campaign: A series of automated emails sent over time based on user behavior or time intervals.
• Dynamic Content: Email content that changes based on recipient data, such as name, location, or past purchases.
• DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM): An email authentication method that verifies the email’s origin to prevent spoofing.
• Dedicated Server: A server exclusively used by one organization for sending email.
• Domain Reputation: The reputation of a sending domain based on how well emails from that domain perform (e.g., whether they are often flagged as spam).
• Data Segmentation: The process of dividing email recipients into smaller groups based on data like purchase history or demographics.
• Deliverability Rate: The percentage of emails successfully delivered to recipients’ inboxes.
• Dynamic Content Block: A section in an email that can display different content for different recipients, depending on user data.
• Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC): An email authentication protocol that helps reduce email spoofing.
• Discount Email: An email offering a price reduction or special deal to entice recipients to make a purchase.
• Database Management: The process of maintaining and organizing subscriber lists, including removing inactive users and adding new subscribers.
• Deferred Email: An email that is delayed and not delivered immediately due to server issues or other factors.
• Dashboard: A visual representation of email campaign data and performance metrics.
• Dedicated Email Blast: A one-time email sent to a specific list of subscribers, often used for promotions or announcements.
• Dayparting: The practice of scheduling email sends based on the time of day when recipients are most likely to engage.
• Demographic Segmentation: Dividing an email list based on recipient demographics like age, gender, or income level.
• Drag-and-Drop Editor: A tool that allows email marketers to easily create email templates by dragging and dropping content blocks.

E

• Email Automation: The use of software to automatically send emails based on triggers or specific time intervals.
• Email Client: The software or app used by recipients to view and manage emails (e.g., Gmail, Outlook).
• Engagement Rate: The percentage of recipients who engage with an email, measured through actions like opening, clicking, or replying.
• Email Bounce: A message that could not be delivered to the recipient’s inbox.
• Email Campaign: A series of coordinated email messages sent to achieve a marketing goal, such as a promotion or brand awareness.
• Email Harvesting: The unethical practice of collecting email addresses without permission, often used for spamming.
• Email Header: The portion of an email that includes information like the sender, subject line, and reply-to address.
• Email List: A collection of email addresses that have opted in to receive communications from a business or organization.
• Email Marketing: The use of email to promote products, services, or content to a targeted audience.
• Email Opt-in: The process of signing up to receive emails from a business, often through a form on a website.
• Email Preference Center: A user-facing interface where subscribers can manage their email preferences, like frequency and type of content.
• Email Scrubbing: The process of cleaning an email list by removing inactive or invalid email addresses.
• Email Service Provider (ESP): A company or software that enables businesses to send bulk emails, manage lists, and analyze campaign performance.
• Email Signature: The block of text at the end of an email that includes the sender’s name, title, and contact information.
• Email Subject Line: The title or topic of an email, often used to entice recipients to open it.
• Email Template: A pre-designed layout used to create emails with a consistent format.
• Email Verification: A process that checks whether an email address is valid and deliverable before sending emails.
• Email Whitelisting: The process of adding an email address to an approved list to ensure emails are delivered to the inbox.
• Engagement-Based Segmentation: Dividing an email list based on how subscribers have interacted with previous emails.
• Exclusive Offer Email: An email promoting a special deal or offer available only to select subscribers.

F

• Footer: The section at the bottom of an email that often includes an unsubscribe link, contact information, and disclaimers.
• Frequency Capping: Limiting the number of times a subscriber receives an email within a specific time period.
• Form Fill: A web form used to capture email addresses and other information for marketing purposes.
• Forward Rate: The percentage of recipients who forward an email to someone else.
• Freemium Model: A pricing strategy where users receive free email services or products but can upgrade to a premium version.
• Full-Stack ESP: An email service provider offering comprehensive services, including sending, automation, analytics, and deliverability.
• First-Party Data: Data collected directly from subscribers, like email addresses or behavioral information, used for personalized marketing.
• Footer Navigation: Links or navigation elements included in the email footer, often for legal information, privacy policies, or preference centers.
• Form Optimization: The process of improving web forms to capture more email sign-ups, often through A/B testing and design improvements.
• Forward to a Friend (FTAF): A feature in emails encouraging recipients to forward the email to others.

G

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): European data protection law that governs the collection and use of personal data, including email addresses.
• Graymail: Email that isn’t technically spam but is sent to uninterested recipients who have lost engagement over time.
• Geo-Targeting: Sending emails based on the recipient’s geographic location to provide more relevant content.
• GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): An animated image format often used in email marketing to grab attention or highlight key points.
• Google Analytics: A web analytics tool used to track email marketing performance, including traffic generated from email campaigns.
• Growth Hacking: Using creative strategies, including email marketing, to grow a subscriber base quickly.
• Golden Hour: The ideal time for sending an email, when recipients are most likely to open and engage.
• Global Suppression List: A list of email addresses that are opted out from all future email campaigns, often for legal or compliance reasons.
• Gross Opens: The total number of times an email is opened, including multiple opens by the same recipient.
• Good Standing: When an email sender has a good reputation and follows industry best practices, ensuring high deliverability.

H

• Hard Bounce: An email that cannot be delivered due to a permanent issue, such as an invalid email address.
• Header: The section at the top of an email that contains information like the subject line, sender name, and preheader text.
• HTML Email: An email created using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) to include images, text formatting, and other design elements.
• Honeypot: A fake email address or webpage used to detect and track email spammers.
• House List: A list of email addresses that a company has collected organically through its own channels.
• Hover Rate: The percentage of recipients who hover over a link in an email without clicking it.
• Header Image: The image at the top of an email, often used for branding or promotional purposes.
• Holiday Campaign: A seasonal email campaign designed to coincide with specific holidays, like Black Friday or Christmas.
• Human-Readable Email: An email designed to be easy to read, using clear language, proper formatting, and visually appealing design.
• Hybrid Email: A combination of plain text and HTML elements in an email to maximize deliverability and engagement.

I

• IP Address: A unique numerical identifier assigned to a device on the internet, often used in email marketing to track the origin of emails.
• Inbox Placement: The success rate of getting emails into the inbox rather than the spam folder.
• Incentive Email: An email offering a reward, like a discount or free item, to encourage subscribers to take action.
• Internal List: A list of subscribers collected by a company directly, as opposed to being purchased from a third party.
• Inactive Subscriber: A recipient who has not engaged with email campaigns for an extended period.
• ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company that provides access to the internet, and often hosts email services, such as Gmail or Yahoo.
• IP Warming: The process of gradually increasing email volume from a new IP address to build a positive sending reputation.
• Inline CSS: A style of coding where CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is included directly within the HTML code of an email to improve compatibility across email clients.
• International Email: Email marketing campaigns targeted to audiences in different countries, often requiring localization and compliance with international laws.
• Image Blocking: A default setting in many email clients that prevents images from displaying until the recipient chooses to download them.
• Inbox Monitoring: The process of tracking how emails perform across different inboxes and email clients.
• Intent-Based Targeting: Using data about a recipient’s actions or behaviors to determine their intent and tailor email content accordingly.
• In-Mail Ads: Advertisements shown within an email inbox or alongside the user’s inbox (e.g., Gmail’s promotion tab ads).
• Initial Open: The first time a recipient opens an email after receiving it.

J

• JavaScript: A programming language often used to add interactive elements to web pages, though it’s generally not supported in most email clients.
• JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): A common image format used in email marketing, often for photographs or complex images.
• Junk Folder: The folder where spam or unwanted emails are automatically sent by email clients.
• Jump Link: A hyperlink in an email that directs users to a specific section within the same email or to a specific part of a webpage.
• Jargon-Free Email: An email written in clear, straightforward language that avoids technical terms or industry-specific jargon.
• Journey Mapping: The process of outlining the stages a subscriber goes through, from becoming aware of a product to making a purchase, to better inform email strategy.
• Jilted Cart: Similar to abandoned cart, this refers to when a customer leaves items in a shopping cart but does not complete the purchase.
• Journey Automation: Automating email campaigns based on the customer’s journey, using behavioral triggers to send relevant messages at the right time.

K

• Key Performance Indicator (KPI): A measurable value used to evaluate the success of an email marketing campaign, such as open rates or click-through rates.
• Keyword: A specific word or phrase used in email content or subject lines to attract attention and improve relevancy.
• Keep-In-Touch Email: A type of email sent periodically to maintain a relationship with subscribers, often containing updates or helpful content.
• Kickback Email: An automated email triggered by specific subscriber actions, such as a confirmation or thank-you email.
• Knowledge Base: A section on a website or in emails containing helpful articles or guides, often used to provide support to subscribers.
• Key Segment: A portion of your email list that is particularly valuable or relevant, often targeted with specific campaigns.
• KPI Dashboard: A visual representation of key performance indicators, often used in email marketing tools to track campaign performance.

L

• Landing Page: A specific webpage that subscribers are directed to after clicking on a link in an email, often designed for conversions.
• Lead Nurturing: The process of building relationships with potential customers through targeted emails, guiding them through the sales funnel.
• Lead Magnet: A free resource or incentive (like a guide or discount) offered in exchange for a user’s email address.
• Lead Scoring: A system for ranking prospects based on their engagement with your emails, website, or other content to determine sales readiness.
• Lifecycle Email: Emails sent at different stages of a customer’s lifecycle, such as welcome emails, re-engagement emails, or post-purchase emails.
• List Building: The process of growing your email subscriber list, typically through opt-in forms, social media, or lead magnets.
• List Hygiene: The practice of regularly cleaning your email list by removing invalid or inactive email addresses to maintain a healthy list.
• List Rental: The practice of paying to use someone else’s email list to send marketing messages to their subscribers.
• Location-Based Targeting: Sending emails based on the geographic location of the recipients to deliver more relevant offers or content.
• Long Copy Email: An email with a lot of text or detailed content, often used for storytelling or in-depth explanations.
• List Fatigue: When subscribers lose interest in your emails due to receiving too many messages or irrelevant content.
• List Churn: The percentage of subscribers who leave or become inactive over time, often through unsubscribes or bounces.
• Lead Generation Email: An email designed to capture new leads, usually offering something of value in exchange for contact details.

M

• Mail Transfer Agent (MTA): A software application responsible for sending and receiving emails between servers.
• MailWizz: A self-hosted email marketing application that allows users to manage their email campaigns, create subscriber lists, and track email performance.
• Multivariate Testing: A more advanced version of A/B testing that tests multiple variables in an email (such as subject lines, images, and CTAs) simultaneously.
• Mobile-Optimized Email: An email designed to display properly on mobile devices, often using responsive design techniques.
• Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): A metric often used in subscription-based businesses, representing predictable monthly revenue generated from email campaigns.
• Marketing Automation: The use of software to automatically send emails based on user behaviors, preferences, or pre-set triggers.
• Message Preview: The snippet of text that appears after the subject line in an email client, often used to entice recipients to open the email.
• Merge Tag: A placeholder in an email template that is replaced with personalized information (such as a subscriber’s name) when the email is sent.
• Microsite: A small, focused website often linked to from an email campaign, used to deliver highly targeted information or offers.
• Mailing List: A list of email addresses used for sending marketing messages or newsletters.
• Multi-Channel Campaign: A marketing campaign that uses email along with other channels, such as social media or direct mail, to reach subscribers.
• MX Record: Mail Exchange records that specify which server is responsible for receiving emails on behalf of a domain.
• Media Queries: A CSS technique used in email templates to adjust the layout for different screen sizes, improving mobile compatibility.
• Mail Merge: A process of automatically personalizing emails for each recipient by pulling information from a database or list.
• Metrics: Data points used to evaluate the performance of an email marketing campaign, such as open rates, bounce rates, and conversions.
• mySMTP: A popular Danish ESP provider specializing in SMTP servers for high-volume email marketing and transactional emails.

N

• Newsletter: A regular email update sent to subscribers, typically containing news, tips, or promotions from a brand.
• Nurture Sequence: A series of automated emails designed to build a relationship with leads over time, often part of lead nurturing efforts.
• Non-Responsive Email: An email that does not adjust its layout based on the screen size, often leading to poor readability on mobile devices.
• NPS (Net Promoter Score): A metric used to measure customer loyalty by asking recipients how likely they are to recommend your brand, often sent via email.
• Naked Link: A plain-text URL included in the body of an email, rather than being hyperlinked to text or a button.
• No-Reply Email Address: An email address used by businesses that don’t allow recipients to reply directly, often seen as impersonal and discouraging engagement.
• Notification Email: A type of email triggered by an event, such as a shipping confirmation, password reset, or purchase receipt.
• Niche Email List: A smaller, highly targeted email list built around a specific interest or demographic.
• Nonprofit Email Campaign: Email marketing efforts specifically designed for nonprofit organizations, often focused on fundraising or awareness.

O

• Open Rate: The percentage of recipients who open your email, calculated by dividing the number of opens by the total number of emails delivered.
• Opt-In: The process by which a person gives permission to receive emails from a business, typically through a sign-up form.
• Opt-Out: The process of unsubscribing or removing oneself from an email list, often through an unsubscribe link in the email.
• Onboarding Email: A welcome email or series of emails sent to new subscribers or customers to introduce them to your brand or services.
• Offer Email: An email promoting a special deal, discount, or exclusive offer to entice subscribers to make a purchase.
• Open Tracking: The method of tracking whether an email has been opened by embedding a small, invisible image in the email.
• Opt-In Form: A form on a website or landing page that collects email addresses and user information for marketing purposes.
• One-Time Campaign: An email campaign sent out once, often for a specific promotion or event, as opposed to a recurring newsletter.
• Offer Personalization: Customizing the offer in an email based on the recipient’s preferences, behaviors, or past purchases.
• Outbound Email: Emails sent from a business to subscribers, as opposed to inbound emails received by the business from customers or prospects.
• Opt-In Incentive: A reward, such as a discount or free download, offered to encourage users to subscribe to an email list.
• Over-Segmentation: The process of dividing an email list into too many small segments, which can lead to inefficient targeting or too few recipients in each segment.
• Opt-In Confirmation: A follow-up email sent to new subscribers to confirm their subscription, often part of a double opt-in process.
• Open Reach: The total number of unique subscribers who open your emails over time, a metric used to measure audience engagement.
• Onsite Retargeting: The process of sending emails to visitors who have interacted with your website but didn’t complete a desired action, such as a purchase.

P

• Personalization: The use of subscriber data (e.g., name, location, purchase history) to tailor email content to the individual recipient.
• Plain Text Email: A basic email format that contains only text, without any images, HTML, or design elements.
• Preheader Text: The short summary text that follows the subject line in some email clients, offering a preview of the email content.
• Permission-Based Marketing: Sending emails to recipients who have explicitly opted in to receive communications from you.
• Promotional Email: An email that promotes a specific offer, product, or service with the goal of driving sales or engagement.
• Personalization Token: A placeholder in an email template that is replaced by subscriber-specific information, such as their first name.
• Primary Email Folder: The main inbox folder where non-promotional and important emails are often delivered, as opposed to promotion or social tabs.
• Progressive Profiling: Collecting subscriber information gradually over time to build a more complete customer profile.
• Preference Center: A page or portal where subscribers can manage their email preferences, such as frequency, content type, or interest areas.
• Post-Purchase Email: An email sent after a customer makes a purchase, often used for order confirmations, upselling, or customer satisfaction surveys.
• Personalization Tags: Code snippets in email templates that dynamically insert personalized content, such as names, dates, or locations.
• Phishing Email: A fraudulent email designed to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details.
• Poll Email: An interactive email that allows recipients to provide feedback or vote on topics, often used to gather data or engage subscribers.
• Preview Pane: A section in an email client where recipients can see a portion of the email content without fully opening the message.
• Promotions Tab: A section in Gmail and some other email clients where promotional emails are automatically sorted, separate from the primary inbox.
• Preference Management: The process of allowing subscribers to set their email preferences regarding content, frequency, and opt-in choices.
• Push Notification Email: An email that triggers a notification alert on the recipient’s device, driving immediate attention to the message.
• Personalized Triggered Email: An email automatically sent based on a recipient’s specific behavior or milestone, personalized to their actions.
• Promotional Banner: A graphical element in an email used to promote sales, discounts, or special offers.

Q

• Quality Score: A metric used by email marketers to assess the overall quality of an email campaign, factoring in engagement, deliverability, and user satisfaction.
• QR Code Email: An email containing a QR code that recipients can scan with their mobile devices to access a webpage, coupon, or other content.
• Quick Win Campaign: A short-term email marketing campaign designed to generate fast results, often through discounts or limited-time offers.
• Queue Time: The time it takes for an email to be sent after being initiated, often influenced by email volume and server processing speed.
• Quarantine Email: Emails held by spam filters for further evaluation before being delivered to the recipient’s inbox or spam folder.
• Quota: The limit on the number of emails that can be sent in a specific time period, often imposed by email service providers or ISPs.

R

• Responsive Design: An email design technique that ensures emails display correctly on different devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Re-Engagement Campaign: A series of emails aimed at reactivating inactive subscribers or re-engaging those who haven’t interacted with recent campaigns.
• ROI (Return on Investment): A measure of the profitability of an email marketing campaign, calculated by comparing the revenue generated to the costs involved.
• Read Rate: The percentage of recipients who fully read an email, as opposed to just opening it and closing it quickly.
• Recipient: The person who receives an email in their inbox, typically a subscriber or customer.
• Reactivation Email: An email sent to lapsed subscribers to encourage them to engage with your brand again.
• Referral Email: An email asking recipients to refer others to a product or service, often incentivized with rewards or discounts.
• Rich Media Email: An email that includes multimedia elements like videos, GIFs, or interactive content to enhance engagement.
• RSS-to-Email: A feature that automatically sends emails to subscribers based on updates to an RSS feed, often used by bloggers or news sites.
• Revenue Per Email (RPE): A metric that measures the amount of revenue generated for each email sent in a campaign.
• Read Receipt: A notification that confirms a recipient has opened an email, though not always supported by all email clients.
• Round-Robin Email: A method of distributing email responses among team members or sales representatives in a rotating order.
• Replenishment Email: An email sent to remind customers to reorder a product they’ve previously purchased, commonly used in eCommerce for consumable products.
• Responsive Layout: An email layout that adjusts automatically to fit the screen size of the device used to view it, enhancing readability and usability.
• Referral Program Email: An email promoting a referral program, encouraging recipients to refer new customers in exchange for rewards or incentives.
• Readability: The ease with which an email’s content can be read and understood by the recipient, often influenced by formatting and design choices.

S

• Segmentation: Dividing an email list into smaller groups based on criteria such as behavior, demographics, or purchase history to send more targeted emails.
• Soft Bounce: A temporary email delivery failure, often caused by issues like a full inbox or server downtime.
• Sender Reputation: A score that email service providers assign to an email sender based on factors like engagement rates, spam complaints, and bounce rates.
• Spam Trap: An email address used by ISPs or anti-spam organizations to catch spammers; sending emails to a spam trap can hurt your sender reputation.
• Single Opt-In: A subscription process where a user only needs to sign up once to be added to an email list, without requiring email confirmation.
• Suppression List: A list of email addresses that should not receive marketing emails, often consisting of unsubscribed users or bounced addresses.
• Subject Line: The headline of an email that appears in the recipient’s inbox, used to entice them to open the message.
• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): An email authentication method that helps prevent email spoofing by verifying the sender’s IP address.
• Spam Complaint: A report made by a recipient marking an email as spam, which can hurt the sender’s reputation and deliverability rates.
• Split Testing: Also known as A/B testing, the practice of testing two versions of an email (e.g., different subject lines) to see which performs better.
• Spam Folder: The folder where unwanted or unsolicited emails are automatically sent by email clients or spam filters.
• Sign-Up Form: A form on a website or landing page where users can enter their email address and other details to subscribe to a mailing list.
• Subscriber List: A collection of email addresses and associated data that have opted in to receive marketing messages from a company.
• Social Proof Email: An email that uses customer testimonials, reviews, or case studies to build trust and encourage conversions.
• Single Send Campaign: A one-time email blast sent to a list, often for a specific promotion, event, or announcement.
• Seed List: A list of internal email addresses or trusted contacts used to test the deliverability and performance of an email campaign.
• SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol): The protocol used to send emails from one server to another.
• Social Sharing Buttons: Buttons in an email that allow recipients to share the content on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
• Sender Name: The name that appears in the recipient’s inbox as the sender of the email, often a brand name or individual’s name.
• Suppression File: A file that contains email addresses that should not receive emails, often used to comply with legal requirements or to avoid sending to disengaged users.

T

• Transactional Email: An automated email triggered by an action the recipient takes, such as a purchase confirmation, password reset, or shipping notification.
• Triggered Email: An automated email sent based on specific user behaviors or actions, such as cart abandonment or a birthday reminder.
• Template: A pre-designed layout or framework used to create consistent emails, often customizable for different campaigns.
• Time-Based Trigger: An email that is sent at a specific time or after a set amount of time has passed, such as a follow-up email after a purchase.
• Targeting: The practice of sending emails to specific segments or individuals based on criteria like behavior, demographics, or past interactions.
• Tagging: Assigning labels or tags to subscribers based on their behaviors or characteristics, allowing for more precise segmentation.
• Test Email: A version of an email sent to internal recipients or a seed list to check for formatting, content, and deliverability before sending to the full list.
• Triggered Campaign: A series of emails automatically sent in response to a subscriber’s behavior, such as downloading a guide or completing a purchase.
• Text-to-Image Ratio: The proportion of text to images in an email, which can affect deliverability and how emails are processed by spam filters.
• Time-Sensitive Offer: An offer in an email that is only valid for a limited time, often used to create urgency and drive conversions.
• Trust Signals: Elements in an email (such as security badges, testimonials, or guarantees) used to build credibility and reassure recipients.
• Text-Only Email: An email without any images or complex formatting, often used to create a more personal or straightforward message.
• Transactional Rate: The percentage of recipients who complete a desired transaction after receiving a transactional email.
• Triggered Series: A set of automated emails sent in response to specific user actions, such as signing up, purchasing, or abandoning a cart.

U

• Unsubscribe: The action taken by a recipient to remove themselves from an email list, typically through an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.
• Unique Open Rate: The percentage of distinct recipients who opened an email, calculated as the number of unique opens divided by the total number of delivered emails.
• User-Generated Content (UGC): Content created by users or customers, such as reviews, testimonials, or social media posts, that can be included in email campaigns.
• UTM Parameters: Tags added to a URL in an email to track the source, medium, and campaign of traffic in analytics tools like Google Analytics.
• Unsubscribe Rate: The percentage of recipients who unsubscribe from your email list after receiving a particular email, calculated by dividing the number of unsubscribes by the total number of emails sent.
• Undeliverable Email: An email that could not be delivered to the recipient’s inbox due to reasons like an invalid email address or full inbox.
• User Engagement: A measure of how actively recipients interact with your emails, including opens, clicks, replies, and conversions.
• Unconfirmed Opt-In: A user who has provided their email address but has not yet confirmed their subscription via a double opt-in process.
• Update Profile Email: An email sent to subscribers prompting them to update their contact information or email preferences.
• Urgency Email: An email designed to create a sense of urgency, often by highlighting limited-time offers or low-stock alerts.

V

• Value Proposition: A statement in an email that explains the unique value or benefits of a product or service to entice recipients to take action.
• Viral Email: An email that is widely shared by recipients, often due to highly engaging or valuable content.
• Visual Hierarchy: The arrangement of email content and design elements to guide the recipient’s eye through the message in a deliberate order.
• Verification Email: An email sent to confirm an action, such as verifying an email address during sign-up or confirming a password reset request.
• Viewability: A metric that tracks how visible an email or email ad is to recipients, especially in terms of whether it appears in the inbox or promotions tab.
• Video Email: An email that includes video content or links to video resources, often used to increase engagement and convey complex messages.
• Volume-Based Sending: Sending a large number of emails over a short period, often for flash sales, major announcements, or product launches.
• Verified Opt-In: A double opt-in process where the subscriber must confirm their email address to be added to the mailing list.
• Vertical Market: A specific industry or sector targeted in email marketing campaigns, such as healthcare, finance, or education.
• Visitor Tracking: Monitoring the behavior of visitors to your website through links in your emails, allowing for better targeting and segmentation.

W

• Welcome Email: The first email sent to a new subscriber, usually to introduce the brand and set expectations for future emails.
• Webinar Email: An email promoting an upcoming webinar or online event, often with a call-to-action to register or attend.
• Whitelist: A list of approved email senders that ensures their emails are delivered to the inbox and not filtered as spam by the recipient’s email provider.
• Win-Back Email: An email sent to re-engage lapsed subscribers or customers, often featuring special offers or incentives to return.
• Workflows: Automated sequences of emails triggered by specific actions or conditions, guiding recipients through a predefined path (e.g., onboarding series).
• Web Copy: Text designed for websites and landing pages, often linked from emails to drive conversions or engagement.
• Whitespace: The empty space around email content that helps improve readability and overall design, ensuring the message is easy to navigate.
• Weekly Recap Email: A summary email sent on a weekly basis, often providing an overview of recent blog posts, news, or updates.
• Web Push Notification: A message sent to users’ browsers via the web, often used alongside email marketing for cross-channel engagement.
• Write-to-Action (WTA): A style of email copywriting that strongly emphasizes calls-to-action, guiding the recipient toward a specific behavior.
• Web Beacon: A small, invisible image embedded in an email to track open rates and user engagement with the message.

X

• X-Test Email: An internal email used to test a message before sending it to a larger audience, often focusing on format and deliverability checks.
• XML (Extensible Markup Language): A markup language often used in email marketing for data exchange between different systems, especially when integrating with APIs or CRM tools.

Y

• Year-in-Review Email: An email sent at the end of the year to summarize a company’s or subscriber’s milestones, achievements, or personal interactions with the brand.
• You-First Copywriting: A copywriting style in emails that focuses on the recipient’s needs and desires by using a conversational and customer-centered tone.
• Yield Rate: The percentage of emails that result in a desired outcome, such as conversions or clicks, often used to measure the effectiveness of a campaign.
• Yellow Email Flag: A marker or flag used by some email clients to denote important or starred emails, often used for quick access to essential messages.

Z

• Zero-Party Data: Data that customers intentionally and proactively share with a brand, such as preferences, purchase intentions, or personal details, often used in email personalization.
• Zero Bounce: A service used to validate email addresses and remove invalid ones from your list, improving deliverability rates.
• ZIP Code Segmentation: Targeting email campaigns based on the ZIP codes of recipients, often used for localized offers or region-specific messaging.
• Z-Pattern Layout: A visual design technique used in emails that guides the reader’s eye in a Z-shaped pattern, making it easier to follow the content flow.
• Zoning in Email Marketing: Focusing on specific regions, interests, or demographics in email segmentation to target the most relevant subscribers.
• Zero Spam Tolerance: A strict policy of ensuring that no spammy or irrelevant content is sent to subscribers, maintaining a high sender reputation.
• Zen Email Design: A minimalist approach to email design that uses simple layouts, ample whitespace, and straightforward messaging to increase clarity and engagement.