Complaint rate measures how often recipients mark your emails as spam. Learn what causes complaints and how to lower complaint rates.
Email complaint rate is the percentage of recipients who mark your email as spam or junk. This metric matters because inbox providers use complaints as a strong negative signal that your mail is unwanted.
High complaint rates can damage sender reputation, leading to more messages landing in spam or getting blocked outright. Common causes include sending to people who didn’t opt in, poor list hygiene, misleading subject lines, or sending too frequently.
To reduce complaints, focus on consent, clear expectations, and easy unsubscribes. Segment by engagement, remove inactive contacts, and ensure your content matches what recipients believe they signed up for.