Spam complaint rate
Spam complaint rate
Email Marketing
Spam complaint rate is the share of delivered emails that recipients mark as spam.
What is Spam complaint rate?
This is the number inbox providers care about most. Google and Yahoo both set 0.3% as the limit for bulk senders, and Google's sender guidelines say to keep it below 0.1%.
Why people complain: they don't remember signing up, they get too much, or unsubscribing looks harder than hitting "spam."
In SmartyTap, Email Analytics shows complaint rate, complainers are suppressed through feedback loops, and a domain that passes 0.3% in 24 hours has its marketing paused.
Formula
Spam complaint rate = Spam complaints ÷ Emails delivered × 100
Example
10,000 delivered emails with 12 spam reports is a 0.12% complaint rate: under the 0.3% limit but over Google's 0.1% target.
Why Spam complaint rate Matters
Cross 0.3% and Gmail and Yahoo may filter or reject your mail, including to customers who wanted it.
Spam complaint rate FAQ
How do I lower my spam complaint rate?
Make unsubscribing easy, set expectations at signup, cap how often each person hears from you, and stop emailing people who haven't engaged in months.
Where can I see my Gmail spam rate?
In Google Postmaster Tools, once your sending domain is verified there.
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