What is Suppression List?
A suppression list is a database of email addresses that should not receive emails, including bounces, unsubscribes, and spam complaints, used to protect sender reputation.
A suppression list (also called a blocklist or exclusion list) is a collection of email addresses that you should not send to. It serves as a critical safeguard for your sender reputation and ensures compliance with email regulations.
Suppression lists typically include: hard-bounced addresses (invalid emails), users who unsubscribed, recipients who marked your emails as spam, and addresses you've manually added. Before sending any email, your system should check the suppression list and skip any matching addresses.
Maintaining an accurate suppression list is essential for deliverability. Sending to addresses that have bounced, unsubscribed, or complained signals to email providers that you don't respect recipient preferences, which can damage your reputation and land more of your emails in spam.
Why Suppression List Matters
Ignoring your suppression list can have serious consequences. Sending to bounced addresses hurts your reputation. Sending to unsubscribed users violates regulations like CAN-SPAM and GDPR, potentially resulting in fines. Sending to spam complainers can get you blacklisted. A well-maintained suppression list protects your deliverability and keeps you compliant.
How Ark Handles Suppression List
Ark automatically maintains your suppression list, adding bounced addresses, spam complaints, and unsubscribes in real-time. Before sending any email, we check it against your suppression list. You can also add addresses manually via API or dashboard, and export your list for use in other systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do addresses get added to my suppression list?
Addresses are typically added automatically when they hard bounce, when users unsubscribe, or when recipients mark your email as spam. You can also manually add addresses through your email provider's dashboard or API.
Can I remove an address from my suppression list?
Yes, but be careful. Removing bounced addresses and re-sending will damage your reputation. Unsubscribed users must explicitly re-opt-in before you can email them again. Only remove addresses if you're certain they were added in error.
Should I share my suppression list across email providers?
Yes, if you use multiple email services, you should sync suppression lists to ensure consistency. This prevents accidentally emailing someone from one service who unsubscribed through another.
How often should I clean my suppression list?
Suppression lists should grow over time, not shrink. Don't 'clean' by removing entries—that defeats the purpose. Instead, focus on keeping your sending list clean to minimize additions to the suppression list.
Related Terms
Bounce Rate
Email bounce rate is the percentage of emails that couldn't be delivered to recipients, categorized ...
Email Deliverability
Email deliverability is the ability to successfully deliver emails to recipients' inboxes rather tha...
Spam Trap
A spam trap is an email address used to identify spammers, either recycled from abandoned accounts o...
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