A Quick Look at Email Spam Traps - Using & Avoiding
Learn more about email spam traps - how to spot them in your email lists and how to avoid them.
Spam Trap
Also known as: Honeypot Address, Trap Address
A spam trap is an email address used by inbox providers to spot bad or careless senders. Hitting one damages your sender reputation and makes it more likely your emails go to spam.
A spam trap is an email address that looks real but is only there to catch bad sending habits. It is run by inbox providers, not by real people. No one signs up for it or reads what you send. It exists to track who is not keeping their list clean.
When you send email to spam traps, inbox providers see you as careless or unsafe. Your reputation drops, and more of your messages get filtered to spam, even for people who want to hear from you. Hit enough traps and you can see opens, clicks, and revenue drop fast. Fixing that reputation can take time and steady, clean sending.
You lower your risk by using clear opt ins, avoiding bought lists, and removing people who never open. Double opt in and regular list cleaning help keep trap addresses out. If performance falls for no clear reason, tighten your list and focus only on active subscribers for a while. That sends a strong signal that you take deliverability seriously.
Related Terms
Reputation(Sender Reputation)
Sender reputation is the trust score mailbox providers give your emails based on how you send and how people react. It helps decide if your messages land in the inbox or get pushed to spam.
Learn more →Spam
Spam is any email sent to someone without their clear permission or after they have lost interest in hearing from you. It is email that feels unwanted or irrelevant to the person receiving it.
Learn more →Honey Pot
A honey pot is a fake email address used by inbox providers and anti spam groups to spot senders with bad list practices. Sending to these addresses hurts your reputation and makes it harder for your emails to reach the inbox.
Learn more →Sender Score
Sender Score is a 0 to 100 rating of your sending reputation. A higher score means inbox providers are more likely to trust your emails and keep them out of spam.
Learn more →Related Articles About Spam Trap
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