Note: This podcast episode was pre-recorded and since then, we have changed our terminology at ConvertKit to blocklist instead of blacklist.

Spam traps can elicit a negative gut reaction. It’s probably a natural reaction, and we’re going to talk about how you can avoid spam traps without making things worse.

Spam traps are an email address that's created or maintained with the purpose of identifying centers with poor list health or collection methods. While it’s good for subscribers, sometimes as a sender you can get hit with penalties to your deliverability score without understanding why.

In this episode, we talk about the characteristics of spam traps and how to avoid them, list hygiene, and more. We also answer a listener question about emoji use in your subject line.

Main Takeaways

Having a double opt-in for your email list is a great way to make sure your list is “clean” and only includes people who want to be there.
Pay attention to misspelled email addresses. They can be genuine mistakes, but they can also be spam traps.
Manage your bounced addresses. They can become spam traps and hurt your list.
Spam traps are “invisible.” You’ll never know for sure which address is a spam trap, which is part of the reason they work.

“Don't purchase a list. I know it's tempting to just have a list of email addresses you can go ahead and try to sell to, but it's the easy way out. And in the long run, it's not going to give you the results that a naturally engaged list (that you grew the hard way—slow and steady) is going to give you.” ~ @alyssa_dulin

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