A spam complaint is one of the strongest negative signals an email program can send to inbox providers. This article explains what a complaint is, why it matters, what Raise More does about it automatically, and the practical steps you can take to bring your rate down.
What a spam complaint is
A spam complaint happens when a recipient clicks the "Report spam" (or "Mark as junk") button in their email app instead of unsubscribing or deleting the message. That action tells their inbox provider, such as Gmail or Outlook, that they did not want your email. The provider records it against your sending reputation.
Complaints are different from unsubscribes. An unsubscribe is a normal, expected part of running an email program. A complaint is a recipient telling their provider that your mail looked like spam to them. A small number of complaints is unavoidable, but a high rate signals a problem with who you are emailing or how.
Why it matters
Inbox providers use complaint rates to decide whether to deliver your future email to the inbox, route it to the spam folder, or block it. A high complaint rate can hurt deliverability for every sender on your domain, not just the campaign that drew the complaints. Once a domain's reputation drops, it takes time and consistent good sending behavior to recover.
You can see how many people clicked report spam on each email campaign. On the campaign's stats, the count appears under "Clicked report spam," and you can click it to see the report of which recipients complained.
What Raise More does automatically
When an inbox provider tells us a recipient marked your email as spam, Raise More records that complaint and suppresses that email address from your future sends. We do this so a person who already complained does not keep receiving mail from you, which would generate more complaints and further damage your reputation.
This suppression is automatic and applies across your organization. You do not need to manually remove complainers. Raise More also includes the required unsubscribe link in your campaigns, which gives recipients an easy alternative to hitting the spam button.
Concrete steps to lower your rate
Only email people who know you and opted in. The single biggest driver of complaints is sending to people who do not recognize the sender or did not expect to hear from you. Avoid emailing purchased, scraped, or very old lists.
Make unsubscribing easy and obvious. When the unsubscribe link is hard to find, people reach for the spam button instead. Raise More includes the link, so make sure it stays visible in your template.
Set an accurate from-name and subject line. The from-name should clearly identify your campaign or candidate. Avoid subject lines that promise one thing and deliver another. Bait-and-switch subjects are a reliable way to generate complaints.
Email at a reasonable frequency. Sending too often is a common complaint trigger. If your volume has ramped up, slow down and watch whether complaints drop.
Segment to engaged contacts. Prioritize people who have opened or clicked recently. Sending mostly to engaged contacts lowers complaints and improves deliverability.
Remove disengaged and old addresses. Contacts who have not opened anything in a long time are more likely to complain or bounce. Pruning them protects your reputation.
Authenticate your sending domain. Verifying your domain (DKIM, SPF, and DMARC) tells inbox providers your mail is legitimately from you. Raise More walks you through domain verification when you set up a sending identity.
What number to aim for
These are industry guidelines from the inbox providers, not limits Raise More sets or enforces. Providers generally expect complaint rates well under 0.1 percent, which is roughly one complaint per thousand emails delivered. Gmail publishes specific guidance: keep your complaint rate below 0.1 percent, and never let it reach 0.3 percent. If a campaign's complaint count works out to more than about one in a thousand recipients, treat it as a warning sign and review your list and sending practices before your next send.
FAQ
Do I need to remove people who complained?
No. Raise More automatically suppresses any address that generates a spam complaint, so those recipients will not receive your future sends.
Is a complaint the same as an unsubscribe?
No. An unsubscribe is a normal request to stop receiving mail. A complaint is a recipient telling their provider your mail looked like spam, and it carries a heavier penalty to your reputation.
Where do I see how many complaints a campaign got?
On the email campaign's stats, look at the "Clicked report spam" count. Click it to see which recipients complained.
One campaign had a spike in complaints. What should I do?
Review who that campaign went to. Spikes usually come from emailing a list that did not expect to hear from you, an unclear from-name or subject, or sending after a long gap. Tighten your audience to engaged, opted-in contacts before your next send.
Will a high complaint rate affect my other campaigns?
Yes. Complaint rates are tied to your sending domain and reputation, so a high rate on one campaign can hurt deliverability for everything you send.