Lately, it's been seen that spam traps are making their way into your email lists. How does this happen? It’s difficult to know for sure, but one thing we do know – you can do something about it. This is an important and serious matter which should not be taken lightly. Sending to a spam trap unknowingly is a dangerous situation to be in. It will definitely put a dent in your email reputation if you continue to send unintentionally.

The most obvious spam traps that I have seen tout email addresses which should easily catch your attention. For example, If you have any addresses in your email lists that contain the word "spam", you are most likely sending email to a spam trap. I have seen addresses like: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Such addresses are easy to spot, and should be removed from your email list at once. These email addresses are set up as spam traps and are used specifically to catch spammers. As a precaution, it should be done on a weekly basis; daily if you have the resources to do so.

To prevent spam trap email addresses from reaching your email list, you can do the following:

1) Send email using a double opt-in. This will ensure that you are sending email to people who want to receive it. With a double opt-in method in place, spam traps will not be able to sign up for your email messages.

2) Proactively clean your email lists. You should, on a weekly basis review your lists for potential bad addresses. As I mentioned above, the best way to do this would be to search for obvious addresses that may include the word "spam".

Lyris also offers email deliverability consulting services which can help with list cleaning, as well as with email deliverability best practices, strategy, and email marketing creative review. If you have any specific questions about email list cleaning or email marketing best practices in general, feel free to leave a message in the "Comments" area below so I can get back to you.

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About the Author

Vip Patel is an account manager at Lyris. He is responsible for helping clients with their email campaigns, offering today's best practices, guidelines and measures to help them succeed in email marketing. 

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