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<p>In episode 17 of the Deliverability Defined podcast, Melissa and I define the deliverability terminology that anyone who sends emails should be familiar with in order to reach the inbox of their subscribers.</p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-28862 lazy" data-src="https://media.kit.com/post/eUfnOsGo-delivery-deliverability.jpg?fm=pjpg" alt="Deliverability Terminology You Need to Know" width="750" height="665" srcset="https://media.kit.com/post/eUfnOsGo-delivery-deliverability.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=532&amp;w=600 600w, https://media.kit.com/post/eUfnOsGo-delivery-deliverability.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=523&amp;w=590 590w, https://media.kit.com/post/eUfnOsGo-delivery-deliverability.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=240&amp;w=271 271w, https://media.kit.com/post/eUfnOsGo-delivery-deliverability.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=908&amp;w=1024 1024w, https://media.kit.com/post/eUfnOsGo-delivery-deliverability.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=1362&amp;w=1536 1536w, https://media.kit.com/post/eUfnOsGo-delivery-deliverability.jpg?fit=scale&amp;fm=pjpg&amp;h=1816&amp;w=2048 2048w, https://media.kit.com/post/eUfnOsGo-delivery-deliverability.jpg?fm=pjpg 750w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></p>
<h2 id="chapter-1">Deliverability terminology</h2>
<h3>Delivery</h3>
<p>When an email is successfully accepted by the receiver’s mailbox at the end of the email sending process.</p>
<h3>Deliverability</h3>
<p>A sender’s ability to <a href="https://kit.com/resources/blog/email-deliverability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reach the inbox of their subscribers</a>.</p>
<h3>Spam filter</h3>
<p>The algorithms and machine learning used to decide whether emails belong in the inbox, spam folder, or somewhere else.</p>
<h3>Mailbox provider</h3>
<p>The platform that a subscriber uses to host their mailbox. Some examples of mailbox providers are Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo.</p>
<h3>Complaint</h3>
<p>When a subscriber marks a message as spam.</p>
<h3>Feedback loop</h3>
<p>The mechanism in which mailbox providers send complaint information back to the sender.</p>
<h3>Domain</h3>
<p>The part of an email address that comes after the @ symbol.</p>
<h3>Spam trap</h3>
<p>An email address that is used to <a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/avoiding-spam-traps-the-right-way" target="_blank" rel="noopener">catch senders with bad practices</a>.</p>
<h3>Blocklist</h3>
<p>A company or organization that compiles a database of <a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/demystifying-blocklists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">risky domains or IPs</a>.</p>
<h3>Authentication</h3>
<p>Methods to help ensure that the person sending the email is who they say they are. The 3 types are <a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/authentication-spf-dkim-dmarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SPF, DKIM, and DMARC</a>.</p>
<h3>Message headers</h3>
<p>The “transcript” of the email that contains details about the transmission of the email such as who sent it, who received it, and whether or not the message passed <a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/authentication-spf-dkim-dmarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authentication</a>.</p>
<h3>MX record</h3>
<p>A DNS record that specifies the mail server responsible for accepting email messages on behalf of a domain.</p>
<h3>Open rate</h3>
<p>Opens are tracked using an <a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/meaningful-metrics-going-beyond-open-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invisible pixel</a> embedded in the email. If the pixel is &#8220;loaded&#8221;, an open is logged. Open rate is typically calculated by # opens / # deliveries.</p>
<h3>Click rate</h3>
<p>A click is tracked when someone clicks a link in an email. Click rates are typically calculated as # clicks / # Deliveries. Unique click rate is # subscribers who clicked a link / # deliveries.</p>
<h3>Listbombing</h3>
<p>When subscribers are <a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/protecting-yourself-from-listbombing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added to your form by a bot</a>, and they didn&#8217;t actually sign up to receive your emails.</p>
<h3>Double opt-in/Confirmed opt-in</h3>
<p>When you require that anyone who signs up to your form has to click a link in an email to <a href="https://help.kit.com/en/articles/2971364-the-all-important-double-opt-in" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">confirm that they actually signed up</a>.</p>
<h3>Opt-in confirmation email</h3>
<p>An email that contains a link for subscribers to confirm that they want to stay on your list. Those who don&#8217;t click to confirm should be removed from the list.</p>
<h3>Call to action (CTA)</h3>
<p>The action step in your email that you want your subscribers to take.</p>
<h3>Seedlist</h3>
<p>A list of <a href="https://kit.com/resources/blog/inbox-placement-tests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">test email addresses</a> that report whether emails landed in their inbox or spam folder.</p>
<h3>Spoofing</h3>
<p>When someone sends an email pretending to be another person, company, brand, etc.</p>
<h3>Allowlist/Safelist/Address book</h3>
<p>A way for subscribers to <a href="https://help.kit.com/en/articles/3917962-how-to-ask-subscribers-to-allow-your-emails" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mark a sender as &#8220;safe&#8221;</a> and ensure all of their messages go to the inbox.</p>
<h2 id="chapter-2">Links</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/sender-reputation-the-road-to-inbox-placement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deliverability Defined 02: Sender Reputation: The Road to Inbox Placement</a></li>
<li><a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/avoiding-spam-traps-the-right-way" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deliverability Defined 05: Avoiding Spam Traps the Right Way</a></li>
<li><a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/authentication-spf-dkim-dmarc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deliverability Defined 06: Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/meaningful-metrics-going-beyond-open-rates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deliverability Defined 07: Meaningful Metrics: Going Beyond Open Rates</a></li>
<li><a href="https://deliverability.transistor.fm/episodes/demystifying-blocklists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deliverability Defined 09: Demystifying Blocklists</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4fD0IQmH7E" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to ensure your emails are authenticated</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="chapter-3">Try Kit&#8217;s deliverability in action</h2>
<p>It&#8217;s now free to use Kit with an audience of 10,000 subscribers or less! Start building your audience and reaching their inboxes: <a href="https://kit.com/pricing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">convertkit.com/pricing</a>.</p>
<h2 id="chapter-4">Stay in touch</h2>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deliverability-defined/id1515377286" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1ElZx2zrhvllOkbPzSfGxX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://x.com/convertkit" target="_blank">X/Twitter</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/convertkit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/convertkit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://kit.com/features/deliverability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deliverability Defined Website</a></li>
</ul>
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