Bulk email hygiene

[unitof]

Starting in February 2024 (tho be prepared for postponement), Gmail plans to enforce some stricter email requirements for bulk senders, which they define as anyone sending more than 5,000 emails per month. Honestly to me it's how they define a "sender" (reply-to address? from address? sending service?).

Details: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/81126

Any month Sludge sends 2+ emails to free members, we hit that.

As I see it we have two paths:

1. Stick with Ghost's sending server & reputation.

   Pro: Ghost is obviously incentivized to keep everything running well. There are a few things I can still do to help our sender reputation, if Sludge can be strict about only ever using Ghost to send bulk emails (or at least letting me know if we might ever send email from elsewhere).

   Con: we get grouped in with every other Ghost publication email, good or bad

2. Switch to our own email server, via Mailgun

   Pro: we have full control over our policies and reputation. If most people like receiving our emails and don't mark them as spam, then new subscribers are much more likely to get our emails prioritized.

   Con: at our current send rates will cost $5–30 (depending on what level & features we choose), and will take a small amount of ongoing maintenance.

Happy to discuss on call or in comments here, we've got time to figure it out or research what others are doing. Let me know!

[unitof]

(Obviously Gmail is not the only email provider, but double obviously they have a lot of sway on what other providers will likely start enforcing.)

[unitof]

[davidmooreppf]

Thanks for these notes, reading.

[davidmooreppf]

Very glad you put this on my radar. We'll stick with Ghost because I'm not sure future Sludge plans.

[unitof]

Some info from Mailgun on the situation https://email.learn.mailgun.com/deliveries/dgSrwAQDALSMYbKMYQGM75RCZ7e7gYsJp_04aMQ=