Understanding Email Basics

Email follows a structured path before reaching the recipient:

The sender composes an email and sends it through an Email Service Provider (ESP).
The ESP processes the email, ensuring it meets formatting and authentication standards.
The email is routed through the internet, passing through various mail servers and spam filters.
The recipient's email provider (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) scans the email for security threats, spam, and compliance.
The email is either delivered to the inbox, filtered into a folder (e.g., Promotions, Updates), or sent to spam.

Understanding this process helps organizations optimize email deliverability and improve inbox placement rates.

Emails generally fall into two main categories:

Transactional Emails: These are triggered by user actions and provide necessary information, such as:
- Order confirmations
- Password resets
- Appointment reminders
- Shipping notifications
Marketing Emails: These are promotional in nature and designed to engage, inform, or convert subscribers. Examples include:
- Newsletters
- Promotional offers
- Event invitations
- Product updates

Since marketing emails are more susceptible to spam filters, they require smarter permission-based sending, and engagement optimization.

An Email Service Provider (ESP) facilitates the sending, tracking, and management of email campaigns. Key roles of an ESP include:

Ensuring emails comply with anti-spam regulations (GDPR, CAN-SPAM, etc.).
Providing authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability.
Offering analytics on email performance, including open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates.
Managing email list segmentation and automation for personalized messaging.
Helping maintain sender reputation to avoid email blocklists.

Choosing the right ESP based on reliability, deliverability rates, and features is critical for a successful email strategy.