| Purpose | Understand the email deliverability metrics monitored by Cloudbeds Guest Marketing and how to reduce the risk of sending suspensions. |
| Best for | Property owners, administrators, managers, and marketing teams responsible for Guest Marketing email campaigns. |
| Use this when | You want to understand which campaign performance metrics may trigger a sending suspension or improve deliverability before sending another campaign. |
| Requirements | No additional setup is required to understand these metrics. To apply the recommendations, you need access to the relevant campaign, contact list, or sending settings in Guest Marketing. |
| Expected result | You can recognize negative deliverability signals and apply recommended practices to help reduce hard bounces, unsubscribes, and spam complaints. |
| Limitations | Other negative signals may also trigger a review or sending suspension. Staying below the listed rates does not guarantee uninterrupted sending. |
Introduction
Cloudbeds Guest Marketing can suspend email sending when a campaign's hard bounce, unsubscribe, or spam complaint rate exceeds a monitored threshold. Keeping these rates low helps protect email deliverability and inbox placement with mailbox providers such as Gmail and Outlook.
This article explains the metrics Guest Marketing monitors, when campaign results are evaluated, and the practices you can follow to reduce the risk of sending suspensions.
Rates we monitor
The following metrics indicate how recipients and mailbox providers respond to your emails. High rates may signal problems with contact quality, consent, or campaign relevance.
| Metric | What it means | Suspension risk when above |
|---|---|---|
| Hard bounce rate | Emails permanently rejected, for example, because the email address does not exist. | [2%] |
| Unsubscribe rate | Recipients who opt out after receiving the campaign. | [1%] |
| Spam complaint rate | Recipients who mark the email as spam. | [0.2%] |
These metrics are examples of negative signals, not a complete list of conditions that can trigger a review or sending suspension. Other poor campaign results may also be considered.
When campaign results are checked
Guest Marketing evaluates campaign performance at different points depending on the campaign and its recipients:
- Campaigns sent within the last 24 hours: Results are reviewed on an ongoing basis to identify poor deliverability performance.
- Campaigns sent to new contacts: Guest Marketing evaluates how an initial sample of recipients responds. If early engagement is positive within the first [1 to 3 hours], the campaign continues. If results are negative, the campaign and sending are suspended.
How to keep your rates low
Good contact-list practices and relevant email content help reduce negative deliverability signals. Follow these recommendations before sending your next campaign:
- Remove invalid email addresses. Clean your contact lists regularly to help reduce hard bounces.
- Send only to guests who opted in. Make sure recipients have agreed to receive marketing emails. Consider using a double opt-in flow when collecting new contacts.
- Segment your audience. Send relevant offers to the appropriate guest segments rather than sending every campaign to your entire contact list.
- Make unsubscribing easy. Include a visible unsubscribe link so recipients can opt out instead of marking your emails as spam.
- Verify your sending domain. Follow the instructions in How to Verify Your Domain for Cloudbeds Guest Marketing.
- Warm up before large sends. When adding a new or long-unused contact list, begin by sending to your most engaged guests.
Important: A repeat suspension can lead to permanent deactivation of email sending. Address the cause of the suspension before attempting to reactivate sending.
Related articles
Understanding these deliverability signals can help you prepare healthier email campaigns. Review these resources for guidance on sending suspensions, email deliverability, and Guest Marketing subscription statuses:
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