Email terms Glossary

Email Term Glossary

A

Above the fold: The top part of an email message that is visible to the recipient without the need for scrolling.

Alias: A unique and usually shorter URL (link) that can be distinguished from other links.

API: Application Program Interface

ASP: Application Service Provider

Attachment: A data file that is attached to an email message.

Autoresponder: a set message that is emailed to someone immediately after they request it.

B

Blacklist: List of IP addresses that are being used by or belong to organizations or individuals that have been identified as sending
Spam. Blacklists are often used by organizations and Internet Service Providers as part of their filtering process to block all
incoming mail form a particular IP address (or block of addresses).

Bounces: Lists of domains and IP addresses that have been reported or accused of sending spam.

Block: A refusal by an ISP or mail server not to forward your email message to the recipient.

Broadcast: The process of sending the same email message to multiple recipients.

C

Catch-all: An email server function that forwards all questionable email to a single mailbox.

Clickthrough rate: Total number of clicks on an email hyperlink divided by the number of email messages delivered. Includes
multiple clicks by a unique user.

CPA: Cost per Action (also can be Acquisition). Describes the cost of each acquisition or conversion.

CPC: Cost per Click. A method of paying for advertising based on a price per each unique click.

CPM: Cost per Thousand.

CRM: Customer Relationship Management

CTR: Click-Through Rate

D

Dedicated Server: An email server used by only one client.

Delivery tracking: The process of measuring delivery rates by format, ISP or other factors and delivery failures (bounces, invalid
address, server and other errors).

Double opt-in: A process that requires new list joiners to take an action (such as clicking on an emailed link to a personal
confirmation page) in order to confirm that they do want to be on the list.

E

ECOA: Email Change of Address.

Effective rate: Metric that measures how many of those who opened an email message clicked on a link

Email client: The software recipients use to read email, such as Outlook Express or Lotus Notes.

Email list management software: Software that allows users to collect, import, and manage subscribers.

Ezine: An 'electronic magazine.' Essentially the same as an email newsletter. Usually sent on a regular schedule.

F

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions.

Full-service provider: An email vendor that also provides strategic consulting and creative support, in addition to sending
messages.

H

HTML: Hypertext markup language, the basic programming language of the Internet.

Hard bounce: Message sent to an invalid, closed or nonexistent email account.

House list: The list of email addresses an organization develops on its own.

I

IMAP: Internet Message Access Protocol.

Impression: A single view of one page by a single user, used in calculating advertising rates.

ISP: Internet Service Provider

L

Landing page: A Web page viewed after clicking on a link within an email.

List fatigue: A condition producing diminishing returns from a mailing list whose members are sent too many offers, or too many
of the same offers, in too short a period of time.

List rental: The process in which a publisher or advertiser pays a list owner to send its messages to that list.

M

Mail bomb: An attempt to shut down a mail server by sending more messages than it can handle in a short period of time.

MTA: Mail Transfer Agent.

MSP: Mail service provider

MUA: Mail User Agent

MySQL: Commonly used database. Runs on servers.

O

Opt-in: A specific, pro-active, request by an individual email recipient to have their own email address placed on a specific mailing
list.

Opt-out: A specific request to remove an email address from a specific list, or from all lists operated by a single owner.

P

PageRank (PR): A ranking by the search engine Google. Ranking is from 0 to 10. Ten is best.

Phishing: A form of identity theft in which a scammer uses an authentic-looking email to trick recipients into giving out sensitive
personal information, such as credit-card or bank account numbers, Social Security numbers and other data.

POP: Post Office Protocol

R:

ROI: Return on investment.

S

Sender ID: The informal name for a new anti-spam program combining two existing protocols:

Sent emails: Number of email names transmitted in a single broadcast.

Snail mail: postal mail.

Spam: unwanted email that was sent without the permission of the recipient.

Spoofing: The practice of changing the sender's name in an email message.

U

Unsubscribe: To request to be removed from a specific list or newsletter.

UCE: Unsolicited Commercial Email.

URL: Uniform Resource Locator.

W

Whitelisting: Opposite of blacklisting.