Spam traps
What are spam traps?
Spam traps are addresses that exist only to identify bad senders. Pristine traps were never used by a real person, so anyone emailing them got the address from scraping or a bought list. Recycled traps are old, abandoned addresses that were reactivated after a long silence.
Mailbox providers and blocklist operators use hits on traps as evidence of poor list hygiene.
Why spam traps matter
Sending to traps can get a domain or IP blocklisted. Avoid them by using opt-in or carefully researched contacts, verifying addresses and removing people who never engage.
Related marketing terms
Buying email listsGrey hat
Buying email lists means purchasing contact data from a vendor to email people who never heard of you. It is legal in places and risky everywhere.
Email verification checks whether an address exists and can receive mail before you send, so fewer emails bounce and your reputation stays healthy.
Email deliverability is how reliably your emails reach the inbox rather than spam, shaped by authentication, reputation and content.
Email bounce rate is the share of sent emails that could not be delivered, because the address is invalid or the receiving server refused them.