Constant Contact's overall email delivery rates can be hurt if your emails receive high bounce rates or spam complaints. That's why we sometimes use "staging" as part of our list review process. It allows us to test, or keep an eye on, your list's performance before we let the entire mailing go out.
Not everyone who has a list review will be staged, but new or larger lists that are being emailed for the first time are likely to go through the process.
What happens in staging?
When your list is being staged, Constant Contact releases small portions of your mailing at a time, and then watches the resulting bounce rate and spam complaints. By letting these emails go out slowly and following the tracking statistics, we can prevent or handle the damaging effects of mailings that produce high bounce rates or spam complaints.
How long does it take?
A staged email will generally send to your contact list within 24-48 hours, depending on the email results. There are times, however, when this process may take longer. The decision to release all of your email communication is up to the Constant Contact Compliance Team.
What will the result be?
Depending on how the staging goes, the results for your email may be one of three things:
- Performance is good - If your email's spam complaints and bounce rates are within Constant Contact's guidelines, Constant Contact generally releases the email to everyone on your list within 24 to 48 hours.
- Performance is borderline - If your email receives higher than normal spam complaints or bounce rates, Constant Contact may choose to continue letting out the email incrementally. Often times, this may take longer than the normal 24 hours to 48 hours. The total length of time it may require to release the entire email depends on how many complaints there are and the size of your contact list. When this email sends out completely, you may be asked to call a Constant Contact Support Representative. They'll give you suggestions on how to reduce complaints and get better performance from your list.
- Performance is unacceptable - If your email receives an unacceptable amount of spam complaints or bounces, Constant Contact may end the staging and stop the mailing altogether. If this happens, you'll receive an email to let you know. You'll also be asked to call an account review team member, so you can discuss any actions that may need to be taken. If the situation warrants it, the Compliance Team may also cancel an account outright.
