Big Changes Are Coming to the Gmail Inbox

Big Changes Are Coming to the Gmail Inbox

Gmail is no stranger to updates and upgrades. From the introduction of the promotions tab in 2013 to the ability to manage subscriptions a few months ago, Google is always seeking ways to improve the inbox. Google recently announced two big updates to the inbox that senders will want to be aware of in 2025. 

Promotions Tab

The promotions tab that many marketers feared when it was introduced is now going on 13 years old. During that time, emails in the promotional folder appeared in chronological order. Moving forward, Gmail customers will have the ability to instead sort by relevancy. 

For senders that target campaigns based on subscriber engagement, this is very welcome news. Brands that the user engages with the most will appear first in the inbox. Gmail will also introduce ‘nudges’ to highlight specific deals and timely offers in the inbox. 

If you don’t have a strict sunset policy, or you have high sending frequency to non-engaged users, now would be a great time to revise that strategy. 

Tracking Purchases

Another big change Google is making is around tracking purchases and delivery updates. Gmail customers will now be able to find all of that information in one place, called ‘Purchases’. All order related emails, shipping updates, etc will now appear in ‘Purchases’. 

There is one caveat: packages that are set to arrive within 24 hours. Those will still appear at the top of the primary inbox. 

What Should Senders Do?

The biggest change for email marketers is certainly the relevancy sorting in the promotional folder. Sending to old, inactive audience members certainly won’t be rewarded. It’s more important than ever to fine tune your sunset policy and frequency modeling. 

If you are trying to find the optimal sending frequency for your email program, or you are looking to implement or revise a sunset policy, our professional services team is here to assist.