What does looping in email mean?

What does looping in email mean?

Looping email and email looping–-what do they mean, and why do they matter for email marketers? It can be confusing, especially since while those terms sound similar, they can’t be used interchangeably. In fact, they have very different meanings. We’ll walk you through the ins and outs of looping in email—from mail loops to looping someone in. By the time you finish this guide, you’ll be an expert in the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

Email looping vs. looping mail/email

Email looping and looping email might be the same words, ordered differently, but the terms actually have very different meanings (if you’ve been confused, this might be part of the reason why). The short version: email looping=good, looping email=bad.

Email looping is the process of adding someone to an existing email conversation. It’s the fairly simple process of adding one or more email addresses to an existing email thread. This might be done for many reasons, including escalating a customer support claim or increasing transparency in email communication. The only potential negative side effect of looping someone into an email is that if you do so unnecessarily, the recipient may have to contend with an increase in unwanted email notifications. (That’s why there are times when it’s good practice to secure consent before looping someone into an email thread.) 

Looping mail/email, on the other hand,l refers to the unintended of an autoresponder triggering an unintentional series of automated emails being sent from one email client to another—just two robots talking to each other for an extended (or unending) period of time. Looping email increases spam and reduces email quality, which can negatively impact key performance metrics, like sender reputation (which in turn negatively affects inboxing rate), for your email marketing program.

The good: email looping

Understanding how, when, and why to effectively loop someone into an existing email thread can help you maintain clear communication, increase transparency, and practice good email hygiene. There are several reasons why you might loop someone into an existing message thread, including:

• Getting input from key stakeholders: It’s good practice to keep all relevant parties informed—whether you’re planning a marketing campaign for a new product launch or deciding where your group of friends should go to lunch on Saturday. 

• Increasing transparency: When sending emails about projects and conversations that touch multiple departments within an organization, looping everyone into the email can increase transparency. You might want to include people who aren’t decision-makers per se but can still benefit from a peek behind the curtain.

• Informing a supervisor: In some situations, you may want to loop in your boss—either because your supervisor needs to know what’s going on or because they may need to step in. 

• To introduce one email recipient to another: You can use email looping to introduce a client to a colleague, loop a new hire in an existing conversation, or forge other new connections. 

Looping someone into an existing email thread is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is add the recipient's email to either the “To” or “CC” field in the existing email thread. It’s good practice to include a note that you have added someone to the conversation (and why). Depending on the circumstances, you may also want to ask permission from the person you’re adding to the email prior to doing so. 

The Bad: looping email

Automation is an essential and powerful tool in any email marketer's toolbox, but it comes with a risk: looping mail. Looping mail occurs when one automated email triggers another, and they go back and forth multiple times, creating spam and negatively impacting your sender's reputation. 

How does looping email happen?

Looping emails typically happen when two or more automated email systems reply to each other, triggering an endless cycle. This usually occurs due to auto-reply mechanisms like out-of-office messages or automated customer support responses. 

Here's how looping mail typically happens: 

1. An initial email is sent. This is often an automated email like a “welcome email.”

2. The recipient has an automatic reply, like an out-of-office message, set up. This automated responder triggers the email loop, sending an automated message to the original sender.

3. If the original sender doesn’t recognize the original recipient's email as an automated message, it may send back another automated message.

4. If neither email system recognizes the other’s automated message, the mail loop keeps repeating itself.

Looping email is caused by the failure of email systems to recognize each other’s messages as automated. If your email marketing messages, like a welcome email, have triggered looping emails, then there is either a bug in your email software… or you need a better email marketing service. 

How looping mail hurts your email marketing

Looping mail can have a measurable, negative impact on your email marketing efforts. Email loop exchanges can cause server load. It causes inboxes to be rapidly filled with unnecessary messages, and a full inbox may subsequently cause an email recipient to miss out on other important email messages. It can cause email service providers to label the sending domain as Spam, resulting in future emails being sent to the recipient’s Spam folder. And it often leads to the original message getting lost in the shuffle. 

How to avoid looping email

You can add appropriate tags, filters, and conditions to your email marketing software or email service provider to ensure that the system can recognize automated emails and stop the email loop from continuing. Here are some things to check for: check mail forwarding configurations, see what you can do to reduce server relay delays, verify your mail routing settings, and monitor mail logs. 

One of the best ways to handle automatic replies from recipients is with a return path. A return path is a hidden email header that that indicates how and where bounced emails will be processed. When a return path is correctly set up in your marketing emails, the automatic emails are registered as bounced emails. This avoids a mail loop. For more information on return paths, check out our resource on handling auto responders from recipients. 

Choose Twilio SendGrid for better email marketing

Twilio SendGrid offers a best-in-class solution that will elevate your email marketing and drive performance. With an industry-leading deliverability rate, we have all the tools you need to make sure you’re never tormented by mail loops dragging down your KPIs. Enjoy customizable email templates, user-friendly marketing automation, list management tools, and more. Try SendGrid Email Marketing Campaigns to save time and maximize impact.