The words in the emails, explained
Short, sourced definitions of the terms that come up in deliverability, automation and reporting. Each entry links to the longer guide where the topic is covered in depth.
A
- Abandoned cartAn abandoned cart is a shopping cart that still contains items after the shopper leaves without completing an order. Stores infer it from cart or checkout events. Recovery email should be specific, respect consent and stop when the customer orders. The label describes a behavioural signal, not a promise that the shopper wants marketing.
- Abandoned checkoutAn abandoned checkout is a checkout that a customer started but did not complete. Shopify records it as an abandoned checkout that the store can review. Recovery email should use that event, respect consent and stop when the customer orders. The checkout signal is stronger than a product view but weaker than a completed order.
- AttributionEmail attribution is the rule that assigns credit for an order to an email, a click or another touchpoint. The rule has to name the signal, the window and the last or first touch. Mailprompt uses a click-based, five-day, last-click model and reports opens without using them for revenue credit.
B
C
- CAN-SPAM ActThe CAN-SPAM Act is a United States law that sets rules for commercial email. It requires accurate header information, a non-deceptive subject line, a clear opt-out mechanism, prompt honouring of opt-outs and a valid physical postal address. It applies to commercial messages, not to every transactional message.
- Click-through rateClick-through rate is the number of unique clicks divided by the number of delivered emails. It measures how many recipients took a deliberate action, not how many loaded an image. Click-to-open rate divides clicks by opens, so it inherits the noise in open tracking.
- Conversion rateA conversion rate is the share of a defined group that completes a goal. In email marketing, the group can be delivered emails, clicks or sessions, and the goal is usually an order. The denominator has to be stated, because the same orders produce different rates against different groups.
D
- DeliverabilityEmail deliverability is the ability of a sender to reach the recipient inbox rather than the spam folder or a rejection. It depends on authentication, sending reputation, list quality, complaint rates and message content. Delivery to a server is not the same as placement in the inbox.
- DKIMDKIM is an email authentication method that adds a cryptographic signature to a message. The sending domain publishes a public key in DNS, and the receiving server uses it to verify the signature and the body. A valid signature shows that the domain authorized the message and that it was not changed in transit.
- DMARCDMARC is an email authentication policy that tells a receiving server what to do when a message fails SPF or DKIM alignment, and where to send reports. It is published as a TXT record at _dmarc. A monitoring policy collects data; quarantine and reject begin enforcement.
E
- Email flowAn email flow is an automated sequence of emails that starts from a trigger. The trigger can be a store event, a date, a profile property or entry into a segment. The flow then runs waits, sends and conditional branches until it ends or the customer exits.
- EngagementEmail engagement is the pattern of actions recipients take on email: opens, clicks, replies and purchases. It is useful for segmentation and list hygiene, but it is not a single score. Opens are noisy, clicks are stronger and purchases are the outcome that matters most.
L
S
- SegmentationEmail segmentation is the practice of dividing a list into groups that share a behaviour, an attribute or a relationship. A segment is usually dynamic, so a profile can move in and out as the data changes. Segmentation lets a sender write to a group instead of the whole list.
- SPFSPF is a DNS record that lists the servers authorized to send email for a domain. A receiving server checks the envelope sender against the record. SPF helps with authentication, but it can break on forwarding and it is limited to a small number of DNS lookups.