Skip to content
The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryEmail & LifecycleGraymail

Email & Lifecycle

Graymail

Bulk email a recipient opted into but rarely engages with, which mailbox providers may increasingly filter away from the inbox.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Graymail is bulk email a recipient opted into but rarely engages with, which mailbox providers may increasingly filter away from the inbox. Typical examples include newsletters and promotions that recipients ignore without unsubscribing. Because low engagement can hurt deliverability, senders reduce graymail through segmentation, preference centers and sunset policies.