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Reputation

Feedback Loops (FBL): how mailbox providers tell you about complaints

Most major providers send 'this is spam' clicks back to senders as ARF reports. Subscribing to FBLs lets you suppress complainers immediately.

Per-provider signup

FBLs are provider-specific. Microsoft (SNDS / JMRP), Yahoo (CFL), Comcast, La Poste, Mail.Ru, and others each have their own signup form. Gmail has Postmaster Tools rather than a per-message FBL.

ARF format

Reports arrive as RFC 5965 ARF messages — multipart/report with a redacted copy of the original message. Most ESPs handle parsing automatically; if you self-host, expect to write a small parser.

Suppression behaviour

Add complainers to a suppression list immediately and permanently. Continuing to send to a complainer drives your reputation down quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Does Gmail have an FBL?
Not in the traditional sense. Gmail surfaces complaint and spam rate via Postmaster Tools, but does not send per-message ARF reports.

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