Definition of Allowlist
An email allowlist is a pre-approved list of trusted senders that bypasses standard filtering. It ensures your emails land in subscribers' inboxes rather than spam or promotions folders.
Every major email provider (Gmail, Microsoft, Apple) uses allowlists, as do most companies and ESPs.
Why you should care
Allowlisting helps solve the invisible crisis plaguing newsletter creators, emails that never reach their audience.
When subscribers add you to their allowlist, you begin to:
- Avoid spam and promotions folders
- Improve deliverability
- Increase engagement
The trouble is that most subscribers don't know how to add you to their allowlist.
Smart creators include specific instructions in welcome emails and encourage immediate replies. This engagement tactic sends a signal to email providers that your content is wanted.
For B2B newsletters, understanding your sending IP ranges or grabbing a dedicated IP is important to cope with corporate filtering systems.
Some resources we rely on
Ask Claude for help with Allowlist
Copy and paste this prompt into Claude or the AI of your choice. Be sure to tweak the context for your situation.
<goal>
Help me incorporate effective allowlisting elements into my welcome sequence to improve deliverability and engagement from day one.
</goal>
<context>
* I run a [FREQUENCY] newsletter about [TOPIC]
* My audience primarily uses [EMAIL CLIENTS] (Gmail, Apple Mail, Outlook, etc.)
* My current welcome email open rate is approximately [PERCENTAGE]
* I'm using [ESP PLATFORM] to send my newsletter
* My primary concern is [DELIVERABILITY ISSUE] (inbox placement, avoiding promotions tab, etc.)
</context>
<output>
Please provide:
* 3 effective hooks to incorporate in my welcome email that encourage immediate replies
* Platform-specific allowlisting instructions to add for my top email clients
* Subject line frameworks that improve inbox placement
* A concise template section explaining allowlisting benefits in plain language to add to my welcome email
* Follow-up elements to convert non-responders into active allowlisters
</output>
<example>
Reply hooks to incorporate:
- "What's your biggest question about [TOPIC]? Reply with just one word and I'll send you our insider guide."
- "Reply with 'IN' to confirm you want these insights in your primary inbox (this helps future deliverability)"
- "Quick reply challenge: What's one thing about [TOPIC] you wish you understood better? Your answer shapes next week's content."
</example>
<guardrails>
* Focus on simple, clear instructions subscribers can follow easily
* Avoid technical jargon that might confuse non-technical readers
* Make reply requests feel valuable to the subscriber, not just beneficial to me
* For B2B newsletters, include specific guidance for corporate email environments
* Keep allowlisting requests subtle and beneficial rather than desperate
* Ensure all suggestions work within the constraints of my ESP
</guardrails>