Campaign Review FAQ

1. What isn’t allowed when creating and sending campaigns in Zoho Campaigns?

There are certain aspects that you need to adhere to when it comes to the content you use or to whom you send campaigns because it can violate our terms of use and privacy policy. They are:

Zoho Campaigns does not allow content with direct payment links because it will lead to email deliverability issues.
Zoho Campaigns does not allow creating and sending campaigns related to charity or donations.
Zoho Campaigns does not allow campaigns related to aﬃliate marketing per our terms of use.
Zoho Campaigns does not allow campaigns related to pharmaceutical products.
Zoho Campaigns does not allow campaigns related to gambling services per our terms of use.
Zoho Campaigns does not allow campaigns related to cryptocurrency per our terms of use.
Zoho Campaigns sends all emails from our own server. Sending emails to contacts who have not opted-in yet can cause deliverability issues, affect our server reputation, and violate our terms of use.

2. Why are you receiving a "blacklisted URL domain" error message?

You’re seeing this error because your email contains a link that’s been flagged as unsafe or spammy. This could be due to spam blacklists, shortened URLs, or compromised sites. To resolve this, remove or replace the link with a reputable URL. Using well-known domains and avoiding excessive tracking or redirect links can also help prevent this issue. Regularly monitoring your links and domain reputation reduces the risk of future blacklist errors.

If your URL domain is blacklisted, identify the blacklist using tools like MXToolbox. Resolve issues such as spam complaints or poor email practices, ensure proper SPF/DKIM setup, and request delisting. Clean your email list, improve engagement, and follow best practices to prevent future blacklisting and restore deliverability.

3. Can you hide or have more than one the unsubscribe link? What are the things you should know about unsubscribe links?

Here are some pointers for handling unsubscribe links in your campaigns:

We do not allow email campaigns to be sent where the unsubscribe link is hidden.
We do not allow campaigns with multiple unsubscribe links. Only one Zoho Campaigns unsubscribe link is permitted.
Zoho Campaigns does not allow the use of external unsubscribe links. Using external unsubscribe links can lead to abuse complaints and the blacklisting of our IPs because it could allow users to bypass our system.
If your recipients are unable to unsubscribe using the link in the footer, you can ﬁrst check whether the unsubscribe merge tag has been hyperlinked correctly and make any necessary changes. If the issue still persists, you can reach out to the support team by sending an email to support@zohocampaigns.com.
You can remove the footer and include the unsubscribe link within the content. The unsubscribe link is mandatory; it’s not necessary to add it only in the footer.
The unsubscribe link will not work in test emails.

4. What are the advantages of using a footer?

A footer in marketing emails enhances professionalism, ensures legal compliance, and builds trust by including your company details and an unsubscribe link. It reduces spam complaints, provides contact information, and allows recipients to manage preferences. Consistent footers also reinforce brand identity, support better engagement, and improve deliverability.

We do not allow double footers because they confuse recipients and look unprofessional. Your campaign may even be placed on hold due to a double footer. If that happens, we request you to remove the extra footer and retain only one. This will help improve deliverability.

5. What does “frequent campaigns” mean?

Frequent email campaigns refer to sending marketing or promotional emails to your audience at short intervals.

We discourage ﬂooding recipients' mailboxes with marketing emails. This can lead to deliverability issues such as spam markings and abuse complaints. Your campaign could be placed on hold if you send campaigns frequently. Sending marketing emails too frequently can lead to higher unsubscribe rates and spam complaints. It may hurt engagement, damage your sender reputation, and reduce overall deliverability and effectiveness.

6. Can you send emails using a no-reply sender address?

No, sending emails from a no-reply sender address in Zoho Campaigns is not allowed. Using a "no-reply" email hurts engagement, frustrates recipients, and may trigger spam ﬁlters. It also blocks communication, reduces trust, and could violate email regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM.

Also, using a no-reply email as the Reply-To address in marketing emails blocks two-way communication, frustrates recipients, and reduces engagement. This can lead to higher spam complaints and missed customer feedback.

7. Can you send campaigns using a public domain email address?

We do not allow sending marketing emails using a public domain. Starting in February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo introduced stricter email authentication requirements that do not allow sending campaigns from public domains. Sending campaigns from public domains can result in deliverability issues, such as spam markings and abuse complaints because recipients may not recognize your business when it’s not sent from a business-specific domain.

8. What does “invalid domain” mean? What should you know about sending domains?

Invalid domains refer to those that don’t actually exist or lack a proper website with business information.

We do not allow campaigns sent from invalid sender domains. Invalid domains either don’t exist or lack proper business information on their website. This can cause deliverability issues, such as spam markings and abuse complaints.

Having a valid website associated with the sender domain is recommended. A valid website linked to your sender domain boosts credibility, improves email deliverability, and reduces the risk of being ﬂagged as spam. It helps recipients recognize your brand, making your marketing emails appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

It is mandatory to use a business-specific domain to send campaigns in Zoho Campaigns.

9. Can you send campaigns from a domain different from the signup domain?

We do not allow campaigns to be sent from a sender domain different from the one recipients subscribed to. Using a different sender domain increases the risk of recipients marking the email as spam or lodging abuse complaints.

When sending from a different sender domain, recipients may not recognize the sender, which increases the chances of emails being marked as spam or triggering abuse complaints. We recommend using the same sender domain that recipients signed up through to avoid these issues.

You can send campaigns using a redirection sender domain in Zoho Campaigns. However, we do not recommend using a redirection sender domain for marketing emails because it can harm deliverability, trust, and brand reputation. It often triggers spam ﬁlters, creates authentication issues, and leads to tracking problems. It’s better to use a properly authenticated custom domain for higher deliverability and consistent branding.

We recommend that you not use a redirection URL in campaign content. A redirection URL in marketing emails can harm deliverability, trust, and brand reputation. It often triggers spam ﬁlters, creates authentication issues, and leads to tracking problems. It’s better to use a properly authenticated custom domain for higher deliverability and consistency in branding.

To resolve a redirection URL error in Zoho Campaigns, verify the URL’s validity and accessibility, ensure proper domain authentication (e.g., SPF, DKIM, DMARC), avoid redirect loops, and review tracking settings. If the issue persists, clear your browser cache or reach out to Zoho support for assistance.

10. Why are you receiving an IP address blacklist error message? What should you do if you get blacklisted?

An IP address blacklist error in Zoho Campaigns occurs when the sending IP is ﬂagged by spam ﬁlters or blacklist services, often due to high spam complaints, poor email authentication, or low sender reputation. Other causes include high bounce rates or sharing an IP with spammers. Addressing these issues can help prevent blacklisting.

To resolve it, check blacklists, improve list hygiene, conﬁgure SPF/DKIM, and reduce spam complaints.

To delist your IP, identify blacklists using tools like MXToolbox. Go to mxtoolbox.com, enter your IP address in the search bar, and select “Blacklist Check.” MXToolbox will scan and display whether your IP is on any blacklists. Review the results and take necessary action if it is listed. If you know any other tool, you can refer to that as well. If your IP is blacklisted, it will list the speciﬁc services (e.g., Spamhaus, SORBS). Click each result for details and instructions on resolving the blacklist issue. Request removal from each anti-spam provider that has blacklisted your IP through their delisting process.

IP delisting can take anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the blacklist.

Sending campaigns from a blacklisted IP address can damage your sender reputation and email deliverability. Email providers block blacklisted IPs to prevent spam, phishing, and other malicious activities. If your IP is blacklisted, emails are more likely to be marked as spam or rejected, reducing campaign effectiveness and engagement.

11. Can you send campaigns from a subdomain if your primary domain is blacklisted?

Yes. You can send campaigns from a subdomain, even if your primary domain is blacklisted, as long as the subdomain is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. However, some reputation impact may carry over from the primary domain. It’s best to resolve the primary domain’s issues to maintain long-term deliverability.

Note that we do not recommend sending campaigns from an alternate sender domain if the domain to which your recipients have subscribed is blacklisted.

12. Why are you getting an "only image, no text" warning message?

In Zoho Campaigns, we strongly recommend maintaining a 60:40 text-to-image ratio in your campaigns. If you’ve added only an image, we’ll display a warning message notifying you of the issue.

If your email campaign contains only images, i.e., an image-only campaign, it may trigger spam ﬁlters, reduce deliverability, and appear blank if images don’t load. It also limits accessibility for screen readers and affects tracking accuracy. Always include supporting text and alt text to ensure better engagement, readability, and email performance.

13. Why are you receiving an email from Zoho Campaigns stating that your campaign is on hold?

Every email undergoes a review process where our moderators ensure that your email complies with industry standards. Most emails are approved without any issues.

However, if we need additional information, we’ll notify you that your campaign is on hold and provide instructions on how to resolve the issue. We recommend acting on the suggestions in the notification email and resending your campaign for review.

For example, we may need to verify your contact source. Sharing your signup form URL allows us to review and proceed with the process. Sending emails to old or outdated contacts increases the likelihood of spam markings or abuse complaints. Sharing your contacts' age helps us verify the quality of your list.

We require your business details and contact source to conﬁrm that your business and campaign content align with our terms of use. We need to conﬁrm that your contacts have opted in to receive emails from you; sharing your contact source helps us verify this.

14. Can you use the same sender domain in multiple Zoho Campaigns organizations?

In Zoho Campaigns, a sender domain can only be used in one account. This is to manage bounces, unsubscribes, contacts, and reports in a single place and avoid accidental spam markings. Using the same domain across multiple accounts can cause tracking conflicts and inconsistencies in engagement data. Keeping the sender domain tied to a single organization also helps maintain a clear sender reputation and simplifies deliverability management.

15. Why is there a delay in delivering your email?

Delays in email delivery can occur due to factors like recipient server processing, throttling, greylisting, or email size. Even if Zoho Campaigns marks the email as “delivered,” the recipient’s email client or spam filters may still cause delays. In some cases, mailbox providers temporarily queue emails during high traffic periods. These delays are usually resolved automatically once the recipient server completes its checks and processing.

16. What happens when recipients mark your email as "Not Spam"?

Marking an email as “Not Spam” helps train the recipient’s email provider’s filter to trust that sender, increasing the likelihood that future emails from the same sender will land in their main inbox rather than the spam folder. It also sends a positive engagement signal to mailbox providers about your sending practices. Over time, this can improve your sender reputation and overall inbox placement.

17. How does the campaign approval process work?

We have an automated system that reviews your campaigns and approves those that comply with our terms of use. In some cases, your campaigns will be moved to manual review, where our team, working 24/7, will evaluate them.

Your campaign is initially reviewed by our automated system based on various parameters. However, in some cases, it may be sent for manual review if the content doesn’t comply with our terms of use.

When your campaign is moved to manual review, our team may place it on hold if they need more details to proceed with the review. Typically, campaigns are placed on hold when the content doesn’t align with our terms of use, or if your sender domain doesn’t have a valid website associated with it.

The campaign review process is mandatory for all campaigns and can't be skipped.

When your campaign is moved to manual review, it will be reviewed within 15 to 20 minutes. If your previous campaigns have received a high bounce rate, abuse complaints, or spam trap hits, there’s a higher chance that your future campaigns will go through manual review.

18. Why does your campaign show an error message?

After creating and saving your campaign content, our system automatically checks it and displays error messages if any issues are detected. Resolving these errors will help ensure better email deliverability. Error messages are critical to email delivery. It’s mandatory to resolve them before sending your campaigns; you can't send your campaigns without resolving them.

Similarly, you can also encounter warning messages. These issues may impact your email deliverability, so resolving them will help improve your results. While you can continue sending campaigns with unresolved warning messages, addressing them for better email deliverability is strongly recommended.

19. Can you use URL shorteners like bit.ly in your campaigns? Why do you receive an "invalid URL" error message?

We recommend using direct URLs instead of shortened ones like bit.ly for better email deliverability because campaigns containing bit.ly URLs are more likely to land in the spam folder.

If a URL or domain in your campaign content is invalid, our system will display an error message. Please update it with a valid URL.

When you design the campaign, there's a chance for invalid URL being specified in a text or a CTA button. Once you save the design, you can see the possible errors that you need to rectify under the Content section.

Click the Invalid URL error to find where the URLs are invalid.

You'll be taken to an expanded view of the template where each instance of the invalid URL will be highlighted in the template as you click the error instance on the right side.

Once you've found the errors, you can go back, edit the template, specify valid URLs, and save changes.

Campaign Review FAQ - Online Help | Zoho Campaigns