Why you can’t import role-based addresses into MailChimp

A role-based email address is a generic address usually shared by multiple people. Examples of role-based email addresses are [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] however there are other role-based addresses.

The problem with role-based email addresses

The reason that many marketing services won’t allow you to add subscribers with role-based email addresses is that these addresses are known to result in high spam complaint and bounce rates. The reasons for the quality issues with role-based email addresses is twofold:

Spammers love role-based email addresses

Various internet related standards specify that every domain should have various email addresses such as [email protected], [email protected] and so on. This means that it is incredibly simple for spammers to guess email addresses on domains. In addition many domains automatically create role-based email addresses such as [email protected], [email protected] and so on.

As spammers can reliably guess that a domain will have these role-based email addresses they will add the various role-based email addresses for each domain to their marketing lists and send their content to those email addresses.

Once sent, if the recipient email address isn’t valid or if the recipient marks the received email message as spam then this can affect MailChimp delivery rates for all customers. MailChimp therefore have an interest in stopping spammers being able to easily guess and upload these role-based email addresses.

Shared mailboxes result in spam complaints

Another reason that email marketing services frown upon role-based email addresses even if the contact has legitimately subscribed is because of the very nature of shared email accounts. For example, say one person subscribes to a horticulture email newsletter using the role-based email address. A co-worker may also check that inbox and may see the horticulture campaign and mark it as spam as he or she would have no knowledge that a co-worker had subscribed.

How to add role-based addresses to a MailChimp list

In MailChimp, role-based email addresses may not be added to a list via the Microsoft Excel or CSV import. Role-based email addresses may be added individually or via an integration however (such as a form on your website).