> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sendkit.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Transactional vs Marketing Email

> Understand the difference between transactional and marketing emails and why it matters.

## What's the difference?

**Transactional emails** are triggered by a user's action and contain information they expect to receive. They're one-to-one and time-sensitive.

**Marketing emails** are sent to a group of recipients to promote something. They're one-to-many and not triggered by a specific user action.

The distinction matters for deliverability, compliance, and how you should handle each type.

## Transactional emails

Transactional emails are sent in response to something the user did. The recipient expects them — they're part of the product experience.

**Examples:**

* Password reset emails
* Email verification / confirmation
* Order confirmations and receipts
* Shipping notifications
* Account activity alerts (login from new device, payment failed)
* Two-factor authentication codes
* Invoice and billing emails
* Invitation emails (team invites, shared documents)

**Key characteristics:**

* Triggered by user action
* Sent to one recipient at a time
* Time-sensitive (a password reset link that arrives 2 hours late is useless)
* Expected by the recipient
* Don't require an unsubscribe link (but compliance varies by jurisdiction)
* Typically have very high open rates (60–80%)

## Marketing emails

Marketing emails are sent proactively by the business to a list of recipients. The goal is to inform, engage, or sell.

**Examples:**

* Newsletters
* Product announcements
* Promotional offers and discounts
* Event invitations
* Re-engagement campaigns ("We miss you!")
* Educational content / drip campaigns

**Key characteristics:**

* Sent to a group of recipients
* Not triggered by a specific user action
* Require explicit opt-in consent
* **Must** include an unsubscribe link (legally required)
* Typically have lower open rates (15–30%)
* Subject to stricter spam filtering

## Why you should separate them

Sending transactional and marketing emails from the same domain and infrastructure creates a risk: if your marketing emails generate complaints or bounces (which is more likely), the reputation damage spills over to your transactional emails.

A password reset email going to spam because your last newsletter had a high complaint rate is a bad user experience.

### Use separate subdomains

The most common approach is to use different subdomains:

| Type          | Subdomain       | Example                   |
| ------------- | --------------- | ------------------------- |
| Transactional | `send.acme.com` | Password resets, receipts |
| Marketing     | `mail.acme.com` | Newsletters, promotions   |

Each subdomain has its own sender reputation. If marketing reputation degrades, transactional emails are unaffected.

### Use separate senders

Within SendKit, create different [senders](/knowledge-base/senders) for each type:

| Sender                  | Use                                      |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| `noreply@send.acme.com` | Transactional (password resets, alerts)  |
| `hello@send.acme.com`   | Transactional (welcome emails, receipts) |
| `news@mail.acme.com`    | Marketing (newsletters)                  |
| `offers@mail.acme.com`  | Marketing (promotions)                   |

## Deliverability differences

Email providers treat these types differently:

| Factor                      | Transactional                                    | Marketing                  |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------- |
| **Spam filtering**          | More lenient — providers know users expect these | Stricter — higher scrutiny |
| **Gmail tabs**              | Usually lands in Primary                         | Often lands in Promotions  |
| **Engagement expectations** | High opens expected                              | Lower opens tolerated      |
| **Complaint tolerance**     | Very low — any complaints are a red flag         | Slightly higher tolerance  |
| **Delivery priority**       | Higher — time-sensitive                          | Lower — not urgent         |

## Compliance differences

### Unsubscribe requirements

* **Transactional:** Generally exempt from unsubscribe requirements in CAN-SPAM and GDPR, because they're necessary for the service the user signed up for
* **Marketing:** Must include a working unsubscribe link. This is legally required in CAN-SPAM, GDPR, LGPD, and most other jurisdictions

### Consent requirements

* **Transactional:** Implied consent — the user signed up for your service and expects operational emails
* **Marketing:** Explicit consent required — the user must actively opt in to receive marketing emails

<Warning>
  Don't abuse the transactional exemption by adding marketing content to transactional emails. A password reset email with a promotional banner at the bottom is still a marketing email in the eyes of regulators and spam filters.
</Warning>

## The gray area

Some emails don't fit neatly into either category:

| Email                               | Type?         | Reasoning                                             |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Welcome email after signup          | Transactional | Triggered by user action, expected                    |
| Onboarding series (tips, tutorials) | Gray area     | Related to user action but promotional in nature      |
| Usage report / weekly summary       | Transactional | User-specific, informational                          |
| "Your trial is expiring"            | Transactional | Account-related, time-sensitive                       |
| "Check out our new feature"         | Marketing     | Not triggered by user action, promotional             |
| Review/feedback request             | Gray area     | Related to a purchase but not transactional in nature |

When in doubt, treat it as marketing. It's safer from both a compliance and deliverability perspective.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I send both types through SendKit?">
    Yes. SendKit handles both transactional and marketing emails. We recommend using separate subdomains and senders for each type to protect your transactional deliverability.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do transactional emails need an unsubscribe link?">
    Under CAN-SPAM (US), transactional emails are exempt from the unsubscribe requirement. Under GDPR (EU) and LGPD (Brazil), the rules are more nuanced — operational emails necessary for the service are generally exempt, but you should consult legal advice for your specific case.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if my transactional emails have low open rates?">
    Transactional emails should have open rates of 60%+ (often higher). If yours are low, check: (1) Are they landing in spam? Check authentication. (2) Are they actually transactional? If they're disguised marketing, recipients may ignore them. (3) Are your subject lines clear and descriptive?
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>