Audit a re-engagement or sunset campaign before it contacts anyone

Eligibility gate: prove the relationship before measuring inactivity

Attach the signup source and copy, sender, promised topic and cadence, permission record, last preference, provider history, and the exact inactivity definition. PASS means the stream remains within a reconstructable expectation and the evidence window fits its cadence. REVIEW means a small recent cohort needs manual provenance verification before inclusion. STOP means source is unknown, purchased, bundled without clarity, already opted out, complained, hard bounced, objected, or outside the permitted purpose. Opens alone cannot establish inactivity. Preserve counts and timestamps, account for privacy and automation effects, and exclude uncertain records rather than asking a campaign to repair the evidence.

Evidence: Google Gmail Help; Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group

Identity gate: the recipient can recognize why this arrived

Compare the original brand and sender with visible From, sending domain, reply address, subject, first screen, and explanation inside the proposed message. Inspect SPF, DKIM, DMARC alignment and current provider requirements as applicable. PASS means identity is authenticated, stable, and connected to the earlier choice. REVIEW covers a minor brand evolution that the message explains plainly. STOP covers domain rotation, a deceptive account-alert subject, an unfamiliar corporate name, authentication failure, or an attempt to disguise promotion as administration. Gmail and Yahoo guidance is provider-specific and can change; verify current official pages. A clean identity cannot authorize an audience whose permission is missing.

Evidence: Google Gmail Help; Yahoo

Restraint gate: the campaign offers value and a real choice

List every planned message with distinct purpose, useful content, primary choice, timing, maximum count, and terminal state. PASS means the path is short, honest about why it writes, and lets the recipient choose topic, cadence, stop, or a clearly stated no-response outcome. REVIEW covers one redundant message that will be removed before scheduling. STOP covers false urgency, guilt, invented deadlines, repeated last chances, a click disguised as preference, or a purchase required to stay subscribed. Include plain text and accessible controls. The re-engagement job is to clarify the relationship, not to coerce a tracking event that can be reported as renewed interest.

Evidence: Federal Trade Commission; Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group

Exit gate: test choice through every queued system

Enroll controlled identities for continue, lower frequency, topic change, unsubscribe, no response, complaint simulation where safely supported, and hard bounce handling. Verify visible unsubscribe, provider-required one-click behavior where applicable, confirmation, source-of-truth update, integration, provider suppression, branch cancellation, re-import, and final state. PASS means choices propagate before later messages. REVIEW covers a measured delay within applicable requirements with a stop owner. STOP covers dead links, login, fees, extra personal data, conflicting state, or continued promotion. FTC, Gmail, Yahoo, and M3AAWG sources address overlapping but different boundaries; obtain jurisdiction-specific advice where needed.

Evidence: Google Gmail Help; Federal Trade Commission

Final-state gate: silence cannot loop forever

Define what happens after no response, course completion, preference update, technical failure, complaint, and opt-out. PASS means every path reaches active expected, reduced cadence, sunset, suppression, or documented review with an expiry. REVIEW covers a retention decision awaiting a named privacy owner while sending remains stopped. STOP covers automatic re-entry, perpetual rescue messages, deletion that permits later re-import, or indefinite storage without purpose. Preserve the minimal evidence needed to honor suppression and schedule deletion or aggregation for data no longer required. Reconciliation must cover duplicated identities and provider migrations. The terminal state is part of the campaign design, not post-launch housekeeping.

Evidence: Yahoo; Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group

Release ruling: zero STOP findings and a working kill switch

The next action is to audit one planned cohort with the release record and withhold activation until every STOP item is resolved. Assign REVIEW items an owner, date, safe cap, and reason they do not weaken choice. Rehearse the kill switch, retain the audience snapshot, and monitor bounces, deferrals, complaints, unsubscribes, preferences, replies, and support feedback separately. Limits remain: small tests do not predict placement, silence has many causes, provider rules and law vary, and a compliant message may still be unwanted. Re-audit after acquisition, sender, cadence, tracking, provider, eligibility, or retention changes. Approval authorizes only the bounded version and period recorded here.