When sending email invitations to participate in a survey, a primary goal is preventing your emails from being marked as spam or ending up in the junk folder of your recipients. Subject lines, as well as the body of emails, are given a spam score that determines whether an email is marked as spam. While each provider uses a different algorithm, here are a few things to consider when sending survey invitations:

• Avoid sending attachments. Instead, information about consent should be included on the first page of the survey.
• Write engaging subject lines with the survey topic or purpose clearly stated.
• Keep the body of the email clear and concise so that it is easy to understand the survey’s purpose.
• Indicate how long it will take to complete the survey.
• Include contact information if the respondent has questions.
• Include an opt-out link, especially if your distribution list includes a large number of Gmail or Yahoo email addresses.
• Use targeted email addresses. Do not purchase email databases as they can contain fake or low-quality email addresses.
• Use your university email address in the From field rather than the default setting of noreply@qualtrics-survey.com.

Please visit the Avoid Being Marked as Spam information page located on the Qualtrics XM Community support site. If you need additional assistance with Qualtrics email distributions, please contact the OIT HelpDesk online or by phone at 865-974-9900.

Additional Resources

Learn more about OIT RCS Survey Support

Learn more about Qualtrics, by Qualtrics, Inc. at OIT RCS software support services.

Visit RCS on the OIT UT Knoxville Employee Hub. (Login required)