Starting today (December 1st, 2023) Google will start deleting inactive accounts.

In addition to the huge changes coming to Gmail and Yahoo in early 2024, the move to delete inactive user accounts is another important update you need to know about.

Will Google's inactive account policy affect me?:

✅ - I have a Google account I haven't opened in a while

✅ - I'm an email marketer with Gmail addresses on my list

If either of the above applies to you - it’s highly likely this latest update will affect you.

So here’s what you need to know, whether you do email marketing through EcoSend. Or if you simply own a Google account you haven't accessed in a while.

Why Are Google Deleting Accounts?

In May 2023, Google announced in a post that it would start deleting inactive Google accounts which give users access to tools such as Gmail, Google Drive and YouTube.

Google states the move is to “protect our users from security threats, like spam, phishing scams and account hijacking.”

Its internal analysis found that so-called ‘abandoned accounts’ are more likely to be used by scammers and spammers including for the purposes of identify theft. Therefore, in a bid to improve security and overall user experience across Google products, accounts which haven’t been accessed in 2 years will be deleted.

EcoSend’s own research found that 88 billion spam emails are sent every day. As well as being annoying, spam emails also generate CO₂ contributing towards climate change. At present, 87% of all emails sent are considered spam.

Although Google’s motive isn’t directly related to climate change, the want to delete old user accounts is part of one giant cleanup of the platform. As a result, both users and the planet are set to benefit.

How To Stop Google Deleting Your Account

Google will send notifications to alert users their account will be deleted, though this of course relies on having a recovered email attached to the account to receive notice.

Therefore, many users may not be aware that their accounts will be deleted until they go to log in and find the account no longer exists.

If you don’t wish to keep an old Google account, then there’s no need to take any action. That said. logging in and deleting the account will reduce the chances that your account can be hacked and used by spammers or scammers in the future.

As well as helping to protect your personal information, removing any inactive accounts will also reduce your digital carbon footprint. 

However, if that account has any value attached (i.e. any important files or messages you wish to save) then you might want to hop on today and keep that account active. 

Sign in to your inactive Google account and perform one of the following options:

- Perform a Google search

- Read or send an email

- Watch a YouTube video

- Sign into a 3rd party app or service

Any such activity will break the 2 year inactivity period, signifying to Google that the account is still active after all.

So long as the account remains active going forward, Google won't delete it specifically due to its new inactive account policy.

What Email Marketers Need To Know About Google Account Deletions  

Starting December 1st, 2023 email marketers may notice the following changes: 

Your deliverability rates may drop suddenly - If any of your list contains Gmail addresses which subscribed at least 2 years ago these accounts may be automatically deleted by Google if they've become inactive. This means that when you send out your campaigns to these addresses, they won’t reach that account anymore. As a sender, you won’t be alerted by Google, but may notice sudden drops in overall campaign performance.

Inactive account deletions are actually a good thing - It might seem like a bad thing to lose subscribers from your email list. But the simple fact is that if users aren’t even accessing their email accounts, they are also not interacting with your email campaigns. Therefore, removing inactive subscribers is actually for everyone’s benefit. It will also prevent you from paying to upgrade your account limits just to send emails which will never deliver a return on your investment. 

Take these steps next to protect your list: 

Inactive or lost subscribers just won’t do. So let’s help you fix that to maximise the ROI of your marketing campaigns.

1. Gather new active subscribers (and therefore active leads for your business! 🔥) by using EcoSend Forms. 

Place your email subscriber form in a prominent place on your website to encourage new subscribers. Crucially, double opt-in will ensure that any sign-ups are genuine, so that your email campaigns are sent to credible leads.

2. Next, log into your EcoSend dashboard where you can toggle the status of your subscribers to reveal ‘disengaged’ subscribers. 

You'll need to create an EcoSend account if you haven't already to access this tool.

Send these contacts a re-engagement campaign with EcoSend email automation. If you don’t hear back, it’s time to remove these contacts from your list to allow fresh leads to take their place.

3. Every few months, keep an eye on your subscribers. Repeat the above steps so that your list contains active leads.

EcoSend - Send Emails That Plant Trees ✉️ 🌳

Beyond Google updates, here’s another piece of information you need to know: Your online habits generate CO₂ including sending and receiving emails.

As much as 26g of CO₂ is created every time an email is sent. With over 300 billion emails sent every day, that’s a problem. 

EcoSend runs on renewable energy sources to reduce the carbon footprint of your campaigns. So if you do any kind of email marketing, you could become a greener business just by making the switch to EcoSend.

We re-invest some of our profits into climate-related causes, and we’ll plant trees on behalf of your business just for using us.

All without having to miss out on the features you need to send incredible email campaigns!

What are you waiting for? ➡️ Sign up for your free trial of EcoSend today.