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Reason for Sending

Explain the specific action that caused someone to receive your email and name the brand they recognize.

A reason-for-sending line answers the subscriber's question: why am I receiving this email? It connects the message to a real action they took, such as creating an account, joining a newsletter, downloading a resource, or buying a product.

Watch the walkthrough

This two-minute walkthrough shows a clear account example, a version for multiple signup sources, and vague explanations that should be avoided.

If the player does not load, watch the Reason for Sending walkthrough on Tella.

Use action plus brand

The most reliable formula is:

You're receiving this email because you [action] on or through [brand or domain].

Both parts matter:

  • Action reminds the subscriber what they did.
  • Brand or domain gives them a name they can recognize and verify.

For example:

You're receiving this email because you created an account on Lumail.io.

That sentence is specific enough for the reader to check whether they recognize Lumail and remember creating an account.

Templates you can copy

Choose the template that matches the real source of the subscriber. Replace the example names and domains with your own.

SourceExample reason
Newsletter formYou're receiving this email because you subscribed to the Acme newsletter at acme.com.
Account creationYou're receiving this email because you created an Acme account.
Lead magnetYou're receiving this email because you downloaded the Email Checklist from acme.com.
WebinarYou're receiving this email because you registered for an Acme webinar.
Quiz or calculatorYou're receiving this email because you used the pricing calculator on acme.com.
PurchaseYou're receiving this email because you purchased an Acme product.
WaitlistYou're receiving this email because you joined the Acme product waitlist.

The action does not need to be long. It needs to be true and recognizable.

When subscribers come from multiple sources

You do not need a unique footer for every subscriber if several legitimate sources feed the same audience. Use a broader sentence that lists the real possibilities:

You're receiving this email because you subscribed through acme.com, used one of our calculators, completed a quiz, or joined an Acme program.

Keep the list short and concrete. Do not include sources you do not use, and do not hide an unknown acquisition source behind a generic sentence.

If you know the exact source for each subscriber, segment the audience or use a custom field so the explanation can stay precise.

Examples that do not work

These sentences repeat the obvious without explaining the original action:

  • “You're receiving this email because you subscribed to my emails.”
  • “You're receiving this email for marketing purposes.”
  • “You're receiving this email because you gave me your email.”
  • “You are on this list.”

They are also missing a recognizable company, product, or domain. Replace them with the actual signup event and the brand that collected the address.

Reason for sending and clear branding are different

Lumail checks these separately:

CheckQuestion it answersExample
Reason for sendingWhy am I receiving this?“You created an account on Acme.”
Clear brandingWho sent this?“Acme — acme.com”

A strong reason-for-sending sentence often contains the brand, but the rest of the email should still be clearly branded. See Clear Branding for header, footer, and consistency examples.

Where to place it

Put the sentence in the footer, close to the unsubscribe link and your physical address. This keeps the explanation available without interrupting the main message.

A complete footer can look like this:

You're receiving this email because you subscribed to the Acme newsletter at acme.com.
Acme, 123 Main Street, Paris
Unsubscribe: {{unsubscribeUrl}}

Use readable text and sufficient contrast. Do not hide the explanation in an image or make it difficult to find.

Other languages

Write the reason in the same language as the email. Lumail recognizes common reason-for-sending patterns in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese.

LanguageExample
EnglishYou're receiving this email because you signed up at acme.com.
FrenchTu reçois cet e-mail car tu t'es inscrit sur acme.com.
SpanishRecibes este correo porque te registraste en acme.com.
GermanDu erhältst diese E-Mail, weil du dich bei acme.com angemeldet hast.

The exact wording can change. Preserve the action and the recognizable brand.

Check it in Lumail

  1. Open your email in the editor.
  2. Add the reason-for-sending sentence to the footer.
  3. Open Content checks in the toolbar.
  4. Confirm that Reason for sending shows 10/10.
  5. Confirm separately that Branding shows 5/5.

The default unsubscribe sentence — “Don't want to receive these emails?” — does not count because it does not explain how the subscriber joined.

Final checklist

  • The sentence describes a real subscriber action
  • It names the company, product, channel, or domain they recognize
  • Multiple sources are listed only when they genuinely feed the audience
  • The wording matches the language of the email
  • The sentence is visible near the unsubscribe link
  • The email also contains clear branding, a physical address, and an unsubscribe link

This explanation improves recognition and reduces confusion, but it does not create consent by itself. Keep accurate signup records and only email people you are allowed to contact.

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