At Webmecanik, we are proud to participate in the Email Expiration Date initiative led by Zero Carbon Email. This collective project aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the emailing sector by limiting the storage duration of emails that have become obsolete in mailboxes.
In line with this approach, and continuing our CSR actions and our process for Responsible Digital certification, we have integrated this new eco-responsible standard which allows you to configure an expiration date for your emails.
Why add an expiration date to your emails?
Every day, billions of emails are sent, but very few are deleted. Most remain stored for years on mail servers, while over 99% of opens and clicks occur within 48 to 72 hours after sending.
Expired promotions, ended flash sales, outdated information: a large portion of emails (transactional or marketing) are useless after a few days, yet continue to consume energy or storage space unnecessarily.
By adding an expiration date to your emails, you allow mail services to automatically delete these emails once they are no longer useful. A simple action with a direct environmental impact. 🌱
How does this integrate into Webmecanik Automation?
You can now set a lifetime for each of your emails directly from Webmecanik Automation. By default, this is set to 365 days, but you can modify it according to your needs, whether for a one-off send or an automated email. Once the duration is reached, the message can be automatically deleted from the recipient’s inbox, if their mail client allows it (👉🏻 list of participating mail providers — the more of us use it, the more it will encourage others to join the movement).
Available format: relative duration (e.g.: 3 days after sending).
A global setting, adjustable at the instance level, defines a default period of 365 days for transactional and marketing emails.
ℹ️ As part of our CSR approach, we have also deployed this feature across all our internal technical emails (password reset, notifications, etc.) to be fully active contributors to this initiative.
It is a simple but high-impact gesture: once the date is reached, expired messages will no longer remain unnecessarily stored in data centers, thus helping to reduce the carbon footprint of your campaigns.
For those curious to know what really happens behind this feature, it’s quite simple. An email’s expiration date is defined directly in its header.
Concretely, you just need to add this line when sending:
Thus, mail providers that host emails in the cloud (Gmail, Outlook, LaPoste, etc.) recognize this instruction and automatically schedule the deletion of the message on the indicated date.
📄 Discover the detailed operation on the official IETF standard – Email Expires
Our expiration recommendations by email type
Each type of email has its own lifetime, linked to its nature and relevance to the recipient. It is therefore important to adjust the expiration duration according to the content and objective of each message. For example, a promotional offer becomes quickly obsolete after its end date, whereas a transactional email, like a password notification, should remain accessible longer.
The goal is simple: keep emails only for their period of relevance, to optimize their impact while limiting their environmental footprint.
Why support and adopt this initiative today?
the environmental impact. That is why we have integrated the email expiration feature into our solution, to help you make your email campaigns more responsible.
In a context where environmental awareness has never been stronger and regulations are tightening, adopting responsible digital practices is no longer an option but a strategic necessity. By enabling this option, you gain several key benefits:
- Assert your CSR leadership: show your clients and partners that you are a committed actor in an ecological approach. A major asset for your brand image.
- Concretely reduce the carbon footprint of your emails: by limiting unnecessary storage of emails in inboxes and data centers, you actively contribute to reducing energy consumption. It’s a simple action that, across your campaigns, represents a significant saving in terms of carbon footprint.
- Enjoy a transparent, hassle-free solution: far from being an extra burden, this feature integrates easily and intuitively into your existing processes. It has no impact on deliverability, content, or campaign statistics.
With Webmecanik Automation, align your marketing with your ecological values and those of your customers. Commit to more responsible, effective, and sustainable marketing.
To learn more about this project, visit Zero Carbon Email
