Is it possible to make an email blast non-forwardable? | Community
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May 28, 2015
Question

Is it possible to make an email blast non-forwardable?

  • May 28, 2015
  • 3 replies
  • 2191 views

Our company sends out emails through Marketo to our sales force so that we can analyze the open/click-through data. Our regulatory group is asking whether I can somehow make these emails un-forwardable outside of our organization. Is there a setting that allows for this within Marketo?

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3 replies

Dory_Viscoglio
Level 10
May 28, 2015

Hey Jennifer Merk, unfortunately I don't think this is possible anywhere in the wide, wide world of email. While it would be nice under certain conditions, it just isn't something that exists. Maybe within the body or subject of your email you could add "DO NOT FORWARD EXTERNALLY" or something along those lines?

Josh_Hill13
Level 10
May 28, 2015

Correct, there is no way to prevent this.

Just do not use the forward to friend feature.

Joe_Reitz
Level 8
May 28, 2015

Follow-up question... What if you DID use the forward to a friend feature. Does Marketo capture any new activity on the forwarded emails?

If it doesn't look cool, you're probably doing it wrong.
Elliott_Lowe1
Level 7
May 28, 2015

Marketo creates a new lead record after someone uses Forward to a Friend.  If the forwarded email recipient clicks the email and visits your site, it is tracked.  However, by default the new leads created via Forward to Friend are unsubscribed, so unless they submit a form and you have a smart campaign that changes their Unsubscribed field value to 'True' when they 'opt-in', you won't be able to email them.

Joe_Reitz
Level 8
May 29, 2015

Thanks for the clarification, @Elliott Lowe​!

If it doesn't look cool, you're probably doing it wrong.
SanfordWhiteman
Level 10
May 28, 2015

Actually, some business messaging systems can do exactly this (though they are not, as @Dory Viscogliosi​ put it, part of the "wide, wide world" of public SMTP).

For example, Outlook 2010 has a feature specifically called "Do Not Forward."  It's a form of DRM applied to email messages.  As long as your server only accepts connections from Outlook, you can make a pretty strong move toward enforcing this for your company.

I also think this was possible with Lotus Notes back in the day.