junk mail

Promotional emails or junk mails are electronic advertising letters sent to mail addresses as an online marketing tool. Promotional e-mails can be sent as texts or HTML documents by e-mail. They can be graphically prepared and include additional documents as attachments. Unwanted advertising mails are referred to as spammails.

The annoyance caused by spam mails can be reduced by spam filters, which most e-mail clients have. Appropriately filtered out spams are moved to the junk folder. By blocking and deleting spam in the inbox, clients recognize spam mails by their mail addresses and block messages with the same mail address or similar content.

In Germany, the sending of unwanted advertising mails is generally illegal according to the "Law against Unfair Competition (UWG)", as it represents an unreasonable nuisance and offends common decency. For this reason, permission marketing exists, in which the marketer asks potential customers and obtains permission for advertising mails, the opt-in.