U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Communication Standards and Guidelines

Electronic Newsletters

An electronic mailing list is a special usage of e-mail that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. E-newsletters sent via electronic mailing lists are becoming a more popular method of inexpensive public and internal outreach. In order to protect subscriber privacy, reduce the proliferation of spam, and maintain the EERE brand, EERE has established the following policies for newsletters that are sent via an electronic mailing list.

Mailing List Hosting

  1. All e-newsletters should be sent using DOE or national laboratory email servers or through commercial mailing list providers that follow the criteria listed below.
  2. Sending newsletters through Outlook is not recommended for the following reasons:
    1. Anyone on the list will be able to send email to your entire list by selecting "reply to all."
    2. It ties up valuable email server resources.
    3. HTML formatting in Outlook can look very different in other email clients.
  3. Custom electronic mailing list software developed or hosted by contractors must follow DOE's cyber security guidelines as posted on DOE's Computer Incident Advisory Capability (CIAC) Web site. In addition, contractors must follow the guidelines below.

Criteria for Choosing a Commercial Mailing List Provider

  1. Make sure your host provides you with a fixed IP address. A static IP address tells ISPs and the world at large that you are stable and not a fly-by-night spammer.
  2. Ask if they screen prospective customers in any way before signing them. A screening process is a good sign that a provider is being selective and making an attempt to steer clear of spammers.
  3. Make sure unsubscribes are processed automatically. Processing bad email addresses uses up valuable ISP resources on the receiving end. Because of this, the receiving ISPs quickly lose patience with senders who repeatedly mail to a high percentage of "dead" or non-existent addresses. The ISPs may start blocking your messages as a result.
  4. Make sure they provide sufficient security to assure that people cannot "hijack" your list for their own mailings or cannot obtain your list from the mailing list provider. Also ask how the list database is protected from hackers. At a minimum, list administrator functions should be password protected. Be sure to use a secure password. For more information see DOE's password management guidance (PDF 199 KB). Download Adobe Reader.

Subscriptions

  1. Use a "double opt-in" subscription process for your mailing list.  In this process, prospective subscribers submit their email addresses and then receive a confirmation request to which they must reply in order to join your list.
  2. In the email confirming a user's new subscription,  include information on the electronic mailing and on how to unsubscribe from the list.
  3. Do not use an "opt-out" subscription process.  That is, if users are providing their email or mailing address for any reason, do not include a check box or form that is automatically filled in to subscribe the user, forcing them to change it if they don't want the electronic mailings. A subscribe option can be provided on any Web page, but the user must actively check a box or fill out a form in order to subscribe.

Subscription Page

  1. Describe the topic, format, and frequency of the mailings you will send.
  2. Minimize the amount of information that you collect when users subscribe; longer forms will chase off potential subscribers. If you collect more than the name and email address, include wording such as the following: "The information you provide here will help (EERE or the program name) better serve your needs."
  3. Add the following boilerplate text: "The mailing list addresses are never sold, rented, distributed, or disclosed in any way."
  4. Include unsubscribe options or create a separate unsubscribe page or "manage" page (see below). In all cases, the page must include clear and simple directions for unsubscribing.

Manage Page

  1. If signups for multiple lists are included on one Web site, the recommended practice is to provide one page to manage the multiple subscriptions. This is typically called a "Manage Your Subscriptions" or "Manage Your Profile" page.
  2. Allow subscribers to access the page by entering their email address. You can also give the user the option of creating a password, in which case you must include options for changing a password and a way to retrieve a password if the user forgets it. If the "manage" page is password-protected, there should be a way to unsubscribe without using the "manage" page.
  3. If the "manage" page is used as the "unsubscribe" page, it must include clear and simple directions for how to unsubscribe.

Headers (From, To, and Subject Fields)

The headers of an electronic mailing (e.g., From, To, and Subject fields), are very important for successful delivery. They are scrutinized by anti-spam filters that protect ISPs and individual mailboxes. Your human subjects also scan headers to determine if they want to read the email or not.

  1. Use a clear and consistent From header in each of your mailings. Use your organization's name and a valid email address. Use this header for all mailings; it should not change when different people send out the electronic mailing.
  2. Include the recipient's name and email address in the To field (e.g., "John Doe" <johndoe@example.com>). This format is the industry standard for mailing lists.
  3. Ensure that your subject line is accurate and, ideally, compelling.

EERE HTML Email Template

The following instructions apply to newsletters that are sent in an HTML email template. To see an example of an approved newsletter, contact Shauna Fjeld. You can also choose to use a plain text email that simply links back to a Web page with your newsletter content. Follow these steps to set up an HTML email template:

  1. Set width to 606 pixels.
  2. Include the EERE header and program header as appropriate.
  3. Follow EERE Web site styles when formatting.
  4. Make style sheets either internal to the page or inline.
  5. Choose an appropriate coding technique. Older coding techniques such as the use of tables are acceptable; some more modern style methods may not work in all email clients.
  6. Test the template designs in as many email clients as possible before sending to your list.
  7. Include easy-to-use unsubscribe instructions in every message, and test them to assure that they work. The unsubscribe process must be easy and transparent; do not make users go through multiple steps to unsubscribe. Once users unsubscribe, do not make them confirm their intent to unsubscribe.