Good news for email routing platforms and Email Service Providers (ESPs): the first version of the implementation guide for email expiration dates is now available online.
This guide lays out the technical and functional foundations for enabling ESPs to integrate this new feature into their platforms. It’s another building block toward making email more sustainable — together.
Why add an expiration date to emails?
As part of the Email Expiration Date initiative, we’re proposing a simple mechanism: allow senders to define an expiration date on their emails, so they can be automatically deleted after their useful period.
- Fewer emails stored unnecessarily
- Less strain on servers
- A concrete step toward digital sustainability
At a time when every byte matters, this approach helps reduce the volume of inactive data sitting in inboxes or storage systems — without bringing any value to users.
What’s in this first version of the guide?
This guide is primarily intended for ESP technical teams. It offers a gradual, adaptable approach suited to different contexts.
Here’s what you’ll find:
- Key reasons to implement email expiration (UX, eco-design, lifecycle management)
- How to offer the option to clients via the user interface or API
- The ESP’s role, especially the injection of the
Expires:header in the correct format - Examples of how to present the feature to end users
A collaborative and evolving document
This guide is a starting point. It’s designed to evolve, grow, and improve — with your input.
If you’re an ESP, your feedback is crucial:
- Do you have specific technical constraints?
- What are your use cases?
- What needs do you see on the client side?
Your questions, ideas, and suggestions will help shape this collective effort.
Access the guide
You can view the first version of the guide here: https://www.zerocarbon.email/documentation/implementation-guide-esp/
Spread the word!
This project is based on collective intelligence and collaboration among email industry stakeholders. The more visibility it gains, the faster and more effectively we can move forward.
So please, share this guide with your teams, partners, and professional networks.
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