---
title: "Stop at the first complaint · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/bounces-and-complaints/suppress-complaints
id: EML-34
level: Recommended
applies: email
updated: 2026-10-21
build: a2a6bdfed830
tokens: 538
licence: "CC BY 4.0"
licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
---

# Stop at the first complaint

For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Bounces and complaints](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/bounces-and-complaints.md).

By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers.md). Updated 2026-10-27.

- ID: EML-34
- Level: Recommended
- Chapter: [Bounces and complaints](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/bounces-and-complaints.md)
- Rule: Suppress an address at once when its owner marks your mail as spam.
- Check: Send a test complaint through your sending service. The address is suppressed within 5 minutes, and the next send to it is refused.
- Applies when: The project sends email.
- How: Process feedback loop reports and complaints from your sending service automatically. Never mail that address again unless its owner signs up afresh. Remove the other dead addresses as [Keep the list clean](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/deliverability/list-hygiene.md) says.

## Sources

- [RFC 5965, Abuse Reporting Format](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5965)

## Related rules

- EML-23 [Watch your sender reputation](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/deliverability/watch-reputation.md) in Email
- EML-22 [Keep the list clean](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/deliverability/list-hygiene.md) in Email

**For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/bounces-and-complaints/suppress-complaints">Agent Wranglers email playbook</a>`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.

- Previous: [Retry with backoff and give up in time](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/bounces-and-complaints/retry-and-expire.md)
- Next: [Accept bounce and complaint events only when signed](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/bounces-and-complaints/verify-delivery-events.md)
- [Bounces and complaints](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/email/bounces-and-complaints.md)