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Email Marketing Glossary.

Clear, no-fluff definitions of every email marketing term that matters—from open rates to double opt-in. 

 

Email Service Provider (ESP)

An email service provider (ESP) is a company or platform that lets businesses send, manage, and track email marketing campaigns at scale—handling sending infrastructure, deliverability, and analytics.

Also known as: ESP, email platform, email marketing software

Sending marketing email to thousands of people isn't something you do from a personal inbox. An email service provider is the platform that makes it possible—managing the sending, the list, the automation, and the reporting.

What does an ESP do?

An ESP handles list management, email design, sending infrastructure, automation, deliverability, and analytics. The best ecommerce ESPs also integrate with your store to trigger emails off shopper behavior.

ESP vs. marketing automation platform

A basic ESP focuses on sending campaigns; a full automation platform adds behavioral workflows, segmentation, and cross-channel messaging. The line between them has blurred as ESPs add automation.

How do you choose an ESP?

Look at deliverability, automation depth, store integrations, segmentation, revenue attribution, and pricing at your list size. Ecommerce brands are usually best served by an ESP purpose-built for online stores.

Related terms

A/B Testing Send-Time Optimization Email Frequency Multivariate Testing API Webhook

Related reading from Drip

The 7 Best Email Service Providers for Ecommerce Brands Best Email Marketing Software for Ecommerce

Frequently asked questions

What is an email service provider (ESP)?
An ESP is a platform that lets businesses send, manage, and track marketing email at scale. It handles sending infrastructure, list management, automation, deliverability, and analytics.
What's the difference between an ESP and a marketing automation platform?
A basic ESP focuses on sending and tracking campaigns, while a marketing automation platform adds behavioral workflows, advanced segmentation, and cross-channel messaging. Many modern ESPs, including Drip, do both.
What should I look for in an ESP?
Prioritize deliverability, automation depth, store and app integrations, segmentation, revenue attribution, and pricing at your actual list size. Ecommerce brands usually benefit from an ESP built specifically for online stores.
Is Drip an ESP?
Yes—Drip is an ecommerce-focused ESP and marketing automation platform. It combines email sending with behavioral automation, segmentation, onsite messaging, and revenue tracking built for online stores.
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