Gmail Updates Marketers Need to Know: Purchase Tracking and ‘Most Relevant’ Promotions

Gmail is shaking things up again just in time for the peak holiday season! 

 When Gmail originally announced tabbed inboxes, companies tried to game the system by sneaking from the new Promotions tab into the Primary tab. Then Gmail started adding Annotations, which helps emails shine in the Promotions tab by using image carousels or showcasing discount content. Marketers hoped Annotations would help their promotional messages stand out but soon found there’s no avenue for testing or previewing if the code will populate.  

They’ve also been rolling out AI summaries and easier ways for subscribers to opt-out through the list-unsubscribe header and Manage Subscriptions features. But they aren’t stopping there! Here are two more features Gmail is launching that marketers should know about.  

Purchase tracking: Gmail’s holiday gift to consumers 

Gmail’s newest endeavor, announced September 11, 2025, aims to improve the email experience for their subscribers in two different ways.  

First, they’re upgrading their package tracking functionality. This is likely the main reason why Gmail is aiming to release this update before the holidays. 

Second, it will label and group purchase and delivery updates in one place, making it easier to see everything you’re expecting in a neatly organized list. Gmail clarified that this feature will not replace the tracking summary card on the Primary tab view for packages arriving within 24 hours.  

According to Gmail’s blog announcement, the rollout of this feature is underway.  

Most Relevant Promotions: Gmail’s new marketing game-changer 

The new, ‘Most Relevant’ feature in the Promotions category will likely come with opportunities for companies to create strategies this holiday season. 

According to Google, this feature will allow subscribers to easily see promotional content from the brands they care about—specifically, those they interact with most frequently. It also introduces helpful nudges—likely based on Annotations details, content, keywords, and user engagement—that highlight upcoming deals and offers. These nudges resemble a more advanced version of the current ‘Top Picks’ view.  

People can also choose to keep their view to ‘Most Recent’ if they prefer, but ‘Most Relevant’ is set to be turned on by default.  

This update is expected to start rolling out soon to mobile users.  

What does this mean for email marketers?  

The purchase tracking feature will help subscribers track their packages and have a streamlined view into their orders throughout the holiday season and beyond. This is a great update, but we could see a dip in transactional email engagement due to reducing the need to open/click for tracking information.  

The change to the Relevant Promotions category could have a significant impact, but only if users choose to embrace it. Widespread adoption may take longer than the holiday season. Even if it’s set as the default, people can easily switch it back. This shift is reminiscent of social media platforms replacing real-time feeds with algorithm-driven content and ads, prioritizing what they think you should see over real-time updates from your friends. It took us all a long time to get used to! 

For companies with high engagement and well-maintained lists, this change could be a great opportunity to gain even more visibility. However, for senders who struggle with engagement, it may create additional challenges by pushing their messages further down in the tab.  

This could also mean less focus on send time optimization in the future, making things tricky for senders who send more than once per day, depending on how their emails are shown.  

Internal executive teams will likely push for emails to register as “Most Relevant,” much like the ongoing pressure marketers face to land in the Primary tab instead of Promotions. To stay ahead of these conversations, follow the suggestions below and focus on turning your email program into a well-optimized and strategically planned machine. 

What should marketers do ahead of these changes? 

Review the health of your email list and content.
-Validate your lists, especially if you plan to open up your segments for the holidays and remove invalid or risky addresses.
-An unengaged audience will signal to Gmail that your emails are broadly irrelevant. Make sure your content resonates with your audience.  

Do a deep dive on your audience and their personas.
-Explore the capabilities of your martech stack to leverage personalization and utilize zero-party data to deliver engaging content to the right audiences. 

Track your Gmail metrics closely to monitor for shifts in engagement.
-Clicks, complaints, and unsubscribe rates are all important metrics to track.
-Use pixel data to track if people are reading, glancing, or skimming your campaigns. 

Make your promotions and offers timely, relevant, and prominent.
-Try coding for Annotations, but remember, they are not a guarantee. 

Make sure your welcome series is engaging.
-You can also use this opportunity to encourage subscribers to add you to their contacts. 

Test your send cadence.
-You may not need to send emails 1–2 times per day. Instead, focus on refining your content and segmentation, and test sending fewer, more valuable campaigns.  

Keep it relevant! 

Even though the holidays can be stressful for marketers (major understatement), this Gmail update is not a cause for panic. The ‘Most Relevant’ feature may see slow adoption with people switching back to ‘Most Recent’, and there’s currently no clear timeline for its full rollout. By ensuring your emails are truly relevant to your audience, you’ll be well-positioned to take advantage of this change.  

Stay tuned for an update on these features as more performance data becomes available. 

Looking to dive deeper into the nuances of sending to different mailbox providers like Gmail? Check out Validity’s 2025 Deliverability Benchmark Report for more insights and tips for stronger sending.