Hi SG, you might have noticed e-mail notifications are now live. I'll explain how they work, because you'll likely have a few questions.

To start, there's a new Notifications section available on the account page. You'll be able to enable or disable any type of e-mail we send using that page. As well, every e-mail that's sent out will have an unsubscribe link at the bottom, and this functions similar to the Notifications page, where you can manage your e-mail settings.

At the moment there are three types of e-mails being sent.

  1. When you register on the site, you'll receive a welcome e-mail which thanks you for signing up. At the same time, the e-mail recommends a few of the top giveaways that are available for you to join.

  2. When your giveaways end, you'll receive an e-mail mentioning they have ended, which acts as a general reminder. However, it's common for users to run multiple giveaways ending at once, or ending at a similar time, so the e-mail system is configured to group these giveaways into a single e-mail. Right now, when a giveaway ends, the site will check if you have other giveaways ending in the next 20 minutes, and if so, it will wait for those giveaways to finish before sending an e-mail. For example, if you have 500 giveaways ending within the next 16 minutes, then you'll receive one e-mail in 16 minutes mentioning 500 of your giveaways have ended, and the e-mail body will list the first 10, followed by, "... and 490 more".

  3. When you win a game (excluding rerolls for the time being), you'll receive an e-mail. This should help to reduce the chance of a user going missing after they win a gift. Similar to the above, these e-mails are grouped when there's a high chance you're going to win another game in the next 20 minutes. For example, if you win a game, and there's a low probability you're going to win another game soon, then you'll instantly receive an e-mail. If you win a game, and you're entered into a giveaway that's ending in 13 minutes, where you have a 50% chance of winning, then the site will wait for that giveaway to end, and if you win, then you'll receive a single e-mail mentioning you won 2 new games. Keys for games are never listed in e-mails, the messages simply list the name of the game you won, with a link to SteamGifts.

Notes

  • E-mails are queued in the database, and sent at a rate of 1,500 per minute. This means if a developer giveaway for 15,000 copies comes to an end, there could be up to a 10 minute delay for these to be processed. These type of giveaways are set to lower priority, so they do not delay other e-mails being sent.

  • The status of every e-mail is logged in the database. If your e-mail address permanently bounces, then your e-mail address is excluded from receiving e-mails. If your e-mail address temporarily bounces (for example, if your inbox is full, or if you configured an "out of office" or vacation autoresponder), the site will wait 5 days before attempting to send you e-mail again.

  • If you change your e-mail notification settings, there might be a delay of up to 20 minutes for the change to take place.

  • All e-mails include both HTML and plain text versions.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

6 years ago*

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I think the "You've Won" email might include a brief blurb about waiting for the giveaway creator to contact or you reveal the key, as first time winners will think that since they got the email they can get the game right away.

6 years ago
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This is a very good point and would probably avoid a lot of headache down the line

6 years ago
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I agree with this.

6 years ago
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+1

As it is now, the "you've won" email is not a necessity - giveaway creators can already contact users to tell them they've won (if contact through Steam is impossible). Adding this information will give the email notification a reason to be there in the first place.

6 years ago
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As it is now, the "you've won" email is not a necessity - giveaway creators can already contact users to tell them they've won (if contact through Steam is impossible). Adding this information will give the email notification a reason to be there in the first place.

Indeed.

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6 years ago*
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I would actually prefer it this way. Receive an e-mail when the key/link is made available by the GA creator.

Sometimes people check when they win the GA right away, but the key/link is not provided right away. It might take the creator a few hours to send them out, and the winners never get that feed back from the site that the key/link is now available to them and that they should go check it out.

6 years ago
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Yeah, that really does seem a more intuitive approach (edit: overwhelmingly so, in light of x4mer's point). It may also have the benefit of a bit less site load, as it wouldn't have to do the status calculations mentioned in cg's overview.

6 years ago*
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Yeah, it wouldn't need to check if you have a big chance of winning another GA in the next 20 minutes, because it would already know what you won.

Also, the cases of winning multiple GAs and the keys being available all at the same time would be so small, that I don't believe they would be an issue.

6 years ago
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Also, the cases of winning multiple GAs and the keys being available all at the same time would be so small, that I don't believe they would be an issue.

I'm not sure what you're referencing- as far as I know, you no longer can win multiple giveaways for the same game, anymore, even if they end at exactly the same time [unless, of course, you won a copy, and then went back and entered for the game again].
E-mails currently aren't going out for rerolled wins, so it's not like there's an exception there, either.

Besides, it's not like you can't see both copies of the game when you log onto SG, and realize what you've won- ditto for when you try to activate. If the e-mails are updated to include site rule reminders, as we've requested, then presumably there shouldn't much concern to be had over mishaps.

6 years ago
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I was talking about cases where someone wins multiple different game in the same time period, imagine game A, B and C.

In the current system, SG would send an e-mail saying that the user won game A, B and C, if they were all won in time period metioned by cg (20 minutes).

But if the e-mails were sent when the GA creator makes the key available then the user would most likely receive 3 e-mails, one saying that key for game A is available, one for game B when the key is available and another for game C.

Because while you can win multiple games at the same time, due to trains and events. Usually the keys are not available at the same time.

So the possibility to spam someone with mails from SG would be quite small. Because the % of winning multiple GAs at the same time is small already and getting the keys available at the same time is even smaller.

Don't know if this was clear. :(

6 years ago
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+1 Email should go out when the giveaway creator clicks 'Sent'

6 years ago
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+1 Email should go out when the giveaway creator clicks 'Sent'

6 years ago
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But there are people who gift games directly through steam. So a link or code won't be provided.

6 years ago
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heck a quick blurb about how "the game they won HAS to be redeemed by them and only them or risk being banned"
this could help stop rule breakers lol

90% of my rerolls have been to people breaking this rule

6 years ago
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Now that this system is in place do we still need to provide proof of contact attempt when requesting a re-roll &/or feedback request? or does this take that proof requirement out of the equation?

6 years ago
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Yes, because not all people will have email notifications enabled.

6 years ago
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they went out of their way to not get notifications, that should also even hide their email from gifters imo. in which case it would make sense that they do not require proof of a contact attempt since they disabled contact attempting.

6 years ago
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That's totally unrelated, a user being notified that they won a game doesn't mean the giveaway creator has made an attempt to deliver it

6 years ago
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well it may not be completely related, but i certainly wouldn't say totally. ^^

imo if a person goes out of their way to disable notifications, their email should additionally be hidden since they do not want to be notified. me emailing the user telling them they won and providing a screenshot of the email is not proof of an attempt to deliver either, that's merely proof i contacted (which is what the site can now do for me).

6 years ago
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their email should additionally be hidden since they do not want to be notified

How you got to that conclusion is beyond me, I'm actually disabling the notifications because I don't feel I need them but that doesn't mean I don't want to get my won gifts sent to me

6 years ago
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okay, forget that part.. that's still needed to make things easier for actual steam gifts anyways. (instead of keys)

but you're telling me i still need to email them telling them they won on steamgifts.com and need to go here is absolutely not proof of an attempt to deliver, it's merely telling them they won, and this is all i have ever been required to do in order to get a re-roll approved.

so what is the point in that screenshot when the site does that for me now?

6 years ago
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i'm not sure why you want that proof of email contact still is my point. it was never about proof of sending, it was proof of contacting them no matter how you slice it. i would be more apt to start gifting to level 0-1 users, if i knew after a week i could re-roll users who abandoned the site without the added complication of pampering the user with an unnecessary email. as it is now, its a discouragement from low level gifting on top of the already very large discouragement of rule-breakers that we already have to put up with from them. least of all take some of that complication away since it's redundant with this feature anyways.

it just makes things easier for gifters & support members both. xD

6 years ago
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Easy, if they "don't care" to read an email or get notified they won, make your ticket via support to get your feedback/reroll and move on.

6 years ago
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i see no point in even sending an email since the system does it for us now.. never have i ever been required to provide a steamkey to support to "prove" i have it (though that still wouldn't prove i sent it).. all that is required is the email showing that you contacted them instead... so i think it's fairly redundant and pointless now.

6 years ago
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never have i ever been required to provide a steamkey to support to "prove" i have it

Not like it would ever prove anything at all as it can not be checked if it's used or not :)

6 years ago
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exactly. ^^

the whole thing really was only a "proof of contact attempt" way more then proof of sending something. i really hope this can allow me to gift to lower levels with more comfort if i don't have to worry about emailing winners telling them they won, just to be eligible for a re-roll after a week goes by if it's still not marked either way. xD

6 years ago
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I'll just leave this here as another option let me know what u think or if u have doubts of how it could work ^^.

Third Check Option? Vote!

Thanks in advance to all the ppl who see it, read it and vote ;)

6 years ago
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yeah, logically solutions tend to get shot down with no reason tho as you see.

6 years ago
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Could be a way to enforce the new incomers to read the rules.

6 years ago
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+1

6 years ago
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Great improvement and well thought through I can read, great.

6 years ago
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THE SPACE CAT IS SO CUTE

6 years ago
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I love this feature. Thank you, cg :)

6 years ago
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Will there be an indication if our configured email address is bouncing SG messages?

6 years ago
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thanks for documenting this very nice change in the official sg rules ^^

6 years ago
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Welcome email should recommend reading the faq and guidelines. Just saying.

ALSO, if a giveaway has "waiting for response" for like 3 months or 3 years, would be nice to re-send that email just in case they didn't actually died.

6 years ago*
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I agree with both of these points. And specifically #1 should be included in the registration confirmation email.

6 years ago
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If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

What conditioner would you recommend to keep my hair silky smooth, but with some bounce and "sassy attitude?"

6 years ago
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View attached image.
6 years ago
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Let me know when you get an answer, I am incredibly curious for reasons.

6 years ago
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So if I make giveaways based 15 minutes apart I will never get mail? ;D

6 years ago
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Good question. You will still receive e-mails. The site isn't simply checking for giveaways ending soon, and waiting. It compares the difference in time between your oldest giveaway that's finished, and waiting to send a notification, with your next ending giveaway. In this case, if you were to make 4 giveaways, 15 minutes apart, the first two would be sent in one group, and the second two in the next group.

6 years ago
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Thank you for updating SG and making a crystal clear communication cg. :3

This will certainly be good for new users and those that are already active here.

6 years ago
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Thank you for giving us a setting to turn this off. I'm on SG more than I check my email.

6 years ago
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I just received one of this emails, is cool! :D

6 years ago
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What about "You lost" notifications? :P

6 years ago
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Please no. My inbox would be slammed to the point SG emails would be registered as spam.

6 years ago
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Actually, proper phrasing would be "You lost out" or "You didn't win". Lose on its own implies having something already acquired slip away from you, or the failure to succeed at something you had steady investment in and means to affect the outcome on [such as a sports competition]. Understandably, that's why "You lose" has such a negative tone to it- it sounds like you're making fun of something which was taken, or of a failure to succeed.
Lose out, by comparison, doesn't ever refer to the loss of things already owned, but instead refers to "failing to receive an expected reward, gain, or advantage".
"I lost my ice cream" versus "I lost out on ice cream." :)

In short- and perhaps this was intentional on your part- You Lost would be the most mocking way the site could phrase such e-mails. :P
..well, okay, perhaps not the most.

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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Its nice, but how about steamtrades? I mean, its possible to make same E-mail Notifications, when someone reply in your thread and/or reply to your comment?

6 years ago
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cg, you rock! Thanks for all the site improvements. Momo happy dance!

6 years ago
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If I have a GA end, and decide I'm going to request a re-roll, I hope that the re-roll goes through before the initial winner even knows they won. This avoids the drama of someone getting upset that you re-rolled them. With e-mails going out, that won't be possible anymore. I think the email should go out AFTER the GA creator selects "send key", to avoid this issue, and for the reason Nyx mentioned above.

Nyx
I would actually prefer it this way. Receive an e-mail when the key/link is made available by the GA creator.

Sometimes people check when they win the GA right away, but the key/link is not provided right away. It might take the creator a few hours to send them out, and the winners never get that feed back from the site that the key/link is now available to them and that they should go check it out.

6 years ago
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To your 1st point, if the user is active during the time of the win, they will know that they won that GA, even if you ask for re-roll right away. The icon lights up red as soon as you win.

6 years ago
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The welcome email should also includes links to the FAQ and other "important" threads that people often get pointed to, like the ones about CV.

6 years ago
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I was surprised when I received one today, but I liked this, so people wouldn't have any excuse for not checking their winning games. Thank you for this upgrade!

6 years ago
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If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Can you adopt me? I always wanted to be a Canadian...

6 years ago
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Wait what? Steamgifts/cg is Canadian?
Regardless, I'll adopt you if you want. Although I'm not sure if I'm legally able to do that. I could smuggle you in.

6 years ago
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Well the private house with a garage under the stairs and a child's chalk drawing on the concrete in front of it is located in Canada. Could be a random house though. I'd remove that address from the email if it's his.

6 years ago
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Not sure which email you're referring to, but okay. :P

6 years ago
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e-mail notification has a physical address of steamgifts in the footer, google maps/street search reveals a nice house in a dead end street

also makes me wanna send them a box of local candy

6 years ago
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Ohhh, okay. Probably not an actual address. I kinda doubt it, but I honestly don't know how that works so I wouldn't know for sure. :P

6 years ago
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They might be required to include an address as a proof they are not spammers. That said, Amazon also requires you to have an USA address and we all know that's just a sign not a cop.

6 years ago
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He could just cross the border pretty much anywhere that isn't an offical crossing and we will welcome him right in! I hear that Quebec and Manitoba are the hotspots...

6 years ago
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Can you adopt me?

Are you willing to have a member of Support for a parent instead?

6 years ago
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I didn't think crestations raised children. I thought they released millions of kids into the wild in the hopes one or two survived

6 years ago
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That is generally true but fake med school taught me how to be a responsible space lobster. I think I'm now ready to raise a grown adult who may actually be older than me as my own child.

6 years ago
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Sense when did you go to fake med school? i thought your studies lied elsewhere...

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6 years ago*
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Crustaceans?

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6 years ago
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Sure... Dad? :)

6 years ago
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6 years ago
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Don't forget your little friend

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6 years ago
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Sweet! That's great! :) Especially with the email when you win. I remember one of my winners went offline like 15 minutes before they won my giveaway, and they never went online since. I even waited two weeks and no answer on Steam nor email.

6 years ago
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Except for people like me who never check their darn emails. Mostly because I only receive spam. ._.

6 years ago
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Can I just mention that I love the fact that the email address is called space.cat? :D
Thank you for implementing the feature! My phone lets me know as soon as I get an email so it is extremely handy :)

6 years ago
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Space Cat seems to like sending me mails :-) Got two already.

6 years ago
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Neat feature. Thanks! Admittedly I will be turning it off because half the fun for me is not knowing if I will see a spazzy space cat pop up on my screen when i visit the website or not.

6 years ago
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