Right now emails sent by observablehq.com for suggestions and comments are as barebones as it gets. ObservableHQ is not mentioned, and the layout can easily be mistaken for spam.
Here’s a rough template of a suggestion notification:
From: SUGGESTER_NAME notifications@observablehq.com
Reply-To: noreply@observablehq.com
Subject: [RECIPIENT_LOGIN] Suggestion for NOTEBOOK_TITLE
SUGGESTER_NAME has opened a suggestion to NOTEBOOK_TITLE: “SUGGESTION_TITLE”.
To view the suggestion, click this link: https://observablehq.com/compare/NOTEBOOK_ID...FORK_ID
Please take note of how “observablehq.com” only appears in mail adresses and links.
Assuming that the recipient hasn’t outright deleted that mail for being spam, they have to actively look for clues as to the mail’s origin.
Please add at least some level of branding to the mail:
- Make it clear in From, Subject, or both, that the mail has been sent from Observable.
- Emphasize Observable in the body, by adding a logo, a default footer, or both.