Can I use two subdomains on one dedicated IP address for different email types?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Automizy Blog explained that utilizing subdomains can improve inbox placement, and using different subdomains will allow better control over deliverability and sender reputation. It's helpful to separate transactional emails from promotional ones.
Email marketer from Gmass forum shared how using multiple subdomains for different email types on one IP address can improve deliverability, as it allows you to build separate reputations for each type of email, improving overall sending reputation.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that using subdomains on a single IP for different email types is fine but emphasizes the importance of monitoring the reputation of both the IP and each subdomain individually. Poor performance on one subdomain can affect the overall IP reputation.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that using subdomains for different email types (transactional vs. marketing) on a single dedicated IP is a common strategy. It allows for better reputation management and segmentation, as each subdomain can build its own reputation independently.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that using two subdomains on one dedicated IP is viable. Each subdomain will develop its own reputation, similar to how shared IPs function with multiple domains. This can be helpful for senders who lack the volume to sustain a dedicated IP but have enough combined traffic.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that subdomains can be used to segment email traffic and improve deliverability. They recommend separating transactional and marketing emails onto different subdomains, especially when sharing a single IP address.
Email marketer from SendGrid Blog shares that using subdomains with a dedicated IP can help segment email streams. They recommend using subdomains to differentiate transactional and marketing emails for better control over reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that using subdomains can help protect your main domain's reputation. By isolating different email streams, you can prevent issues with one stream from negatively impacting the entire domain.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow suggests using separate subdomains on one IP address, because if one subdomain has issues, it won't necessarily impact the other's performance. Having separate subdomains for different email types can help to isolate deliverability issues.
Email marketer from Quora answers that best practice is to segment your email types using subdomains, this will allow for better management of bounces and unsubscribes for marketing purposes.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that to encourage separate treatment of mail streams, use different d= in the DKIM signatures.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that using subdomains on the same IP can segment reputation. Separating transactional and marketing mail this way prevents the negative impact of marketing campaigns from affecting transactional deliverability. But you should consider the volume you are sending as a whole - if low volumes your subdomains will take a long time to warm up.
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that segmenting mail streams to separate subdomains is a good practice. You can use different SPF records for each, allowing flexibility in authenticating different mail streams. However, it is important that ALL your subdomains are compliant or it will impact your deliverability.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost Documentation explains that sending different types of email (e.g., transactional and marketing) from the same IP address can impact deliverability if one type performs poorly. Subdomains can help isolate these streams, but ultimately, the IP address's reputation is key.
Documentation from RFC explains the technical implications of SPF records when using multiple subdomains. This is applicable if you are managing SPF records and need to correctly set them up for multiple subdomains on a single IP.
Documentation from Amazon AWS explains that when using a dedicated IP, it is important to build the IP reputation properly. This includes sending consistent email, having low bounce and complaints, and using subdomains to segment traffic if desired.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that maintaining a good sending reputation is crucial for deliverability. While they don't explicitly address subdomains, they imply that segmenting email streams, which subdomains facilitate, can improve reputation management.
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that using a subdomain for email sending is beneficial for organization and tracking. While they don't specifically address using a single IP, the implication is that isolating email types onto subdomains can help manage deliverability.