Does the sender's name impact email deliverability rates?

Summary

Experts, marketers, and documentation sources concur that the sender's name, or 'From' name, is a crucial factor affecting email deliverability rates. A recognizable, consistent, and trustworthy 'From' name builds trust with recipients and mailbox providers, leading to improved engagement, open rates, and inbox placement. Inconsistency, misleading information, or use of multiple 'From' addresses can confuse recipients, trigger spam filters, and negatively impact sender reputation. User-level whitelisting is also impacted.

Key findings

  • Sender Reputation: The 'From' name and address significantly impact sender reputation, influencing deliverability.
  • Trust and Recognition: A consistent and recognizable 'From' name builds trust and encourages recipients to engage.
  • Open Rates: A trustworthy 'From' name can improve open rates, a key factor for deliverability.
  • Filtering: Inconsistent or flagged 'From' names can trigger spam filters and impact deliverability.
  • User Whitelisting: Consistent and recognizable 'From' names encourage recipients to add senders to their safe sender lists.
  • Trust and Credibility: The sender name helps people to build trust and helps to build credibility, and may also be checked via search engines.

Key considerations

  • Consistency: Maintain a consistent and recognizable 'From' name across all email communications.
  • Accuracy: Ensure the 'From' name accurately reflects the sender's identity and is not misleading.
  • Reputation Management: Proactively manage sender reputation by adhering to email best practices.
  • Multiple Senders: Avoid using multiple 'From' addresses for the same product or service.
  • Encourage Whitelisting: Implement strategies to encourage recipients to add senders to their address books.
  • Name Selection: Select a 'From' name that aligns with your brand and is easily recognizable by your audience.

What email marketers say
12Marketer opinions

The sender's name, or 'From' name, significantly impacts email deliverability. Mailbox providers consider the 'From' name as part of their filtering process. A recognizable, consistent, and trustworthy 'From' name builds trust with recipients and mailbox providers, leading to improved engagement and deliverability. Conversely, inconsistent or unfamiliar sender names can confuse recipients and trigger spam filters.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: The sender's name and email address contribute to the sender's overall reputation, influencing deliverability rates.
  • Trust and Recognition: A consistent and recognizable 'From' name builds trust with recipients, encouraging them to open and engage with emails.
  • Impact on Open Rates: A trustworthy 'From' name can significantly improve open rates, a key factor in deliverability.
  • Filtering Algorithms: Filtering algorithms consider the sender name, and unfamiliar or flagged names can lead to deliverability challenges.
  • Inconsistency Issues: Inconsistent 'From' names can confuse recipients, potentially leading them to mark emails as spam.
  • Whitelisting: User-level whitelisting of From Addresses in recipient address books improves deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Consistency: Maintain a consistent 'From' name across all email campaigns to build recognition and trust.
  • Reputation Building: Focus on building a positive sender reputation through consistent sending practices and engaging content.
  • Monitoring: Monitor sender reputation metrics to identify and address any deliverability issues.
  • Brand Alignment: Ensure the 'From' name aligns with your brand and is easily recognizable to recipients.
  • Whitelisting campaigns: Run campaigns asking users to add you to their address book to improve user-level whitelisting.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that the 'From' name is a key factor recipients use to identify the sender. A recognizable and trustworthy 'From' name will help encourage opens and therefore improves deliverability

June 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that mailbox providers do pay attention to the From Name, but the intensity depends on the provider. Some providers bounce messages for specific From Name characteristics, while others are more lenient. It's hard to quantify the impact.

February 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit says that inconsistent 'From' names across different campaigns can confuse recipients and lead them to mark your emails as spam. He recommends sticking to a recognizable brand name or personal name consistently.

September 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog explains that sender reputation, which includes the sender's name and email address, is a crucial factor influencing email deliverability. A positive reputation leads to better deliverability rates, while a negative reputation can result in emails being marked as spam.

January 2024 - Neil Patel Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailToolTester explains that the sender's address is an important factor for email deliverability because it shows the person you are and builds trust. If the sender is confusing it will impact negatively.

May 2022 - EmailToolTester
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that the 'From' name is a key element that recipients see and use to decide whether to open an email. A recognizable and trustworthy 'From' name can significantly improve open rates and, consequently, deliverability.

March 2024 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet states that using a consistent and recognizable 'From' name is crucial for building trust with recipients. This consistency can positively influence their engagement and improve deliverability.

December 2024 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from ZeroBounce states that using a consistent and recognizable 'From' name helps recipients quickly identify you. And the better your recipients recognize your name, the more likely they are to engage and this impacts deliverability.

April 2021 - ZeroBounce
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass shares that the sender name is a factor used in filtering algorithms. If you're not a recognizable name, or if your sender information has been flagged as spam in the past, you'll have deliverability challenges.

November 2023 - Gmass
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests user-level whitelisting of From Address (i.e., in recipients' Address Books) could explain the deliverability differences. He recommends sending whitelisting campaigns to get recipients to add the From addresses to their Address Books.

June 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that a reputable sender name builds trust and recognition. Building a positive reputation takes time but is crucial for ensuring emails land in the inbox and not in the spam folder.

November 2021 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot shares that using a recognizable 'From' name helps to build trust with your recipients, encouraging them to engage with your emails and reducing the likelihood of them being marked as spam.

April 2021 - HubSpot

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

Experts agree that the sender's name ('From' name) significantly influences email deliverability. Using multiple 'From' addresses for the same product is not a best practice as sender reputation and whitelisting are often tied to the 'From' address. A consistent and recognizable sender identity builds trust, improving deliverability, while inconsistency can cause filtering problems. The 'From' name also establishes trust and credibility, encouraging recipients to verify new senders and their associated companies.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is significantly impacted by the 'From' name and address.
  • Trust and Credibility: A sender name is an important factor in establishing trust and credibility with recipients.
  • Consistency is Key: Using multiple 'From' addresses is not recommended due to its negative impact on reputation and whitelisting.
  • Filtering Issues: Inconsistency in the 'From' name can lead to emails being flagged as spam.

Key considerations

  • Consistent Identity: Maintain a consistent and recognizable sender identity to build trust.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Regularly monitor sender reputation to address any potential issues.
  • Verification: Recipients may verify new senders; ensure your 'From' name reflects a legitimate and trustworthy entity.
  • Single Sender: Avoid using multiple 'From' addresses for the same product or service.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource shares that a sender name is an important factor in establishing trust and credibility. They explain that if the sender is new to you then you can quickly check the 'From' name with google to see if the company is real and if it is a trustworthy company to buy from.

December 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that using multiple from addresses for a single product is generally not a best practice because end-user interaction based reputation or whitelisting will often be keyed on the from address.

December 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that sender reputation is significantly impacted by the 'From' name and address. A consistent and recognizable sender identity builds trust with mailbox providers and recipients, thus improving deliverability. Inconsistency can lead to filtering issues.

August 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Email deliverability is directly impacted by the sender's name ('From' name). Technical documentation emphasizes the importance of using a clear, consistent, and recognizable 'From' name and email address to build trust, encourage recipients to add you to their safe sender list, and avoid triggering spam filters. A misleading or inaccurate 'From' field can lead to emails being classified as spam.

Key findings

  • Recognition: A consistent 'From' name and address helps recipients recognize your messages.
  • Trust Building: A clear and consistent 'From' name builds trust with recipients.
  • Safe Sender List: Using a consistent 'From' name encourages recipients to add you to their safe sender list.
  • Spam Avoidance: Frequent changes to sender information or misleading 'From' fields can trigger spam filters.
  • Header Importance: The sender field in the email header is critical; inaccuracies can lead to emails being classified as spam.

Key considerations

  • Consistency: Maintain a consistent 'From' name and address across all email communications.
  • Accuracy: Ensure the 'From' field is accurate and not misleading.
  • Brand Identity: Align the 'From' name with your brand identity for easy recognition.
  • Avoid Changes: Minimize frequent changes to sender information to avoid triggering spam filters.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Support explains that using a consistent 'From' name and address helps recipients recognize your messages. If you change the sender information frequently, it might trigger spam filters.

August 2023 - Google Support
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that using a recognizable and consistent 'From' name helps recipients identify you, increasing the likelihood they will open your emails. It also helps avoid spam filters.

December 2021 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that the sender field is a critical part of an email's header. If it is misleading or contains inaccuracies, it's more likely to be classified as spam.

February 2024 - RFC Editor
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains that using a clear and consistent 'From' name and email address helps build trust and encourages recipients to add you to their safe sender list, thus improving deliverability.

October 2024 - Microsoft