Does the top level domain (TLD) affect email deliverability?

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor explains that focusing on relevant email content, list management, and a consistent sending volume contributes towards a positive sender reputation. While your TLD can factor into whether mailbox providers trust you, it's not as important as your email marketing practices.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that your email domain reputation significantly impacts deliverability. While the TLD itself isn't a primary factor, consistently sending high-quality, engaging emails will build a positive reputation. A poor reputation, regardless of the TLD, can lead to emails being marked as spam.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that some older spam filters may have rules that penalize certain TLDs. New TLDs are often initially viewed with suspicion. Established TLDs with a history of being used for spam can also be problematic.

Email marketer from Gmass shares that new TLDs haven't been around long enough to establish a solid reputation, and spammers have historically abused new TLDs, which means they are often viewed with more scrutiny than older TLDs.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that there are some old rules in SpamAssassin about TLDs, which are based on Spamhaus top 10 from several years ago. Although it should not have a big impact on your deliverability.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that it's not entirely a myth that TLD affects deliverability, warmups can be more difficult with some heavily abused TLDs. Suggests staying away from the Spamhaus top 10.

Email marketer from Litmus explains that proper email authentication is critical for deliverability. Authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help establish trust with mailbox providers, mitigating potential negative impacts from a less reputable TLD.

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that while TLDs were once thought to significantly impact SEO and thus indirectly deliverability, Google has evolved. They now focus more on the quality and relevance of the content, rather than the TLD. However, certain TLDs, especially those associated with spam, can negatively affect reputation.

Email marketer from StackExchange explains that while the TLD isn't the only factor, it can contribute to your overall sender reputation. Using a TLD known for spam activity can make it harder to build trust with mailbox providers.

Email marketer from an Email Marketing Forum shares that new TLDs may have limited reputation initially. Building a positive sending history is essential to overcome potential deliverability challenges.

Email marketer from Sender.net shares that a domain's reputation, including the TLD, matters for deliverability. Spammy TLDs can be viewed with suspicion by mailbox providers, leading to deliverability issues. Building a good sender reputation is crucial, regardless of the TLD.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that TLD does affect things in some cases, a lot of that has to do with the policies of the registry and how easy and cheap it is for spammers to get a hold of the domains. Many of the newer TLDs have poor reputations and some of the ML filters are biased against mail from them. Many of the country domains are OK as they’re usually managed by government entities and are not great targets for spammers.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that new TLDs get a bad rap as the bad guys jump on them. It is always important to look at things specifically. Not just painting everyone with the same brush. It is important to evaluate the sender and the content not just the TLD.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that given .no is Norway, as long as the company has some connection to Norway (benefits for sending mail in Norwegian) they wouldn’t worry about it.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that there are many ways to extract domains that are used in spam. Including but not limited to finding common TLDs that send large amounts of spam.

Documentation from Google Search Central explains that Google treats all TLDs (generic or country-code) the same. Using a specific country code TLD (like .uk or .de) primarily helps Google understand that your site is explicitly intended for users in that country, which can affect geotargeting but not necessarily deliverability directly. The content and its relevance are more important.

Documentation from Microsoft outlines best practices for email deliverability, emphasizing authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, and engagement. While TLD isn't explicitly mentioned, following these practices can help overcome potential TLD-related reputation issues.

Documentation from RFC Editor (specifically RFC 5322) outlines the standards for email message format. While it doesn't directly address TLD impact on deliverability, it sets the technical rules for valid email addresses. Using a TLD that adheres to these standards is crucial; however, adherence doesn't guarantee deliverability, as reputation is also key.

Documentation from Spamhaus explains that they maintain lists of TLDs frequently used by spammers. While not a direct deliverability factor, being associated with a spam-heavy TLD can raise red flags.