Does using a new email address on the same domain affect email deliverability?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that using a “noreply” email address is a single data point and won't impact deliverability alone but can push you over the edge if you are already close to the line. It also violates best practices.
Email marketer from Mailchimp states that authenticating your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is vital for deliverability, especially with a new email address. Authentication helps prove that you're authorized to send emails from your domain.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that sender reputation is affected by factors such as spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement metrics. Starting with a new email address means you have no reputation, so these factors will heavily influence your initial deliverability.
Email marketer from Sendinblue states that sender reputation heavily influences deliverability. Using a new email address means you start with a neutral reputation, and your initial sending behavior will determine whether you build a good or bad reputation.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that with a new email address, focusing on getting good engagement (opens and clicks) is crucial. They suggest sending to a highly engaged list initially to build positive signals.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that warming up your new IP address is crucial to ensure your sender reputation doesn't suffer, and that you should start with low volumes and gradually increase it.
Email marketer from Email on Acid emphasizes that a new email address will have no sender reputation. You need to build it up over time by consistently sending valuable content that recipients engage with, otherwise it will impact deliverability.
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that cleaning your email list by removing unengaged subscribers is important. Sending emails to those users using a new email address, could impact deliverability because of low engagement.
Email marketer from Reddit user shares that starting with a new email address means you're essentially unknown to spam filters. They advise closely monitoring bounce rates and spam complaints to ensure you're not being flagged.
Email marketer from GlockApps recommends that when using a new email address, especially with a new IP, you should implement a careful IP warming strategy. This involves gradually increasing sending volume to establish a positive sender reputation.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource shares that you must get through the seedlist process before sending to actual subscribers. Sending real emails with a new address straight to the inbox helps establish your email's legitimacy to inbox providers.
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that new IPs sending from a new domain, or a new subdomain need to take special care to build reputation slowly and follow best practices to avoid deliverability issues.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that in large scale tests, using “noreply” had zero statistical significance across any of the metrics measured for engagement, retention, conversion, comparing noreply@ against email@.
Expert from Word to the Wise recommends list hygiene, implementing a sunset policy and sending less frequently in order to increase deliverability. They also stress the importance of a list-unsubscribe header.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that using a new email address with the same parent domain shouldn't affect deliverability in terms of filters. However, lower delivery may occur if global filters consider the mail bulk but is overridden by allow-lists.
Expert from Email Geeks states if global filters think mail should go to the inbox, there shouldn’t be any problem at all.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from SparkPost emphasizes the importance of engagement. A new email address requires proving that your emails are wanted by recipients, and low engagement rates (opens, clicks) can negatively impact deliverability.
Documentation from Microsoft explains that Exchange Online has specific sending limits, and using a new email address within this environment is subject to these limits. Exceeding these limits can trigger restrictions and impact deliverability.
Documentation from Google explains that Gmail has sending limits, and exceeding these limits when using a new address can impact deliverability. Google Workspace accounts have specific daily sending limits that must be observed.
Documentation from RFC states that following SMTP standards is crucial for deliverability. Using a new email address still requires adherence to these standards, especially regarding proper authentication and message formatting.