How can I diagnose email deliverability issues when using Constant Contact?

Summary

Diagnosing email deliverability issues when using Constant Contact requires a multifaceted approach, combining technical configuration, monitoring, and best practices. Focus on deliverability metrics like bounce, open, and click rates; check sender reputation using tools like Sender Score and Google Postmaster Tools; and maintain a clean contact list. Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), analyze email content for spam triggers, and segment your lists for better engagement. Be mindful of Constant Contact's specific IP address issues and the accuracy of signup forms. Monitoring Feedback Loops (FBLs), using seed lists, and testing across different email clients and devices are also crucial.

Key findings

  • Deliverability Metrics: Focus on key metrics beyond just blocklists.
  • Sender Reputation: Monitor reputation using dedicated tools.
  • List Hygiene: Clean and segment contact lists regularly.
  • Email Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols.
  • Spam Triggers: Analyze email content for spam-related issues.
  • Signup Form Accuracy: Verify the accuracy of website signup forms.
  • FBLs: Utilize Feedback Loops to monitor complaints.
  • Testing: Test emails across clients and devices.

Key considerations

  • Inbox Testing: Use inbox testing tools to check deliverability.
  • Constant Contact Support: Contact Constant Contact support to verify configuration.
  • Seed Listing: Use seed lists to analyze inbox placement.
  • IP Address Issues: Consider Constant Contact's shared IP address issues.
  • Avoid URL Shorteners: Use full URLs instead of shorteners to build trust.
  • Gradual Warm-up: Gradually warm up your IP address for new accounts.
  • Bounce Rate Analysis: Segment your lists based on hard vs soft bounces
  • Subscriber Tracing: Follow the path of where the emails have gone for a particular email address.

What email marketers say
9Marketer opinions

Diagnosing email deliverability issues with Constant Contact involves several key areas. Firstly, monitor sender reputation using tools like Sender Score and Google Postmaster Tools. High bounce rates should be addressed by cleaning and segmenting your contact lists. Ensure proper domain configuration within Constant Contact and check for platform-specific issues. Analyze email content for spam triggers using tools like Litmus, and avoid URL shorteners. Improve engagement through list segmentation. Consider issues with Constant Contact's shared IP addresses and explore warming up your IP gradually. Finally, test emails across different clients and devices to prevent rendering and spam issues.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: Check sender reputation to identify blacklist status.
  • Bounce Rates: Monitor bounce rates and segment lists accordingly.
  • Domain Configuration: Verify proper domain configuration within Constant Contact.
  • Spam Triggers: Analyze email content to avoid spam triggers.
  • List Segmentation: Segment your email lists for better engagement.
  • IP Reputation: Be mindful of Constant Contact's shared IP addresses and warming up
  • Email Testing: Test emails across different clients and devices.

Key considerations

  • Sender Score & Google Postmaster Tools: Utilize tools like Sender Score and Google Postmaster Tools to track reputation.
  • Contact List Hygiene: Regularly clean and segment your contact lists to reduce bounce rates.
  • Constant Contact Support: Contact Constant Contact support to verify configuration and resolve platform issues.
  • Spam Analysis Tools: Employ tools like Litmus to scan for spam triggers in email content.
  • Dedicated IP Address: Consider requesting a dedicated IP address if sending high email volumes.
  • IP Warm-up: Warm up your IP address gradually for new Constant Contact accounts.
  • Email Client Testing: Use email testing tools to ensure proper rendering across different clients.
  • Avoid URL Shorteners: Avoid using URL shorteners to improve trust and reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Quora advises avoiding URL shorteners in your emails, as they are often associated with spam. Using full, transparent URLs helps build trust with recipients and improves your sender reputation.

October 2024 - Quora
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that it's important to ensure your Constant Contact account is properly configured with your domain. They suggest contacting Constant Contact support to verify your setup and check for any known issues with their platform affecting deliverability.

March 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus Blog shares that analyzing your email content for spam triggers can help improve deliverability. Tools like Litmus can scan your email for common spam keywords, broken links, and other issues that might flag your email as spam.

December 2022 - Litmus Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from GMass Blog mentions the importance of warming up your IP address gradually when starting with a new Constant Contact account. Sending emails in small batches and increasing the volume over time helps establish a positive sender reputation.

October 2022 - GMass Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that monitoring your bounce rates is essential for identifying deliverability problems. High bounce rates indicate issues with your contact list or sending practices. They advise segmenting your list based on bounce types (hard vs. soft) to manage them effectively.

February 2022 - Mailjet Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog explains that list segmentation can significantly improve deliverability. By segmenting your audience based on engagement and demographics, you can send more targeted and relevant emails, which reduces the likelihood of recipients marking your messages as spam.

July 2024 - Email on Acid Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog shares that checking your sender reputation is crucial for diagnosing deliverability issues. Tools like Sender Score and Google Postmaster Tools can help you identify if your IP address or domain is blacklisted or has a poor reputation.

December 2023 - Sendinblue Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from SuperOffice Blog advises testing your emails across different email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) and devices to ensure they render correctly and don't trigger spam filters. They recommend using email testing tools to preview your emails before sending them to your entire list.

October 2023 - SuperOffice Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that Constant Contact sometimes has issues with their shared IP addresses being blacklisted. They suggest checking if Constant Contact is aware of any recent incidents and requesting a dedicated IP address if you're sending a high volume of emails.

April 2023 - Email Marketing Forum

What the experts say
7Expert opinions

Diagnosing email deliverability issues with Constant Contact involves several key approaches. Prioritize deliverability metrics (bounce, open, click rates) over solely focusing on blocklists and utilize inbox testing tools. Trace specific subscribers and rule out segmentation or execution errors. Starting with understanding perceived issues, create a seed list to analyze deliverability, authentication, and infrastructure settings. Be aware that signup forms aren't always accurate, and multiple forms may exist. Setting up and monitoring Feedback Loops (FBLs) provides insights into recipient complaints. Employ seed listing to assess inbox placement across different ISPs.

Key opinions

  • Deliverability Metrics: Focus on bounce, open, and click rates to gauge deliverability.
  • Segmentation Issues: Segmentation issues may prevent sign up emails rather than deliverability issues.
  • Subscriber Tracing: Trace subscribers to rule out execution/segmentation errors.
  • Consultation Setup: Utilize seed lists to analyze deliverability and authentication.
  • Signup Form Accuracy: Signup forms on websites aren't always accurate.
  • Multiple Signup Forms: Multiple signup forms might exist, yielding different results.
  • Feedback Loops (FBLs): Monitor Feedback Loops for recipient complaints.
  • Seed Listing: Employ seed listing to assess inbox placement.

Key considerations

  • Inbox Testing Tools: Use inbox testing tools to monitor deliverability.
  • ESP Checks: Check if the ESP sent and delivered the email.
  • Mailserver Access: Having access to your own mail server you can determine delivery attempts
  • Campaign Scheduling: It's not guaranteed you will receive emails immediately
  • Initial Assessment: Begin with understanding client-perceived issues.
  • Authentication Settings: Assess authentication and infrastructure settings.
  • ISP Handling: Understand how different ISPs handle your email.
  • Form Verification: Verify the accuracy of signup forms on websites.
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource shares that seed listing helps evaluate email deliverability. They recommend adding seed addresses to your mailing lists to measure inbox placement rates and understand how different ISPs are handling your email.

August 2024 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares his process when starting a consulting role, which includes understanding the client's perceived issues, requesting a campaign send to his seed list for analysis, and utilizing tools to assess authentication and infrastructure settings.

April 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares finding multiple signup forms for the same company with different results when Googling '(company) newsletter signup'.

January 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks mentions that signup forms on the website aren't always the actual or used form, leading to discrepancies in mail delivery and setup understandings.

June 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Experts from Email Geeks recommend to trace specific subscribers in Constant Contact and rule out execution or segmentation issues. Also check the ESP to see if the mail was sent and delivered. Al mentioned that sign up issues are normally segmentation issues rather than deliverability ones. He recommends asking Constant Contact support if the user was included in the send and if it bounced. Steve mentioned you can say 'there was no delivery attempt' if you have access to your own mailserver.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that setting up and monitoring Feedback Loops (FBLs) is crucial for diagnosing deliverability issues. FBLs provide valuable insights into complaints from recipients, allowing you to identify and address problems with your sending practices.

November 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests focusing on deliverability metrics like bounce rates, open rates, and click rates instead of just blocklists. He recommends using inbox testing tools and monitoring for spikes in these metrics.

January 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Improving email deliverability with Constant Contact, as documented across several sources, relies heavily on three key areas: list hygiene, email authentication, and reputation monitoring. Cleaning contact lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses is essential. Proper email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols verifies legitimate emails and prevents spoofing. Google Postmaster Tools aids in monitoring domain reputation, providing insights into spam rates and IP reputation with Gmail users. Understanding SPF records is crucial for proper configuration and preventing email spoofing.

Key findings

  • List Hygiene: Cleaning contact lists improves deliverability.
  • Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are critical for authentication.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Google Postmaster Tools helps monitor domain reputation.
  • SPF Records: Understanding SPF records is crucial for preventing spoofing.
  • DKIM: DKIM provides a digital signature to verify the origin and content

Key considerations

  • Inactive Addresses: Remove inactive or invalid addresses from contact lists.
  • SPF Configuration: Properly configure SPF records to prevent email spoofing.
  • DKIM Implementation: Implement DKIM to add a digital signature to outgoing emails.
  • DMARC Adoption: Consider implementing DMARC for enhanced email security.
  • Postmaster Tools Analysis: Regularly analyze data from Google Postmaster Tools.
  • Spam Trigger Words: Avoid spam trigger words in subject lines and body content.
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains how DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) works to authenticate outgoing email. DKIM provides a digital signature that verifies the email's origin and content, helping to prevent spoofing and improve deliverability to Microsoft email addresses.

October 2021 - Microsoft Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that using Google Postmaster Tools allows you to monitor your domain's reputation with Gmail users. This tool provides data on spam rates, IP reputation, and feedback loop information, which can help you identify and address deliverability issues.

July 2021 - Google Postmaster Tools Help
Technical article

Documentation from Constant Contact Help Center explains that improving email deliverability involves cleaning your contact lists by removing inactive or invalid addresses, authenticating your emails with SPF and DKIM records, and avoiding spam trigger words in your subject lines and body content.

April 2024 - Constant Contact Help Center
Technical article

Documentation from RFC documentation explains the technical details of SPF records and how they authenticate email senders. It's crucial for email administrators to understand and correctly configure SPF records to prevent email spoofing and improve deliverability.

March 2025 - RFC Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) is critical for ensuring deliverability. Implementing these protocols helps verify that your emails are legitimate and reduces the chances of them being marked as spam by ISPs.

February 2022 - SparkPost Documentation