How do I resolve a blocked sending IP with Office365 and what steps should I take to ensure transparency?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Reddit shares that checking if your IP address is on any public blocklists (like Spamhaus or Spamcop) is important. If you are listed, take steps to get delisted according to their procedures.
Email marketer from Gmass explains setting up feedback loops with email providers allows you to receive notifications when users mark your emails as spam, so you can identify and address any issues.
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that gradually increasing your sending volume when using a new IP address (IP warming) can help establish a positive sending reputation with Office 365. Avoid sudden large spikes in email volume.
Email marketer from Litmus suggests regularly cleaning your email list is crucial for maintaining a good sending reputation. Remove inactive subscribers and those who have unsubscribed.
Email marketer from Email on Acid recommends maintaining consistent sending volumes and patterns can help establish trust with email providers like Office 365 and reduce the likelihood of being blocked.
Email marketer from Web Hosting Talk shares that high engagement metrics (opens, clicks) signal to email providers like Office 365 that your emails are valuable and not spam. Encourage recipients to interact with your emails.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog emphasizes the importance of maintaining a clean email list and removing inactive subscribers to avoid being flagged as spam by Office 365. Also recommends authenticating your email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that they dealt with a similar issue, says following the instructions on sender.office.com can help, and the delisting process might take 2-4 days.
Email marketer from SuperUser responds that if you're using a shared IP address, the actions of other senders can impact your deliverability. Consider switching to a dedicated IP address to have more control over your sending reputation.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow responds by sharing that setting up a reverse DNS record (PTR record) that matches your sending IP to your domain name can improve your email reputation and help prevent blocking by Office 365.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that sender.office.com may require you to verify your IP address and provide detailed information about your sending practices and policies, emphasizing the need for transparency and a clear explanation of how you are resolving the issues that led to the block.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that the reverse DNS is cybersmart.com, which isn't the most suspicious but the redirect to cybersmart.co.uk was removed. Suggests transparency for postmasters when trying to get unblocked.
Expert from Spam Resource discusses that it’s critical to make sure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up and are configured to make your email appear authenticated to mail providers. They mention this is vital to having good email practices.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that it’s Office365 blocking the IP, not Outlook.com, and they use separate delisting processes, implying separate IP blocks and teams.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that implementing DMARC policy is critical for protecting your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. It provides instructions to email providers (like Office 365) on how to handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM checks. Using a 'p=reject' policy will result in strict blocking of all emails that do not pass authentication.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools recommends using their tools to monitor your sending reputation and identify potential issues that may lead to blocking by email providers like Office 365. This can help you proactively address problems before they impact deliverability.
Documentation from Microsoft Support explains that to delist a blocked IP, you should visit the delisting portal (sender.office.com) and follow the instructions. They may require you to create an account and verify information about your sending practices.
Documentation from RFC explains that using SPF records and ensuring they are properly configured is crucial for verifying your email's authenticity and preventing spoofing, which can help improve deliverability with Office 365.