How do link redirects affect email reputation and deliverability?

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that links are typically followed to ensure the destination website isn't a security or fraud risk. Therefore, the reputation of landing pages could influence how an email is treated by filters, and stealth redirecting should be avoided.

Email marketer from GMass explains that avoiding link shorteners and always using the final destination URL can help with deliverability. Link shorteners are often abused and may be seen as suspicious, leading to deliverability issues.

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign explains that it is important to use a custom domain for redirects and to ensure that domain has a good reputation. Avoid using generic URL shorteners as these are frequently used to send malicious emails

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that using too many redirects, or redirects to domains with low reputations, can increase the likelihood of emails being marked as spam, impacting deliverability negatively.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that redirects from link shorteners or even one domain to another can affect deliverability and generate a “suspicious link” warning. If a link obfuscates the final destination, it should be avoided. Problems with tracking redirects usually arise when the redirect domain has a reputation problem. In one example, a bit.ly link redirecting to a client’s website returned a _suspicious link_ warning affecting deliverability and trust. The client solved it by linking directly to the page.

Email marketer from Neil Patel Digital explains that using too many redirects can negatively impact your SEO and potentially your email deliverability. Search engines and spam filters may see excessive redirects as a sign of something fishy, which can hurt your domain's reputation.

Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog shares that link shorteners can harm email deliverability because spammers frequently use them to hide malicious links. As a result, email providers may flag emails containing shortened links as spam, damaging sender reputation.

Email marketer from Sender Blog explains that tracking links are redirects, and having too many redirects can be a red flag for spam filters. It's essential to use a reputable email marketing service that handles redirects properly to maintain a good sender reputation.

Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that the very act of redirecting, in and by itself, doesn't influence deliverability with large providers. However, there are caveats, including how the redirect was performed, the reputation of the domains, and the content at the end of the redirects. It's possible for a particular redirect to be problematic. Using a direct link removes a lot of potential problems but isn't always practical for reasons such as webserver load, click tracking and e-commerce limitations.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that redirects can sometimes be used to hide the true destination of a link, and this can be a tactic used by spammers. Therefore, filters will often check the reputation of the domain being redirected to, as well as how many redirects are occurring.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that using URL shorteners or redirection services to track clicks may affect deliverability because of increased chances for being tagged as spam, especially if using an unverified or non-reputable service.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that while a single redirect isn't inherently bad, long chains of redirects can negatively impact deliverability. Each redirect adds latency and can cause filters to scrutinize the email more closely. It's better to use direct links whenever possible to avoid potential issues with email delivery.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that website reputation does affect email reputation at Google, as Google rank affects domain reputation. While they don’t always follow redirects and reputation is mostly built on the actual domain in the email, they will check clickthroughs, particularly if the email is suspicious or has hallmarks of abuse. One redirect is generally not a problem, but multiple redirects can be.

Expert from Spamresource explains that link redirects, especially using URL shorteners, are often used by spammers to hide malicious links. A high volume of emails using such redirects will likely damage the sender's reputation, as spam filters are designed to detect this type of activity.

Documentation from Spamhaus shares that if a domain used in a redirect is listed on their blocklists (due to spam activity, malware, etc.), it can negatively impact the deliverability of emails that link to it. This is because Spamhaus is used by many ISPs and email providers to filter spam.

Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that their email filtering systems check the reputation of URLs within emails. If a redirected URL leads to a site with a poor reputation (due to malware, phishing, etc.), the email is more likely to be filtered as spam, affecting deliverability.

Documentation from IETF answers question about how user agents should treat multiple redirects and the potential for canonicalization issues. Improperly handled redirects can lead to confusion and potential reputation damage if different versions of a URL are treated differently by email clients.

Documentation from Google Search Central explains that while redirects are fine, using them excessively can dilute "link juice" (PageRank) and can make it harder for Google to understand your site structure, which could indirectly affect deliverability if Google perceives the site negatively.

Documentation from MDN Web Docs explains that redirects (especially HTTP 302 redirects) can impact SEO and user experience if not implemented correctly. Long redirect chains can slow down page loading times, which can negatively affect user engagement and potentially trigger spam filters.