How do top-level domains (TLDs) impact email deliverability and spam filtering?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from GMass explains that using a free domain TLD will damage your ability to get into the inbox.
Email marketer from Reddit mentions that some providers flag emails from .XYZ domains due to their low cost and association with spam, so deliverability can suffer.
Email marketer from StackOverflow states that new TLDs can sometimes face initial deliverability challenges as they lack a long-established reputation, but with good sending practices, these challenges can be overcome.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog shares that while TLDs themselves don't directly impact deliverability, the reputation associated with them does. Spam filters may be more suspicious of emails from less common or free TLDs due to their association with spam activity.
Email marketer from EmailVendorForum.com explains that some spam filters are configured to assign higher spam scores to emails originating from certain TLDs known for high spam volume. This can impact deliverability even if the email is legitimate.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that sender reputation is key and your domain, including the TLD, is a part of that. They suggest using reputable TLDs and monitoring your domain's reputation to ensure good deliverability.
Email marketer from DeliverabilityConsultants.com shares that while the TLD is one factor, it contributes to your overall sender score. Lower scores make your emails more likely to land in spam.
Email marketer from SendGrid suggests that when warming up a new IP address, choosing a reputable TLD is important to building a positive sending reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that using a well-established and reputable domain, including the TLD, helps build trust with mailbox providers and improves deliverability.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that if a top-level domain (TLD) correlates with spam, it will be used by spam filters. Cheap or unusual TLDs are often used for throwaway domains by spammers, making sending mail from them a bad idea. While it was once recommended to avoid new TLDs for email and use a .com instead, filter vendors have improved, but concerns remain. He doesn’t recall getting legitimate mail from .biz
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that TLDs can influence how spam filters treat your email. Choosing a TLD that's not associated with spam can improve deliverability.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that there's a cycle where spammers use a TLD, causing spam filters to become wary, legitimate mailers avoid it, and the correlation between the TLD and spam strengthens. He references an article on why to avoid .biz in emails and notes that while filter vendors have improved, it's still a concern. Advises to never send mail from .tk.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that the TLD's reputation plays a role in email deliverability. TLDs with a history of being used by spammers are more likely to be flagged by spam filters, negatively impacting deliverability.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft Support recommends using a reputable domain and TLD as a best practice for improving email deliverability, as domains with a history of abuse are more likely to be blocked.
Documentation from Spamhaus has tools to track bad domains and which may affect deliverability by checking which TLDs are being used most commonly for malicious behaviour.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that a domain's reputation, which includes the TLD, is a factor in email deliverability. Domains with a history of spam or low engagement are more likely to be filtered.
Documentation from RFC Editor defines recommended practices of DNS that prevent abuse. Abuse of TLD can severely damage email deliverability.