How do user spam reports, delivery errors, and domain reputation relate and what affects domain reputation?

Summary

Email deliverability and sender reputation are intricately linked and influenced by a multitude of factors. User-reported spam, delivery errors (bounces), and overall engagement metrics (opens, clicks) directly impact domain and IP reputation. Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for verifying sender identity. Maintaining a clean and engaged email list, acquiring emails ethically, employing permission-based marketing, segmenting lists, and consistently monitoring sender reputation are key. Addressing the root causes of deliverability issues and gradually resuming sending is essential for restoring a positive reputation. External data points are useful, but a deep understanding of product/market fit and verifiable campaign metrics are more valuable for long-term success. Sending relevant content and avoiding practices that trigger spam filters are also crucial.

Key findings

  • Spam Complaints Impact: User-reported spam directly and negatively impacts sender reputation, leading to lower deliverability rates.
  • Bounce Rates and List Hygiene: High bounce rates indicate poor list hygiene and negatively affect sender reputation.
  • Engagement is Key: Low engagement metrics (opens, clicks) indicate irrelevant content and damage sender reputation.
  • Authentication is Crucial: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) verifies sender identity and improves deliverability.
  • Ethical List Acquisition: Acquiring emails ethically and using double opt-in processes are important for a good reputation.
  • External Data Validity: External data from tools may be inaccurate and should be validated by tracking engagement.
  • Sending Irrelevant Mail: Sending the wrong kind of mail can cause deliverability issues

Key considerations

  • Monitor Reputation: Consistently monitor sender reputation using tools and platform metrics.
  • Address Root Causes: Identify and correct the root cause of reputation issues before resuming sending.
  • Gradual Ramp-Up: After addressing issues, gradually increase sending volume while monitoring performance.
  • Segment Lists: Segment email lists to send targeted content to engaged subscribers.
  • Permission & Opt-In: Use permission-based marketing and double opt-in to ensure recipients want to receive emails.
  • Clean Email Lists: Regularly clean email lists by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers.
  • Honor Unsubscribes: Promptly honor unsubscribe requests to minimize spam complaints.
  • Track Engagement: Track engagement with CTAs to determine campaign success and adjust content accordingly.

What email marketers say
13Marketer opinions

Email sender reputation, crucial for deliverability, is affected by numerous factors including user-reported spam, delivery errors (bounces), engagement metrics (opens, clicks), and authentication. Maintaining a clean email list, practicing permission-based marketing, using double opt-in, segmenting lists, monitoring sender reputation tools, and addressing root causes of deliverability issues are essential for a positive sender reputation.

Key opinions

  • Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates directly damage sender reputation and lower deliverability.
  • Bounce Rates: Elevated bounce rates indicate poor list hygiene and negatively affect sender reputation.
  • Engagement: Low engagement (opens, clicks) signals that the content isn't relevant, hurting reputation.
  • Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) verifies sender identity and improves deliverability.
  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean, engaged email list is critical for positive sender reputation.
  • Data Validation: Validating your own data is more important than just relying on reputation tools.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Reputation: Consistently monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
  • Root Cause Analysis: Identify and correct the root cause of reputation issues before resuming sending.
  • Gradual Sending: After addressing reputation issues, gradually increase sending volume while monitoring performance.
  • Segmentation: Segment email lists to send targeted content to engaged subscribers.
  • Permission-Based Marketing: Use permission-based marketing and double opt-in to ensure recipients want to receive emails.
  • Engagement Tracking: Tracking engagement with CTAs is important to determine success of campaign.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that maintaining a clean email list is critical for sender reputation. Regularly removing inactive subscribers and those who have not engaged in a while can improve engagement metrics and lower bounce rates. They also recommend using permission-based marketing and a preference center to manage subscriptions effectively.

April 2023 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit discusses how user-reported spam directly and negatively impacts sender reputation, leading to lower deliverability rates. They stress the importance of acquiring emails ethically, using a double opt-in process, and honoring unsubscribe requests promptly to minimize spam complaints.

April 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability and is affected by factors such as spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement. They recommend using double opt-in, segmenting lists, and consistently monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.

May 2022 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from ReturnPath explains that high bounce rates negatively affect sender reputation by indicating poor list hygiene and outdated email addresses. Monitoring and managing bounce rates, along with immediately removing bounced emails from the list, are essential steps for maintaining good sender reputation and deliverability.

July 2023 - ReturnPath
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid details how list segmentation helps to send targeted and relevant emails. Sending emails to engaged subscribers improves open rates and click-through rates, while ignoring inactive subscribers reduces the risk of spam complaints and bounces. This results in better sender reputation.

January 2024 - EmailOnAcid
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks says that a deep understanding of product/market fit, verifiable campaign metrics, faith in the list integrity, and logical segmentation are more valuable for long-term success than external data points like GPM Tools.

May 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that if open rates are high (40%+) and conversions are occurring, then GPM Tools data may be inaccurate and can be ignored. Tracking the performance of call to actions is important to determine if a content audience mismatch is present.

August 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot discusses domain reputation. They suggest strategies for improving and maintaining domain reputation, including consistent email authentication, relevant email content, and list segmentation. They recommend monitoring domain reputation tools and avoiding sudden spikes in sending volume.

July 2024 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from GlockApps details that sender reputation depends on various factors, including the IP address and domain reputation, spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement metrics. Poor sender reputation can lead to emails landing in the spam folder or being blocked. Regular monitoring and improvements are essential for maintaining a good reputation.

April 2021 - GlockApps
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow says that spam filters analyze various factors, including email content, sender reputation, and authentication. Avoiding spam trigger words, using a dedicated IP address, and regularly monitoring blocklists are essential for improving deliverability. High spam scores can lead to emails being filtered into the spam folder.

November 2022 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks advises focusing on external data points, especially metrics from the sending platform, to find the root cause. Trend analysis on changes to bounces, clicks, and complaints is crucial.

May 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that delivery errors can be unrelated to reported spam and recommends keeping the spam vote rate below 0.3% or ideally 0.1%. Domain reputation is crucial, while IP reputation is less so. Addressing the root cause of reputation issues is essential, followed by a gradual resumption of sending with monitoring. Depending on the severity, pausing sending or refining segmentation might be necessary, potentially involving deliverability expertise.

May 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendPulse shares that factors like IP address reputation, domain reputation, spam complaints, email authentication, and engagement rates significantly impact sender reputation. They advise warming up IP addresses, authenticating email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and regularly cleaning email lists.

November 2022 - SendPulse

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Domain reputation is influenced by several factors, including spam complaints, engagement metrics (opens and clicks), and the quality of email list acquisition. Sending the wrong kind of mail and others sending bad mail from your address can also hurt deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Spam Complaints & Engagement: Spam complaints and poor engagement directly impact domain reputation negatively.
  • List Acquisition Quality: The quality of email list acquisition is crucial for maintaining a positive domain reputation.
  • Content Relevance: Sending the right kind of mail impacts deliverability.
  • Compromised addresses: If other people are sending spam using your addresses, that is a threat to your deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Permission-Based Marketing: Emphasize permission-based marketing to maintain a positive reputation.
  • Subscriber Engagement: Actively manage subscriber engagement to ensure a positive reputation.
  • List management: Clean up your email addresses to improve deliverability.
  • Authentication: Implement methods to ensure your address is not compromised.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that domain reputation is significantly impacted by factors like spam complaints, engagement metrics (opens and clicks), and the quality of email list acquisition. They emphasize the importance of permission-based marketing and actively managing subscriber engagement to maintain a positive reputation.

June 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, responds that deliverability problems are sometimes caused by sending the wrong kind of mail. She also explains that sometimes deliverability problems are caused by other people sending the wrong kind of mail using their sending address.

June 2021 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability, impacting whether emails land in the inbox or spam folder. Key factors influencing this reputation include mail volume, spam complaints, email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), bounce rates, and sending practices. Proper implementation of email authentication and monitoring tools is highly recommended.

Key findings

  • Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates significantly damage sender reputation.
  • Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for verifying sender identity and improving deliverability.
  • Bounce Rates: High bounce rates signal deliverability issues and damage sender reputation.
  • Mail Volume: The volume of mail sent influences sender reputation.
  • Sending Practices: Good sending practices contribute to a positive sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Implementation: Properly implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate email.
  • Spam Monitoring: Keep spam complaint rates low to improve deliverability.
  • Bounce Rate Monitoring: Closely monitor and manage bounce rates, removing bounced addresses promptly.
  • Easy Unsubscription: Provide easy unsubscription options to reduce spam complaints.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Use monitoring tools to track sender reputation and identify potential issues.
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor specifies that SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) are essential for email authentication. Proper implementation of SPF and DKIM helps verify the sender's identity and reduce the risk of email spoofing and phishing, thereby improving domain reputation and deliverability.

October 2023 - RFC-Editor
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Documentation says that maintaining a good sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability to Outlook.com and Hotmail. Key factors include keeping spam complaint rates low, authenticating email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and monitoring reputation using Microsoft's SNDS program.

August 2023 - Microsoft Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that sender reputation is influenced by various factors, including the volume of mail sent, spam complaints, authentication, and sending practices. Low reputation can result in emails being delivered to spam or blocked entirely. Google recommends authenticating email, sending wanted mail, and providing easy unsubscription options.

December 2024 - Google Postmaster Tools Help
Technical article

Documentation from dmarc.org shares that implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps protect against email spoofing and phishing attacks, thereby improving domain reputation. DMARC provides a way for domain owners to specify how email receivers should handle unauthorized use of their domain, thus increasing trust and deliverability.

April 2021 - dmarc.org
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost Documentation shares that SMTP errors or bounce codes directly affect sender reputation by signaling deliverability issues. Hard bounces (permanent delivery failures) and soft bounces (temporary issues) should be monitored closely. High bounce rates can damage sender reputation and lead to increased spam filtering.

April 2022 - SparkPost Documentation