How does an ESP's shared domain and reply-to addresses affect email deliverability and domain reputation?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from StackExchange explains that a high volume of different 'Reply-To' addresses associated with a single domain can raise red flags for spam filters, especially if those addresses are from free email providers like Gmail.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that every domain used in a message serves as a signal for reputation systems. Sending many messages from the same domain with multiple gmail.com addresses in the Reply-To field might not be the best approach and suggests using authenticated sub-domains for each shop to help segregate.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that using a shared IP address can negatively affect deliverability if other users on the same IP engage in poor sending practices, impacting your sender reputation.
Email marketer from G2 shares that dedicated IP addresses provide greater control over sender reputation compared to shared IPs, where other users' sending habits can affect deliverability.
Email marketer from ZeroBounce responds that shared IP addresses require monitoring, as poor sending behavior from other users can negatively affect your deliverability.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that having proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crutial in order to gain trust with mail providers and a postive impact on deliverability.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that using a shared domain from an ESP for 'From' addresses is risky because if one user sends spam, it impacts everyone on that domain. 'Reply-To' addresses also matter but are less critical than the 'From'.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that if an ESP uses their own domain in the From address, they take responsibility for all clients' deliverability, which is not ideal for either party. Clients typically prefer messages sent from their own brand.
Email marketer from SendGrid responds that shared IP addresses impact deliverability since your reputation is tied to other senders. They recommend monitoring your sender score.
Email marketer from EmailToolTester.com responds that using a shared IP means your deliverability is dependent on the sending practices of others, while a dedicated IP gives you full control over your reputation. 'Reply-To' addresses contribute to overall sender identity.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that using a shared IP pool means your sending reputation is linked to other senders, which can impact deliverability. Monitoring sender reputation is important for email success.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that a 'Reply-To' address can significantly affect deliverability. Using generic or unmonitored 'Reply-To' addresses can trigger spam filters and negatively impact sender reputation.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that reputation is assigned to every hostname in an email, especially the authenticated ones, which will impact delivery.
Expert from Email Geeks explains using a Gmail reply-to address will cause delivery problems, even with a good overall reputation.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that using shared domains for sending email means that your reputation is intertwined with other users on that domain. If one user sends spam, it impacts the deliverability for everyone else using that domain.
Expert from Email Geeks responds that forwarding is hard and often results in forwarding spam, and advises against it due to deliverability issues.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) on sending domains, including those used for 'Reply-To', helps build a positive reputation and improve deliverability, especially when sending from shared ESP domains.
Documentation from DKIM.org specifies that using DKIM signatures helps improve deliverability when sending from shared domains, by authenticating the message's origin and integrity. Proper DKIM setup is crucial for ESPs.
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies that the 'Reply-To' header indicates an address where replies should be sent. Misuse can cause deliverability issues and is often a flag for spam filters, impacting sender reputation.
Documentation from Microsoft Learn responds that sender reputation is critical for deliverability. Using shared domains without proper configuration can damage the overall reputation, especially if 'Reply-To' addresses are not managed well.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains implementing DMARC policies allows domain owners to specify how email receivers should handle messages that fail authentication checks, improving deliverability and protecting sender reputation when using shared domains.