How does DNS server reputation affect email deliverability?

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that DNS configuration directly impacts email deliverability. Correctly setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records tells receiving servers that you are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain, increasing the likelihood that your emails will reach the inbox.

Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that PTR records being incorrect can affect email reputation as it means reverse DNS lookups will fail, potentially causing emails to be rejected by receiving mail servers. PTR records should resolve to the same hostname as the A record.

Email marketer from SendGrid shares that DNS records provide context about who is sending email. A poor DNS reputation (due to association with spammers or compromised servers) can severely impact deliverability, even if the sender's IP address is not blacklisted.

Email marketer from MXToolbox explains that consistent and accurate DNS records are essential for building a good sender reputation. Discrepancies between DNS records and sending behavior can raise red flags for receiving mail servers, potentially leading to deliverability issues.

Email marketer from Reddit explains that a shared hosting DNS with a bad reputation can impact email deliverability as it will affect the reputation of all domains using that DNS server. Using reputable DNS services or a dedicated DNS server can mitigate this.

Email marketer from Talos Intelligence explains that sender reputation is influenced by DNS records, blacklists, and spam trap hits. A poor sender reputation can result in emails being blocked or delivered to the spam folder. Actively monitoring and managing your sender reputation is crucial for ensuring deliverability.

Email marketer from Litmus explains that failing to properly authenticate email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can harm your sender reputation. ISPs use these DNS records to verify the legitimacy of your emails, and a poor reputation can result in emails being delivered to the spam folder or blocked altogether.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that a negative DNS server reputation, often resulting from hosting domains associated with spam or malicious activities, can directly lead to emails being blocked or directed to the spam folder by receiving mail servers. Monitoring and maintaining DNS reputation is critical for deliverability.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that DNS servers can be a common factor for snowshoe spammers, making it easier to mechanically recognize and block them. He also notes that reputation providers are responsible to their customers (those curating inboxes) and optimize for their happiness, and that focusing on sending mail customers want to receive can mitigate reputation and spam filtering issues.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that blocklist maintainers are the people who recommend their users/customers refuse traffic from certain IPs/domains/ASNs, who can be employees of spam filtering providers, people who only block traffic on their network, or those who publish lists of IPs/domains/ASNs involved in bad traffic.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that if your ESP DNS is blacklisted, then your mail will be blocked, and highlights some of the causes of this happening.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that most startup companies lack the expertise to set up DNS and email in-house, and that a blanket "Yes" answer without due diligence is often inappropriate.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that moving bad mail behavior from a large provider to an in-house setup makes it more likely to be blocked because the damage to innocents is minimal, making it easier for blocklists to target the spam.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that senders come to the attention of a blocklist by sending mail to the blocklist maintainers without real permission and in high enough volume for the maintainer to list them.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that domains can be blacklisted if their name servers were hijacked by criminals, or if the registrar is run by spammers. Running a DNS server that exhibits hallmarks of being controlled by someone sending spam can also lead to blocking.

Documentation from RFC specifies that SPF records help prevent sender address forgery. Receiving mail servers can check the SPF record of the sending domain to verify that the email originated from an authorized IP address. If the IP address is not authorized, the email may be rejected or marked as spam.

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that DNS records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for authenticating email and improving deliverability. Poorly configured or missing records can negatively impact sender reputation and lead to emails being marked as spam.

Documentation from Microsoft specifies that maintaining a clean DNS is crucial for sending bulk email. This includes ensuring that your sending domain has a good reputation and is not associated with spam or malicious activity. Monitoring and promptly addressing any DNS-related issues is essential for maintaining deliverability.