How does domain reputation affect email deliverability compared to IP reputation?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailchimp suggests that domain reputation is increasingly important for email deliverability. They recommend senders focus on building a positive domain reputation by authenticating their domain, maintaining clean email lists, and sending engaging content. A strong domain reputation can significantly improve inbox placement rates.
Email marketer from ExpertSender shares that engagement metrics are critical. Opens, clicks, and general interaction signal to ISPs that users want to receive email from that domain. Low interaction will affect deliverability negatively.
Email marketer from SendGrid answers that domain reputation plays a crucial role in email deliverability. ISPs use domain reputation as a key indicator of a sender's trustworthiness. A good domain reputation leads to better inbox placement, while a poor reputation can result in emails being filtered to spam. They recommend senders actively manage their domain reputation by following best practices.
Email marketer from Validity shares that while IP reputation is important, domain reputation has become increasingly significant. ISPs are placing greater emphasis on domain reputation when making filtering decisions. A positive domain reputation helps ensure emails reach the inbox, while a negative reputation can lead to deliverability issues. They encourage senders to focus on building and maintaining a strong domain reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus emphasizes that domain reputation is a critical determinant of inbox placement. ISPs evaluate domain reputation based on various factors, including engagement metrics, spam complaints, and blacklisting status. A strong domain reputation increases the likelihood of emails reaching the inbox, while a poor reputation can lead to spam folder placement or blocking.
Email marketer from GMass explains that domain age can contribute to reputation, but consistent sending practices are critical. They suggest ISPs give new domains less trust, but the other factors are of significantly higher weight when deciding where to place an email.
Email marketer from GlockApps shares that proactively monitoring your sending IPs and domains is critical in maintaining good reputation. Block listing and other email results should be constantly reviewed.
Email marketer from ReturnPath (now Validity) shares that there are several levels of domain reputations. These include excellent, good, neutral, poor, and bad. Your domain reputation level directly impacts your deliverability rates, as well as your overall email marketing results.
Email marketer from Email on Acid mentions that domain reputation is a key factor ISPs consider when deciding where to place an email. Factors that affect domain reputation include sending volume, spam complaints, engagement rates, and authentication practices. A strong domain reputation improves inbox placement, while a poor reputation can lead to deliverability problems.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that while IP reputation gets your 'foot in the door', domain reputation determines where your email ultimately lands. A strong domain reputation signals trustworthiness to ISPs, increasing the chances of inbox placement. They advise focusing on building a positive domain reputation through consistent sending practices and engagement.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks states that domain reputation drives inbox delivery, and if emails are landing in the bulk/spam folder, the IP address is likely not the primary cause.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that IP reputation helps get the email accepted by the MX server, but domain reputation largely determines inbox vs. spam folder placement.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that domain reputation can affect inbox placement even with a good IP reputation. This is due to hidden filters inside ISPs, which are not externally queryable. He shares a test where different sending domains with the same content and IP resulted in different inbox placement at Outlook.com.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that domain reputation is influenced by several factors, including sending volume, spam complaints, authentication, and engagement rates. High spam complaints or low engagement can negatively impact domain reputation, leading to deliverability issues.
Expert from Email Geeks says that if emails are being accepted and there are no blocks visible in SMTP logs, the IP address is unlikely to be the primary problem.
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that domain reputation has become more important than IP reputation for inbox placement. ISPs are increasingly relying on domain-based metrics to filter emails, making domain reputation a critical factor in deliverability.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC explains that SPF lets you specify the mail servers that are permitted to send email on behalf of your domain. This verification helps ISPs to fight spammers by rejecting messages from unauthorized sources, which will help with domain reputation.
Documentation from Microsoft highlights that domain reputation significantly influences email deliverability in Outlook.com. Microsoft's SmartScreen Filter considers the domain reputation when deciding whether to deliver an email to the inbox, junk folder, or block it entirely. Senders should monitor their domain reputation and adhere to best practices to maintain a positive reputation.
Documentation from Google explains that domain reputation is a critical factor in email deliverability. Google Postmaster Tools provides domain reputation data, which reflects how Gmail views the sender's domain. A positive domain reputation increases the likelihood of emails reaching the inbox, while a poor reputation can lead to emails being filtered to spam or blocked.
Documentation from SparkPost highlights that proper domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for building a positive domain reputation. Domain authentication verifies that the sender is authorized to send emails on behalf of the domain. This helps ISPs identify legitimate senders and improves email deliverability.