Summary
The choice of email tool has a multifaceted impact on email deliverability. Subtle differences exist between tools in terms of IP reputation and traffic patterns, while statistical anomalies can cause varied delivery rates even within the same ESP. Crucially, sender reputation—influenced by IP/domain reputation and adherence to authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)—determines inbox placement. Shared IPs carry the risk of others' poor sending practices affecting your deliverability. Following guidelines from major providers like Gmail and Outlook, warming up IPs, maintaining list hygiene, avoiding spammy content, and leveraging dedicated IPs offer control over reputation. Feedback loops help identify and rectify spam complaints. Tools with anti-harvesting policies protect deliverability. Finally, selecting a reputable tool is paramount, as a poor reputation directly damages your sending capabilities.
Key findings
- IP Reputation & Tool Variance: Slight differences in IP reputation and traffic patterns exist between email tools. Statistical variations can also impact delivery within ESPs.
- Sender Reputation Influence: Sender reputation, determined by IP/domain, authentication, and sending behavior, directly impacts inbox placement.
- Shared IP Risks: Shared IPs expose you to the deliverability risks stemming from other users' poor sending practices.
- Authentication Importance: Adopting SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols is crucial for verifying sender identity and improving deliverability.
- List Hygiene Effects: Maintaining clean email lists through removal of inactive addresses lowers bounce rates and enhances sender reputation.
- Content Relevance: Email content, including subject lines and body, can trigger spam filters, negatively impacting deliverability.
- Dedicated IP Benefits: Dedicated IPs grant control over sender reputation, resulting in potentially better deliverability compared to shared IPs.
- Feedback Loop Value: Feedback loops are invaluable for identifying and removing recipients who mark emails as spam, thus bolstering deliverability.
- Anti-Harvesting Significance: Tools with robust anti-harvesting policies help ensure legitimate list building and improved deliverability.
- Tool Reputation Matters: Selecting a reputable email tool minimizes risk of inheriting a poor reputation, safeguarding deliverability.
Key considerations
- Tool Selection: Carefully select an email tool with a good reputation, robust security features, and adherence to industry best practices.
- IP Authentication Setup: Ensure proper configuration of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for all sending domains to authenticate email sources.
- List Management Practices: Implement stringent list hygiene practices to remove inactive addresses and reduce bounce rates.
- Content Optimization Strategy: Develop a content optimization strategy focused on relevance and engagement to avoid triggering spam filters.
- IP Warming Approach: Gradually warm up new IP addresses to build a positive reputation with ISPs.
- Reputation Monitoring: Continuously monitor sender reputation, bounce rates, and spam complaints to proactively identify and resolve deliverability problems.
- Policy Awareness: Stay informed about email provider guidelines, notably those of Gmail and Outlook, and comply with those guidelines.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
The choice of email tool significantly affects email deliverability through various factors. The tool's IP reputation, authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and sending practices impact whether emails land in the inbox or spam folder. Shared IP addresses can pose a risk if other users engage in poor sending habits. Proper email authentication, IP warming, maintaining list hygiene, and avoiding spammy content are crucial for optimizing deliverability. Furthermore, using a dedicated IP address allows control over sender reputation, and utilizing feedback loops enables the removal of problematic recipients, improving deliverability.
Key opinions
- IP Reputation: The email tool's IP reputation and the sending practices of other users on shared IPs can affect your deliverability.
- Authentication: Proper email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are crucial for verifying your identity and improving deliverability.
- List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean email list by removing inactive or invalid addresses is essential for a good sender reputation.
- Content Matters: The content of your emails, including subject lines and body text, can trigger spam filters.
- Dedicated vs. Shared IP: Using a dedicated IP address allows you to build and control your sender reputation, potentially improving deliverability compared to shared IPs.
- Feedback Loops: Feedback loops help identify and remove recipients who mark emails as spam, improving your overall deliverability.
Key considerations
- Tool Reputation: Research the reputation of the email tool and its IP addresses before using it.
- Authentication Setup: Ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured for your domain.
- List Management: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses and reduce bounce rates.
- Content Optimization: Optimize your email content to avoid spam triggers and ensure relevance to your audience.
- IP Warming: Warm up your IP address gradually if you are switching to a dedicated IP or a new email tool.
- Monitoring: Monitor your sender reputation, bounce rates, and spam complaints to identify and address any deliverability issues promptly.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus shares that maintaining good list hygiene by removing inactive or invalid email addresses reduces bounce rates and improves sender reputation, positively impacting deliverability.
1 Sep 2023 - Litmus
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that using proper authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for improving email deliverability. These protocols help verify that you are authorized to send emails from your domain.
6 Sep 2021 - Mailjet
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
The choice of email tool can significantly impact email deliverability in various ways. Variations in delivery rates can occur even between IPs from the same ESP, potentially due to statistical anomalies. Email address harvesting by a tool, or a lack of policies against it, can negatively impact deliverability. Selecting an email tool with a poor reputation due to its own practices or the behavior of its users can damage your sending reputation.
Key opinions
- ESP Variance: Delivery rates can vary between IPs from the same ESP, possibly due to statistical anomalies.
- Email Harvesting: Tools with poor or no anti-email harvesting policies can negatively affect deliverability.
- Reputation Impact: Choosing an email tool with a bad reputation negatively impacts your sending reputation and deliverability.
Key considerations
- Statistical Anomalies: Be aware that deliverability rates can vary, even when using the same ESP and practices.
- Anti-Harvesting Policies: Select email tools with strong anti-email harvesting policies.
- Tool Reputation: Thoroughly research the reputation of any email tool before adopting it.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that sometimes folks will see wildly different delivery (even blocking) on 2 IPs from the same ESP, which they attribute to statistics.
4 Jan 2025 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource shares that one way a tool can negatively impact deliverability is through email address harvesting; good tools should have strict anti-harvesting policies.
10 Apr 2022 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email tools significantly impact deliverability based on adherence to guidelines set by email providers (Gmail, Outlook) and security protocols (SPF, DMARC). Following bulk sender guidelines, maintaining a low spam complaint rate, and authenticating emails are essential for Gmail deliverability. SPF allows domain owners to authorize specific IP addresses, preventing spoofing. DMARC helps handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM, improving security and deliverability. Outlook uses sender reputation to filter spam, directing emails from senders with low reputation to the junk folder.
Key findings
- Gmail Guidelines: Following Gmail's bulk sender guidelines improves deliverability to Gmail inboxes.
- SPF: SPF allows domain owners to authorize specific IP addresses, preventing spoofing.
- DMARC: DMARC helps handle emails failing authentication, improving security and deliverability.
- Outlook Reputation: Outlook uses sender reputation to filter spam, impacting where emails are delivered.
Key considerations
- Adherence to Guidelines: Strictly adhere to email provider guidelines to ensure deliverability.
- SPF Implementation: Properly implement SPF to authorize sending IP addresses.
- DMARC Configuration: Configure DMARC to handle emails failing authentication protocols.
- Reputation Management: Monitor and maintain a good sender reputation to avoid spam filters.
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org shares that DMARC helps email receivers handle messages that fail SPF and DKIM checks, protecting against email spoofing and phishing attacks, thus enhancing deliverability.
8 Sep 2024 - DMARC.org
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft answers explains that Outlook uses sender reputation to filter spam. Senders with a low reputation are more likely to have their emails sent to the junk folder.
21 Jun 2023 - Microsoft Support
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