How does parent domain reputation affect subdomain deliverability and sender reputation?

Summary

The consensus across experts, marketers, and documentation sources is that a parent domain's reputation significantly impacts the deliverability and sender reputation of its subdomains. While subdomains are often used to isolate email streams and protect the main domain, they are not entirely independent. A poor parent domain reputation, resulting from spam complaints, blacklisting, or other negative sending practices, can negatively impact subdomain deliverability. Google's machine learning algorithms recognize attempts to use subdomains to circumvent filters when the parent domain has a bad reputation, treating new subdomains with suspicion. Consequently, fixing the parent domain's reputation becomes crucial. Furthermore, ISPs and search engines consider the association between parent domains and subdomains when filtering emails. Maintaining proper email authentication, good list hygiene, and regularly monitoring the reputation of both the parent domain and subdomains are vital for ensuring successful email deliverability.

Key findings

  • Parent Domain's Impact: A parent domain's bad reputation negatively affects subdomain reputation and deliverability.
  • Google's ML Detection: Google uses machine learning to identify attempts to evade filters via subdomains after parent domain compromise.
  • Fix Parent Reputation: Fixing the parent domain's reputation is critical for improving subdomain deliverability.
  • ISPs Association: ISPs and search engines consider the relationship between parent domains and subdomains for filtering purposes.
  • Authentication and Hygiene: Proper email authentication and list hygiene are essential for maintaining a good sending reputation.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor the reputation of both the parent domain and its subdomains.
  • Rehabilitate Parent Domain: Focus on improving the parent domain's reputation before working on subdomains.
  • Implement Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is set up correctly.
  • Practice List Hygiene: Maintain a clean and engaged email list to minimize spam complaints.
  • Segmentation Awareness: Understand that while segmentation helps, it cannot completely overcome a severely damaged parent domain reputation.

What email marketers say
9Marketer opinions

The reputation of a parent domain significantly influences the deliverability and sender reputation of its subdomains. While subdomains can help isolate email streams and protect the main domain, they are not entirely independent. A poor parent domain reputation, stemming from spam complaints, blacklisting, or other negative sending practices, can negatively impact subdomain deliverability. Setting up infrastructure correctly, implementing authentication, and maintaining good list hygiene are also essential. Despite the benefits of subdomains, awareness of the parent domain's reputation is crucial for achieving good deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Parent Domain Impact: A parent domain's negative reputation can bleed into the subdomain's reputation.
  • Reputation Inheritance: Subdomains are not immune to the parent domain's reputation, and a bad reputation makes it harder to establish a good one for the subdomain.
  • Deliverability Challenges: A poor parent domain reputation creates deliverability challenges for subdomains.
  • ISP Association: Search engines and ISPs consider the association between the parent domain and subdomains.
  • Authentication Matters: Setting up proper authentication mechanisms is critical for both domains and subdomains.
  • List Hygiene: Maintaining good list hygiene helps domain and subdomain reputation, avoid spam complaints, and get better deliverability

Key considerations

  • Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor both the parent domain and subdomain reputations.
  • Infrastructure Setup: Ensure proper infrastructure setup for both the parent domain and subdomains.
  • List Management: Practice good list hygiene to minimize spam complaints.
  • Be Aware: Be aware of parent domain's reputation when using subdomains
  • ISPs Consider Association: ISPs consider the reputation of the parent domain when deciding whether to block emails
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that a parent domain's reputation significantly impacts subdomain deliverability. If the parent domain has a poor sender reputation due to spam complaints or blacklisting, subdomains can inherit these issues, leading to deliverability problems.

April 2023 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains authentication and reputation are different things. Building sender reputation takes time and requires sending emails that people open and click. If the test messages are going to spam then it is hard to build reputation.

April 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign mentions that when using subdomains, it's important to be aware of the parent domain's reputation. If the parent domain has a bad reputation, it can affect the ability of the subdomain to achieve good deliverability.

September 2021 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass notes that while subdomains are helpful for protecting the main domain's reputation, they still operate within the context of the parent domain. A poor parent domain reputation can create challenges for subdomain deliverability.

March 2023 - Gmass
Marketer view

Email marketer from WebmasterWorld forum shared that search engines and ISPs do look at the association between the parent domain and subdomains. A really bad reputation on the parent can negatively impact new subdomains, even if those subdomains are trying to do things right.

April 2021 - WebmasterWorld
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that while subdomains are often used to isolate email streams and protect the main domain's reputation, they are not entirely independent. A very poor parent domain reputation can bleed into the subdomain's reputation, especially with Gmail.

December 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that the parent domain has an impact but is a factor. Setting up the infrastructure correctly, and ensuring that all authentication mechanisms are in place are important. Also ensuring that you have good list hygiene in place is important and users don't mark you as SPAM.

June 2021 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that subdomains offer a way to manage sender reputation, but the parent domain's reputation still matters. A parent domain with a history of spam or abuse can negatively impact the deliverability of subdomains.

November 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that while subdomains can help segment email sending and protect the main domain, they aren't immune to the parent domain's reputation. A bad parent domain reputation can make it harder to establish a good reputation for the subdomain.

April 2023 - Email on Acid

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

The parent domain's reputation significantly impacts subdomain deliverability. A bad parent domain reputation affects the subdomain's reputation, especially with Gmail, as Google's machine learning detects attempts to evade filters. Although subdomains can isolate reputation, a badly damaged parent domain can still negatively impact them, causing deliverability issues. If test messages go to spam, building a reputation becomes difficult, emphasizing the need to fix the parent domain's reputation and rehabilitate it to allow Gmail recipients who override spam filters to receive emails. Monitoring both the subdomain and parent domain reputation is crucial, as ISPs can consider the overall domain family when filtering, particularly if there's evidence of coordinated spam activity across multiple subdomains. Removing inactive recipients from the list is also advisable.

Key opinions

  • Parent Domain Affects Subdomain: A bad reputation of the parent domain impacts the subdomain's reputation.
  • Google ML Detection: Google's machine learning recognizes subdomains used to evade filters after parent domain damage.
  • Fix Parent Domain: Fixing a trashed parent domain reputation is essential for subdomain deliverability.
  • ISPs Consider Domain Family: ISPs can consider the overall domain family when filtering emails.
  • Need for Rehabilitation: Rehabbing the parent domain allows Gmail recipients who override spam filters to receive emails.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Reputation: Monitor both subdomain and parent domain reputation.
  • Rehabilitate Parent Domain: If test messages are going to spam, focus on fixing the parent domain's reputation first.
  • Remove Inactive Recipients: Completely remove inactive recipients from your email list.
  • Domain Family Awareness: Be aware that ISPs may consider the entire domain family's reputation.
  • Gmail Specific Advice: Some advice, particularly regarding Gmail, may not apply to other filtering engines.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks and Marketer from Email Geeks suggest that you need to start with rehabbing the parent domain as that will allow gmail recipients who override the Gmail filter default (spam) to get emails to the inbox. Completely removing inactive recipients from the list is also advised.

September 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests that if the test messages are going to spam, it will be difficult to build a reputation. She recommends fixing the trashed parent domain reputation and points out this advice is specific to Gmail.

September 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that if the parent domain has a bad reputation, it will affect the subdomain's reputation. Google's machine learning recognizes that subdomains are sometimes used to evade filters after the parent domain's reputation has been damaged, so a new subdomain of a poorly rated domain will be treated with suspicion.

November 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource explains that subdomains used for sending marketing emails are generally treated separately from the root domain. However, if the root domain has a very poor reputation or is blacklisted, it can affect the deliverability of emails sent from the subdomain, particularly with certain ISPs. They advise monitoring both the subdomain and parent domain reputation.

August 2021 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that while subdomains allow senders to isolate reputation, a badly damaged parent domain can negatively impact the reputation of its subdomains. ISPs can consider the overall domain family when filtering, especially if there is evidence of coordinated spam activity across multiple subdomains.

March 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

According to documentation from Google Workspace, SendGrid, Microsoft Learn and SparkPost, parent domain reputation significantly impacts subdomain deliverability. Google considers the parent domain's reputation when evaluating subdomains, and a negative reputation can negatively impact email deliverability. Similarly, SendGrid indicates that while subdomains allow segmentation and improved reputation management, a severely damaged parent domain can still hinder the subdomain's performance. Microsoft Learn emphasizes that poor sending practices from the parent domain can negatively affect subdomains, leading to spam filtering. SparkPost reinforces that parent domain reputation affects subdomain deliverability, posing challenges despite the segmentation benefits of subdomains.

Key findings

  • Google's Consideration: Google considers parent domain reputation when evaluating subdomain reputation.
  • Negative Impact: A negative parent domain reputation negatively impacts subdomain deliverability.
  • Limited Segmentation: Severely damaged parent domain reputation can hinder subdomain performance, despite segmentation efforts.
  • Poor Practices Affect Subdomains: Poor sending practices from the parent domain lead to subdomain emails being filtered as spam.
  • Persistent Challenges: A negative parent domain poses challenges for subdomains, even with proper segmentation management.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Parent Domain: Closely monitor the reputation of the parent domain.
  • Address Parent Issues: Address and resolve any reputation issues with the parent domain to improve subdomain deliverability.
  • Implement Segmentation: While segmentation helps, be aware of the limitations when a parent domain is severely damaged.
  • Follow Best Practices: Follow best sending practices for the parent domain to prevent negative impacts on subdomains.
  • Consider Initial Setup: The reputation of the parent domain can influence the initial deliverability when setting up a new subdomain
Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid Docs states that when setting up a subdomain, the reputation of the parent domain can influence the initial deliverability. Although subdomains allow for segmentation and improved reputation management, a severely damaged parent domain reputation can still hinder the subdomain's performance.

October 2022 - SendGrid Docs
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that a sender's reputation, whether at the domain or subdomain level, is a crucial factor in email deliverability. Poor sending practices from the parent domain can negatively affect the reputation of subdomains, leading to emails being filtered as spam.

March 2022 - Microsoft Learn
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that parent domain reputation can affect subdomain deliverability. While subdomains allow for segmentation and management of sending practices, a negative parent domain reputation can still pose challenges.

August 2024 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that Google does consider the reputation of parent domains when evaluating the reputation of subdomains. A negative reputation of the parent domain can negatively impact the deliverability of emails sent from the subdomain.

July 2022 - Google Workspace Admin Help