How does senderscore impact email deliverability and how is it calculated?

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that senderscore isn't really consulted by mailbox providers when determining how to filter mail. She suggests focusing more on actual results like opens, bounces, and complaints, and looking for changes in audience, content, or technical setup. Suggests sunsetting unengaged subscribers or freshening content.

Email marketer from Emailonacid.com shares the need to authenticate your email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Properly configured authentication helps prove your legitimacy as a sender and prevent spoofing, which in turn improves your sender reputation and Senderscore.

Email marketer from Litmus.com discusses the impact of engagement metrics on deliverability. Positive engagement, such as opens and clicks, signals to mailbox providers that your emails are valuable and wanted, leading to better inbox placement. Conversely, low engagement and high delete rates can negatively impact your sender reputation and Senderscore.

Email marketer from GlockApps.com shares that monitoring your sender reputation, which includes Senderscore, is crucial for maintaining good deliverability. They share that a consistent review of your score and any associated metrics allows you to identify and address potential issues before they significantly impact your campaigns.

Email marketer from ReturnPath (archived) explains the different ranges of Senderscore and their implications. Scores above 80 are generally considered good, indicating a solid sender reputation. Scores between 70 and 80 may require attention, while scores below 70 suggest significant deliverability problems that need to be addressed. Note ReturnPath is now Validity.

Email marketer from Reddit.com explains that while Senderscore is a useful metric, it's less relevant for Gmail deliverability. Gmail primarily uses its own internal reputation system based on user engagement and spam complaints.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares his understanding that Senderscore (Validity) focuses on ISPs like Comcast, excluding major players like Gmail and Yahoo. He experienced a decline due to a spike in spam reports from Comcast users, but the impact was minimal on overall campaign performance. He suggests obtaining an ISP breakdown of the email list.

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that Senderscore is calculated by Validity from data they see (without user input). Validity uses sensory traps and partner networks to determine the amount of emails sent and the percentage filtered to spam or bounced. The accuracy depends on how much mail is sent to networks Validity investigates, so it can be accurate or completely irrelevant. Recommends focusing on campaign performance changes and using Senderscore as a secondary metric.

Email marketer from NeilPatel.com shares that Senderscore impacts deliverability because ISPs use it to assess the sender's reputation. A low score can lead to emails being filtered into spam folders or blocked altogether. Maintaining a good score helps ensure emails reach the inbox.

Email marketer from Mailjet.com explains that Sender Score is affected by several factors including spam complaints, sending to invalid email addresses (bounce rate), being blacklisted, and email authentication practices. Good sending practices improve your score, whilst poor ones lower it.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that email reputation is measured across many things, not just senderscore. IP Address reputation, domain reputation, authentication and list hygiene are all important factors that affect deliverability.

Expert from Spam Resource, John Levine, explains that while Sender Score is one factor, mailbox providers also consider many other elements. They include spam complaints, engagement rates, and authentication. Focusing solely on Sender Score is insufficient for ensuring deliverability.

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that senderscore does affect deliverability but it's not the be all and end all. She explains that senderscore is one of the first hurdles you have to pass, but that it is definitely not the only one.

Documentation from RFC-Editor.org details the specifications for SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records. The record publishes the authorized sending hosts to receiving MTAs.

Documentation from Spamhaus.org explains that being listed on a blocklist like Spamhaus can severely impact deliverability. Although this doesn't specifically speak to senderscore, these blacklists are taken into account when calculating senderscore. Email from blacklisted servers is often rejected or filtered, leading to a lower senderscore.

Documentation from Postmarkapp.com emphasizes the importance of maintaining a clean email list. Sending to invalid or inactive addresses increases bounce rates, negatively impacting sender reputation and potentially lowering Senderscore. Regularly cleaning your list improves deliverability.

Documentation from Validity.com explains that Sender Score is a reputation rating for outbound email servers. It ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a better reputation. This score helps mailbox providers determine whether to accept, reject, or filter emails. It is calculated daily.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds upon SPF and DKIM to provide a framework for email authentication policies and reporting. It helps domain owners protect their brand and improve deliverability by specifying how receivers should handle unauthenticated mail.

Documentation from Microsoft.com highlights various aspects of avoiding spam filters. Though it doesn't directly mention senderscore, it indirectly impacts your deliverability, explaining the importance of factors like sender reputation (impacted by low complaint rates) to increase the likelihood that the message isn't filtered. The documentation covers authentication, content, clear unsubscribe, bounces and feedback loops to increase deliverability.