How does the sender name/sender address combo affect email deliverability and risk of being flagged as phishing?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks explains the text before the email address has low deliverability impact, assuming the domain authenticates properly and has no reputation issues.
Marketer from Email Geeks advises that domains should align and the friendly part should not resemble an email address, as this is common among scammers.
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that a recognizable sender name builds trust and encourages opens. Using a real name or brand name consistently helps subscribers identify and engage with your emails.
Email marketer from Gmass shares that personalizing the sender name (e.g., using the sender's first name) can increase open rates and engagement. However, it's important to maintain consistency and avoid being overly promotional in the sender name.
Marketer from Email Geeks raises concerns about phishing when seeing two different domains in the header.
Email marketer from Reddit warns against using misleading sender names that don't accurately reflect the sender or brand. This can lead to mistrust and spam complaints, negatively impacting deliverability.
Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that using a 'no-reply' email address can negatively impact deliverability and engagement. While it might prevent unwanted replies, it can also signal to recipients that you're not interested in communication and may lead to lower open rates and higher spam complaints.
Email marketer from Mailjet emphasizes the importance of domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to prove you are who you say you are. Authentication helps inbox providers verify the legitimacy of your emails and improves deliverability by reducing the risk of being flagged as spam.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that your sender email address's reputation impacts deliverability. A consistent sending history with good engagement improves reputation, while high bounce rates and spam complaints damage it.
Email marketer from StackOverflow mentions that incorrect SPF records can cause deliverability problems. If your SPF record doesn't properly authorize your email sending servers, recipient servers may reject your emails or mark them as spam.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that consistent branding in the sender name and address builds recognition and trust with subscribers. Inconsistent branding can confuse recipients and increase the likelihood of emails being flagged as suspicious.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains DMARC is not a deliverability tool and is an authentication tool. DMARC tells mailbox providers what to do with messages that fail authentication checks like SPF and DKIM. This can help prevent spoofing and phishing attacks using your domain.
Expert from Email Geeks advises caution when using a domain name in the comment that differs from the email address domain, as it could be flagged as phishing.
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that the 'From' address is a major factor in developing a sending reputation. Email systems may consider the domain and subdomain of the 'From' address, the sending IP address, and even the presence of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) when determining whether to accept, filter, or block a message.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that a sender's name and address are crucial for building reputation. Consistent use of the same sender information helps recipients recognize and trust emails, while variations can trigger spam filters.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) allows domain owners to specify how email receivers should handle messages that fail SPF and DKIM checks. A strong DMARC policy can protect against phishing and spoofing attacks using your domain.
Documentation from Microsoft describes that using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps prevent spoofing. These protocols allow recipient mail servers to verify that the sender is authorized to send emails from the claimed domain, reducing the risk of phishing attacks.
Documentation from SparkPost describes that a DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) signature adds a digital signature to your emails, verifying that the message hasn't been altered during transit and that it truly originated from your domain. A valid DKIM signature improves email deliverability and reduces the risk of being flagged as spam.
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies the syntax for the 'From:' header, which includes the display name (sender name) and email address. It notes proper formatting is crucial for email clients to correctly parse and display sender information.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools indicates that sender reputation heavily influences deliverability to Gmail inboxes. Factors like authentication, spam complaints, and sending volume affect sender reputation, and a poor reputation can lead to emails being filtered as spam.