How is domain reputation measured by mailbox providers?

Summary

Mailbox providers measure domain reputation holistically using diverse factors. Alignment with SPF/DKIM, presence on blocklists, URL content, authentication, spam complaints, bounce rates, engagement, sending volume consistency, domain age, and list hygiene are all considered. Google assesses sender reputation on a tiered system; Microsoft focuses on IP reputation. No single metric defines domain reputation; it varies by ISP. Proper sender authentication, proactive blocklist monitoring, good list hygiene, consistent volume, and relevant content are crucial for maintaining a positive reputation.

Key findings

  • SPF/DKIM Alignment: Domain reputation is influenced by SPF and DKIM, especially when aligned with the From header and linked domains.
  • No Single Key: Domain reputation is not tied solely to the From header and varies in measurement across ISPs.
  • Content and Stream: Content reputation (URLs) and mail stream (authentication) contribute to overall domain reputation.
  • Google Tiering: Google uses a 'bad' to 'high' scale to rank sender reputation, impacting deliverability.
  • Microsoft IP Focus: Microsoft monitors IP reputation, using spam complaints and authentication to limit sending.
  • SparkPost Factors: SparkPost identifies email volume, complaints, authentication, and engagement metrics.
  • Blocklist Impact: Appearing on blocklists negatively affects domain reputation and deliverability.
  • Authentication Importance: Properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are vital for establishing domain legitimacy.
  • Holistic Assessment: Sender reputation includes infrastructure, list hygiene, sending practices, and content.
  • Domain Age Influence: Older domains with histories of good sending have an advantage in reputation.
  • Engagement Matters: Opens and clicks improve domain reputation, signalling desired mail.
  • Bounce Rate Signal: High bounce rates indicate list hygiene issues, negatively affecting reputation.
  • Complaints Hurt: High spam complaint rates rapidly damage reputation and deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Implement Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prove sending authorization.
  • Monitor Blocklists: Actively monitor blocklists to avoid being listed.
  • Clean List Regularly: Maintain good list hygiene to minimize bounces and complaints.
  • Consistent Volume: Maintain consistent sending volume; avoid sudden spikes.
  • Content Quality: Ensure content is relevant, avoiding spam triggers.
  • Monitor Engagement: Track opens and clicks to ensure recipients are engaged.
  • IP Warming: Gradually warm up new IPs/domains to establish reputation slowly.
  • Infrastructure: Take into account infrastructure setups and best practices when sending email

What email marketers say
9Marketer opinions

Mailbox providers measure domain reputation using multiple factors. These include domain age, bounce rates, spam complaints, sending volume consistency, email list hygiene, engagement metrics (opens/clicks), sender authentication, and blocklist status. DKIM signing also helps build sender reputation.

Key opinions

  • Multiple Data Points: Sender reputation relies on various data points, including domain reputation.
  • Bounce Rates: High bounce rates, especially hard bounces, negatively impact sender reputation, indicating poor list hygiene.
  • Sending Volume: Consistent sending volume is crucial; sudden spikes or drops can raise red flags.
  • Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates severely damage domain reputation and deliverability.
  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean email list by removing inactive subscribers reduces bounce rates and spam complaints.
  • Domain Age: Older domains with a history of legitimate sending generally have better reputations.
  • Engagement Metrics: Positive engagement metrics, like opens and clicks, improve domain reputation.
  • Blocklist Monitoring: Actively monitoring and avoiding blocklists is essential for maintaining deliverability.
  • IP Warming: Gradually increasing sending volume (IP warming) helps build a positive reputation.

Key considerations

  • DKIM Signing: Implement DKIM signing using the 5322.From domain to build an independent sending reputation.
  • List Management: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or problematic addresses.
  • Volume Consistency: Maintain a consistent sending volume to avoid triggering spam filters.
  • Monitor Feedback Loops: Monitor feedback loops and promptly address spam complaints.
  • Domain Reputation Tools: Use tools to monitor your domain's reputation and blocklist status proactively.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that spam complaints are a critical factor in determining domain reputation. High spam complaint rates can quickly damage your reputation and lead to deliverability issues.

November 2023 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that consistent sending volume is important for maintaining a good domain reputation. Sudden spikes or drops in email volume can be a red flag for mailbox providers.

November 2024 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that domains used in messages independently have a reputation and that sender reputation uses multiple data points including domain reputation. Also DKIM signing messages using the 5322.From as the signing domain helps build an independent sending reputation, even if you are sharing the sending IPs with others.

October 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOctopus notes that maintaining a clean email list is crucial for a good sender reputation. Removing inactive subscribers and regularly cleaning your list reduces bounce rates and spam complaints.

June 2022 - EmailOctopus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum explains that positive engagement metrics, like opens and clicks, improve domain reputation. Mailbox providers see these as signals that subscribers want to receive your emails.

April 2023 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that sender reputation is impacted by bounce rates. High bounce rates can indicate poor list hygiene, which can negatively affect your reputation. Hard bounces, in particular, are damaging.

April 2022 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from GlockApps responds that actively monitoring blocklists is essential for maintaining a good sender reputation. Being listed on a blocklist can significantly harm your deliverability.

March 2023 - GlockApps
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that domain age can impact sender reputation. Older domains with a history of sending legitimate email tend to have a better reputation than newer domains.

February 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from ZeroBounce explains that gradually increasing your sending volume, known as IP warming, helps establish a positive sender reputation with mailbox providers. Sudden large sends can be viewed suspiciously.

September 2023 - ZeroBounce

What the experts say
6Expert opinions

Domain reputation is a multifaceted metric used by mailbox providers to assess sender trustworthiness and filter email. It's influenced by factors like SPF/DKIM alignment, URL content, and mail stream authentication, and is not simply keyed to the From header. Reputation is measured differently by each ISP. Key negative impacts stem from appearing on blocklists, while positive impacts derive from correctly configured sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), good list hygiene, consistent sending practices, and relevant content. It's crucial to consider infrastructure when sending emails and keep your list healthy and up to date.

Key opinions

  • SPF/DKIM Alignment: Domain reputation is influenced by SPF/DKIM domains, especially if they align with the From header and domains in links/images.
  • Not Keyed to From: Domain reputation is not simply keyed to the From header, and its measurement varies by ISP.
  • Content and Mail Stream: Domain reputation encompasses content reputation (URLs) and mail stream reputation (sender's ability to send wanted mail), with mail stream reputation heavily weighted on authentication.
  • Blocklist Impact: Appearing on blocklists negatively impacts domain reputation.
  • Authentication: Properly configured sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for maintaining domain reputation.
  • Holistic View: Sender reputation encompasses infrastructure, list hygiene, sending practices, and content.

Key considerations

  • Authenticate Email: Ensure proper sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to prove your identity and legitimacy.
  • Monitor Blocklists: Regularly check and avoid appearing on blocklists.
  • Maintain List Hygiene: Practice good list hygiene to avoid spam complaints and bounces.
  • Infrastructure: Consider infrastructure setups and best practices when sending email.
  • Content: Craft email content that is relevant to the recipient and avoids spam triggers
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that Google Postmaster is a reporting interface and that domain reputation isn't keyed on the From header in general. Also, domain reputation is not a single value but measured in different ways depending on the ISP.

December 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that domain reputation is used against many things like SPF or DKIM domains, especially if they align with the From: header and domains in links/images.

February 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that domain reputation can be thought of as content reputation (driven by URLs) and mail stream reputation (sender's ability to send wanted mail). Mail stream reputation is heavily weighted on authentication like DKIM signatures or SPF and often associated with domain names.

May 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that a key aspect of building and maintaining domain reputation is properly configuring sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Correct authentication helps prove your identity and legitimacy to mailbox providers, leading to better placement.

April 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that one significant factor that negatively impacts domain reputation is appearing on blocklists. Mailbox providers frequently use blocklists to filter out email from known spam sources, which will hurt your deliverability.

November 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that sender reputation encompasses various factors including infrastructure, list hygiene, sending practices, and content. All these things need to be taken into account and done correctly to ensure the highest chance of getting your mail delivered.

November 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Mailbox providers assess domain reputation using various factors to determine the quality and trustworthiness of email senders. Google uses a tiered system (bad, low, medium, high) for sender reputation, influencing deliverability. Microsoft focuses on IP reputation, detecting suspicious email sources based on spam complaints and authentication. SparkPost highlights email volume, spam complaints, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement metrics. AWS emphasizes proper sender authentication methods to improve domain reputation.

Key findings

  • Google's Reputation Tiers: Google assesses sender reputation on a scale from 'bad' to 'high', directly affecting deliverability.
  • Microsoft's IP Focus: Microsoft uses IP reputation to identify suspicious email sources, limiting their sending volume based on spam complaints and authentication.
  • SparkPost's Multifaceted Approach: SparkPost highlights email volume, spam complaints, sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement metrics (opens, clicks) as key factors.
  • AWS Authentication Emphasis: AWS stresses the importance of properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for improved domain reputation.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Implementation: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC correctly to prove sender authorization and improve reputation.
  • Engagement Monitoring: Monitor engagement metrics (opens, clicks) to ensure subscribers are interacting positively with your emails.
  • Spam Complaint Management: Actively manage spam complaints to prevent damage to your sender reputation.
  • Volume Control: Manage email sending volume to avoid triggering spam filters or exceeding sending limits.
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost Documentation explains that mailbox providers look at a variety of factors to determine domain reputation. These factors include email volume, spam complaints, sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement metrics (opens, clicks).

December 2021 - SparkPost Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from AWS details that using properly configured sender authentication methods like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps improve domain reputation by proving that you are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain.

September 2021 - AWS Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that sender reputation is a value between 'bad', 'low', 'medium', and 'high', assessing the quality of email from your domain. A higher reputation typically results in better deliverability, while a lower reputation can cause delivery issues or emails being marked as spam.

April 2023 - Google Postmaster Tools Help
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft 365 documentation explains that Microsoft uses IP reputation to detect suspicious email sources and limit their sending volume. This is based on factors like spam complaints and email authentication practices.

November 2022 - Microsoft 365 documentation