How many spam traps are normal to hit with transactional emails and how to troubleshoot Microsoft deliverability issues?

Email marketer from StackOverflow shares that transactional emails should focus on delivering value to the customer, like order confirmations and password resets. Sending promotional content in transactional emails can confuse filters and negatively impact deliverability. Ensure transactional emails are properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that, if you're experiencing deliverability problems with Microsoft, check your domain's reputation using Microsoft's SNDS (Smart Network Data Services). This tool can provide insights into your sending reputation and any potential issues Microsoft is seeing with your email traffic.

Email marketer from Litmus Blog explains the importance of email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) to improve deliverability. These protocols help verify that your emails are legitimate and prevent spoofing. Implement these protocols to build trust with email providers and avoid being marked as spam.

Email marketer from Gmass Blog recommends warming up new IP addresses and domains to gradually build a positive sending reputation. Start with small sending volumes and gradually increase them over time. This helps email providers recognize your sending patterns as legitimate and avoid marking your emails as spam.

Email marketer from EmailDeliverability.com Forum shares that Microsoft often blocks IP ranges if they detect spam-like behavior. Check your IP reputation on services like Talos Intelligence and Spamhaus. If your IP is listed on a blacklist, work to get it removed. Also, contact Microsoft support to inquire about the block and request assistance.

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that hitting even a single spam trap can significantly damage your sender reputation, leading to deliverability issues. They emphasize the importance of maintaining a clean email list and avoiding spam traps altogether.

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog emphasizes the significance of maintaining a good sender reputation to ensure email deliverability. Monitor your sender score using tools like Sender Score or ReputationAuthority. Implement best practices such as sending relevant content, providing easy unsubscribe options, and avoiding spam triggers to improve your sender reputation.

Email marketer from SendGrid Blog explains that avoiding spam traps involves employing strict opt-in procedures, regularly cleaning your email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses, and monitoring bounce rates to identify potential problems early on. They state that even a small number of spam trap hits can negatively impact deliverability.

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid Blog shares that list hygiene is crucial to avoiding spam traps and maintaining good deliverability. Regularly remove inactive subscribers and invalid email addresses from your list. Implement a double opt-in process to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested in receiving your emails.

Email marketer from ZeroBounce Blog stresses the importance of using an email verification service to identify and remove invalid, inactive, and potentially harmful email addresses from your list. This helps you avoid spam traps, reduce bounce rates, and improve your overall deliverability.

Expert from Email Geeks suggests reminding users at signup to check their spam folder and move the email to the inbox to send a strong signal.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that 1-2 spam traps a month on a transactional stream with COI isn't a huge deliverability problem and is considered normal or even low.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that delivery problems sometimes occur on COI IPs because they handle "bad" mail collection and lack consistent "good" traffic to balance it.

Expert from Spamresource.com explains that there are different kinds of spam traps (pristine and recycled). Pristine spam traps never signed up for emails, so hitting these indicates a serious list acquisition problem. Recycled spam traps are old addresses that have been converted into traps, which suggests poor list hygiene. Hitting any spam trap, even a small number, is bad and requires immediate investigation.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that fixes differ for blocking versus spamfoldering, making clarification the initial step.

Expert from Wordtothewise.com shares that Microsoft's Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) is a valuable tool for identifying and addressing deliverability issues with Hotmail, Outlook, and other Microsoft properties. SNDS can provide data on your IP reputation, spam complaint rates, and other factors that affect deliverability. Regularly monitor SNDS to identify and resolve any problems before they impact your sending reputation.

Expert from Email Geeks suggests getting the block message from Braze, as it may contain useful information for finding a solution.

Documentation from SparkPost explains that to troubleshoot deliverability problems, examine bounce codes and feedback loops. These provide information on why emails are not being delivered. Also, closely monitor engagement metrics to identify any trends that might indicate deliverability issues, such as declining open rates.

Documentation from Microsoft Docs shares that to troubleshoot deliverability issues, start by reviewing the Sender Reputation Data page in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal. Check if your domain or IP address is listed as blocked. If so, follow the instructions to request removal from the block list. Also, check the common causes of email being marked as spam, such as poor list hygiene or content issues.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools shares that while it's focused on Gmail, following Google's bulk sender guidelines can improve deliverability across various email providers, including Microsoft. These guidelines include authenticating your email, maintaining a low spam rate, and providing easy unsubscription options. They emphasize the importance of consistent sending practices.

Documentation from RFC details the specifications for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC email authentication methods. Using these methods allows email providers to verify you are who you say you are which helps improve your deliverability rates by reducing the chances of being flagged as spam.

Documentation from Microsoft details what Enhanced Email is and how to set it up. Using this allows you to further customise emails and helps you build your brand trust with customers which in turn reduces your changes of being marked as a phishing attempt and reduces the spam mark rate.