How to troubleshoot ProofPoint deferrals and IP reputation issues?

Email marketer from EmailDeliverability.com suggests analyzing email server logs to identify patterns and causes of deferrals. The logs can provide insights into why Proofpoint is deferring emails, such as identifying specific filters being triggered or authentication issues.

Email marketer from Hubspot responds that ensuring you have explicit consent is important and that subscribers need to actively agree to receive your emails. A good way to achieve this is using double opt-in.

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that warming up an IP address is crucial for establishing a positive sending reputation. They recommend starting with a low sending volume and gradually increasing it over time, focusing on sending to engaged subscribers and monitoring deliverability metrics closely.

Email marketer from Litmus explains that a 421 error code from Proofpoint indicates a temporary issue, often related to IP reputation. They suggest monitoring the deferrals closely and contacting Proofpoint support to inquire about the specific reasons for the deferrals and potential remedies, such as requesting a temporary allowlist while addressing underlying reputation issues.

Email marketer from SendGrid shares that segmenting email lists based on engagement levels can improve deliverability. By sending more frequently to highly engaged subscribers and less frequently to less engaged ones, you can improve your sender reputation and reduce the likelihood of deferrals.

Email marketer from Gmass advises that if Proofpoint is deferring emails, it's essential to ensure your sending domain and IP address have proper authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). These help to verify the legitimacy of your emails and improve your sender reputation. They also suggest checking for any misconfigurations that might trigger security filters.

Email marketer from Reddit suggests to check your domain and IP reputation using online tools like Sender Score and ReputationAuthority. Highlighting this will help you understand the status. Make sure to check your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are setup correctly. Ensure you have a clear unsubscribe process to prevent spam complaints.

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that improving IP reputation involves consistently sending high-quality, engaging content to opted-in subscribers. They recommend implementing a double opt-in process, regularly cleaning email lists to remove inactive subscribers, and actively monitoring and addressing any complaints or unsubscribe requests to maintain a positive sender reputation.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that she can chat with HubSpot about how she fixed this issue for a client and recommends opening a support ticket with them, asking to escalate to the deliverability team, and mentioning that Laura Atkins at Word to the Wise has some helpful information and is available to reach out.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that if ProofPoint are deferring mail, not rejecting it, then the IP address will not be shown as listed in their lookup tool, despite that URL being listed in the deferral message. Also, this seems to happen with some IPs, for no terribly clear reason.

Expert from Spam Resource answers that consistently monitoring your sender reputation across various reputation services is crucial. Proactive monitoring allows you to identify and address any negative trends or listings promptly, which is vital for maintaining optimal deliverability and avoiding deferrals. Implement feedback loops.

Expert from Word to the Wise responds that, when encountering deferrals, it is essential to engage directly with the security vendor (like Proofpoint) through their support channels. Understanding their specific filtering criteria and addressing any identified issues promptly can help resolve the deferrals and improve IP reputation.

Documentation from Amazon Web Services (AWS) recommends setting up reverse DNS (rDNS) records for your sending IP addresses. rDNS maps IP addresses back to domain names, helping to verify the legitimacy of your emails and improve your sender reputation.

Documentation from Spamhaus explains that checking IP reputation on blocklists is crucial for identifying potential issues. They recommend using the Spamhaus IP lookup tool to determine if an IP address is listed on any of their blocklists, which could indicate spam-like activity or poor sending practices.

Documentation from Microsoft explains how to interpret SMTP error codes, specifically those related to deferrals. They recommend checking for temporary connectivity issues, DNS resolution problems, or recipient server unavailability, which can all lead to deferral messages.

Documentation from RFC defines the standard for SMTP enhanced status codes, including the 4.X.X range used for temporary failures like deferrals. These codes provide specific details about the reason for the deferral, such as temporary network congestion (4.4.1) or insufficient resources (4.3.1).

Documentation from Proofpoint Support explains that a deferral message indicates a temporary issue preventing immediate delivery. The documentation recommends reviewing the specific error code provided in the deferral message to understand the reason for the delay, such as greylisting or temporary reputation issues.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. They recommend setting up DMARC records with a policy of 'p=none' initially to monitor email streams, then gradually moving to 'p=quarantine' or 'p=reject' to enforce stricter authentication policies.