Is it bad to use a gmail address as a reply-to email address?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailchimp warns that Using a free email domain like @aol.com, @hotmail.com, @yahoo.com, or @gmail.com as your From email address can negatively impact your deliverability rates because these addresses are more susceptible to abuse and are often blocked or filtered by ISPs.
Marketer from Email Geeks advises against using a freemail address like gmail.com in the reply-to, stating it looks spammy and filters will likely pick up on it.
Email marketer from SparkPost suggests that inconsistent information between sender and reply-to can cause issues and affect sender reputation. Using authenticated domains is the better way to do email marketing.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign suggests using a custom email domain is more professional and trustworthy than using generic domains. They go onto saying that using a generic domain will increase the chances of being marked as spam.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that while using a Gmail address as a reply-to address isn't inherently 'bad,' it can impact your credibility and deliverability, especially for business communications. Using a domain-specific email address is generally recommended for professionalism.
Marketer from Email Geeks advises against sending email from an address that can't receive email and recommends waiting until the issue is resolved.
Email marketer from Reddit explains using a Gmail reply-to can raise red flags for spam filters because it's not aligned with your sending domain. This can hurt your deliverability and make your emails less likely to reach the inbox.
Email marketer from Quora shares that using a Gmail address as your reply-to is unprofessional and can damage your sender reputation. It's better to have a reply-to address that matches your domain name.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum mentions using a free email service like Gmail as a business looks unprofessional. Clients may not trust your brand as much compared to when you use a custom domain.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that free email addresses like Gmail can harm your sender reputation. They suggest using an email address from your company domain to improve trustworthiness and deliverability.
Email marketer from Gmass notes that using Gmail for cold emails can increase the chances of landing in spam if not warmed up correctly and best practices aren't followed. This can damage a domain's reputation.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests it's better to omit a reply-to address entirely than to use a Gmail address.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that mail with a reply-to of Gmail (or any other free mailbox) is treated as spam. Combining this with a non-existent sending address makes the mail technically indistinguishable from spam.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that using free email addresses like Gmail or Yahoo can have a small but real impact on your sender reputation. Using these addresses will reduce your deliverability.
Expert from Email Geeks mentions that Gmail is likely to treat a Gmail reply-to oddly and advises avoiding freemail providers. They note that having a separate reply-to is acceptable, but avoid freemail providers.
Expert from SpamResource explains that using a Gmail address as a reply-to, while not a guaranteed block, raises flags with spam filters. They recommend aligning the reply-to domain with the sending domain for better deliverability and sender reputation.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from RFC Editor details the structure of email header fields, including 'Reply-To.' It specifies the field's purpose, which is to indicate an address to which replies should be sent, and reinforces the importance of its proper formatting. However, this doesn't explicitly ban Gmail.
Documentation from Microsoft stresses the importance of sender reputation for deliverability. While it doesn't specifically mention Gmail in the reply-to, it highlights that inconsistent or suspicious sender information (like a mismatch between sending domain and reply-to) can negatively impact reputation.
Documentation from Google clarifies that using SPF records helps prevent spammers from sending messages using your domain. While not directly about reply-to addresses, it implies that using a non-domain-aligned reply-to can cause authentication issues.