Is it bad to use cross-domain reply-to addresses in emails?
Summary
What email marketers say8Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Reddit shares that while not always a problem, using a different domain in the Reply-To can sometimes cause issues with spam filters. Some filters are set to flag emails where the Reply-To domain doesn't match the From domain, especially if the domain has a poor reputation.
Email marketer from Mailjet answers that using cross-domain reply-to addresses can impact your sender reputation. ISPs and email clients analyze the relationship between the 'From' and 'Reply-To' domains. A discrepancy could be seen as a phishing attempt or spam, negatively affecting your deliverability rates.
Email marketer from LinkedIn says that email deliverability can be impacted negatively if the 'Reply-To' domain differs significantly from the 'From' domain.
Email marketer from Quora says it's generally not recommended to use different domains in the 'From:' and 'Reply-To:' headers as some email clients might flag it as suspicious.
Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that it may cause issues with your email reputation as a sender. Some receiving mail servers might interpret the domain differences as a sign of phishing.
Email marketer from EmailGeek Forum highlights that using cross-domain Reply-To addresses can affect email deliverability. Some anti-spam systems are configured to analyze the relationship between the sending domain and the Reply-To domain, treating mismatches with suspicion.
Email marketer from EmailOnAcid answers that mismatched domains could trigger spam filters due to potential security concerns.
Email marketer from SuperOffice says it's best to avoid cross-domain 'Reply-To' addresses unless there is a specific and legitimate reason, as it could lead to trust issues.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that using cross-domain reply-to addresses may impact deliverability due to authentication failures and potential spam filter triggers, especially if DMARC alignment fails.
Expert from Email Geeks advises to never use free domains in the From address and to avoid them in the reply-to address if possible. It's generally better to use your own domain, but using a different domain in the Reply-To isn't necessarily terrible, though it's worth investigating why it's needed and considering setting up an alias in your brand domain instead.
Expert from Email Geeks says that they wouldn’t expect spam filters, or people, to have a problem with legitimate cross-domain setup.
Expert from Email Geeks says that using free domains in reply-to addresses is a bad idea.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that using different domains in the from and reply-to headers are fine if the organization has a legitimate reason to do so. However, some filters may be suspicious of the practice.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that a cross-domain reply-to address might affect sender authentication checks. If the domain in the 'Reply-To' header doesn't match the sending domain, it could be flagged as suspicious by some email providers and affect deliverability. Proper SPF and DKIM records are crucial to mitigate this.
Documentation from Google Workspace says that to help prevent your messages from being marked as spam, make sure that domains in the 'From' and 'Reply-To' headers are aligned.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that the alignment between the From domain and the domain used for authentication (SPF/DKIM) is crucial for DMARC compliance. A cross-domain Reply-To can complicate DMARC validation, potentially causing emails to fail authentication checks if not properly configured.
Documentation from SparkPost says there are deliverability concerns due to authentication, as some ISPs may view cross-domain scenarios as potential phishing attempts.
Documentation from RFC Editor explains that the Reply-To field specifies the address(es) to which replies should be sent. While the RFC does not explicitly prohibit cross-domain usage, it highlights the importance of proper formatting and validation. Incorrectly formatted or suspicious Reply-To addresses can lead to deliverability issues.