Is it ok to use the customer's email as the reply-to address in emails sent from a website contact form?

Email marketer from Mailchimp Community Forum shares that one consideration is the potential for spam filters to flag emails with a 'Reply-To' domain different from the 'From' domain. He suggests keeping both domains aligned or using a subdomain for the 'Reply-To' address to mitigate this.

Email marketer from Email Deliverability Blog shares that if you are experiencing deliverability problems, you should monitor your domain reputation and IP address reputation, also make sure your 'From' and 'Reply-To' addresses are aligned for sender authentication records such as SPF and DKIM to pass.

Email marketer from Email Security Blog shares that Email Scams are more prevalent when the reply-to email isn't from a known, trusted address. It should be monitored closely. Warn customers about possible phishing attacks.

Email marketer from MarketingProfs Forum responds by highlighting that using the customer's email as the reply-to opens the door for segmentation opportunities where you can track replies and categorize inquiries for better audience understanding. It provides a data point to see what customers are asking for.

Email marketer from EmailGeeks Forum recommends implementing CAPTCHA or similar measures on the contact form to prevent abuse and spam submissions when using the customer's email address as the reply-to address.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares to not set any auto-responders on the shared mailbox and use no-captcha (or similar) on the form.

Email marketer from Privacy Matters Blog responds by alerting people about GDPR. Always obtain consent before using customer email addresses, even in the 'Reply-To' field. Ensure your privacy policy clearly outlines how customer data is handled.

Email marketer from Email Marketing Tips Blog explains that one benefit of using the customer's email in the reply-to field is to ensure personalization for customer support. It can help improve customer service, especially if the support team isn't using a sophisticated CRM.

Marketer from Email Geeks explains there should be no deliverability concerns with using the customer's email in the reply-to field.

Email marketer from StackExchange explains that using the customer's email address as the reply-to address is acceptable. This allows for direct replies from the support team's email client to the customer, simplifying communication.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares to consider protecting the form from abuse because bogus entries will flood the brand's ticketing system and if there is an auto-response send spam outward. Recommends de-risking form submitters such as no-captcha or only allowing registered users.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that using customer emails as reply-to addresses can lead to deliverability issues if the receiving server performs SPF checks. If the customer's domain doesn't authorize your server, the email might be marked as spam.

Expert from Word to the Wise recommends you should monitor your IP and domain reputation when using a reply-to that is different from the from address. This helps determine if your emails are being flagged as spam due to the change.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that per RFC specifications, the Reply-To field is perfectly valid to use for directing responses to an address different than the From address. However, be prepared for possible issues, especially if you are using an ESP.

Documentation from MailChannels shares that while SPF primarily authenticates the 'From' address, some mail servers might perform checks on the 'Reply-To' address as well, particularly if it differs from the 'From' domain. It advises monitoring deliverability and considering alternatives like a dedicated feedback loop address.

Documentation from DKIM.org explains that DKIM authenticates the message content and some header fields, but it doesn't directly validate the 'Reply-To' address. However, proper DKIM signing improves overall email reputation, which indirectly benefits deliverability when using customer emails in the 'Reply-To' field.

Documentation from AuthSMTP responds with protecting against Email Header Injection; make sure that the data entered into forms doesn't contain malicious header content which can cause security vulnerabilities.

Documentation from ietf.org explains that the 'Reply-To:' field specifies the address(es) to which replies should be directed. If absent, replies are sent to the address(es) in the 'From:' field.

Documentation from Microsoft Support explains how to set a custom Reply-To address in Outlook and Exchange. This involves accessing mail settings and specifying the desired address for replies.