Is linking to PDFs bad for email deliverability?

Email marketer from Reddit shares that linking to PDFs is generally safe, but the PDF's content should be carefully reviewed. Avoid using excessive images, spammy keywords, or misleading information, as this could trigger spam filters. Ensure the PDF is properly optimized for web viewing.

Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that linking to PDFs is not inherently harmful to deliverability. Deliverability issues are more likely caused by poor email practices, such as using spam trigger words, sending to unengaged recipients, or having poor authentication records.

Email marketer from Stack Overflow answers that linking to PDFs isn't usually a problem, but some older spam filters might flag them. Make sure your PDF files are clean and properly formatted. Always scan your PDFs with a virus scanner before uploading.

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that simply linking to a PDF does not directly hurt email deliverability. The potential issue arises from the content within the PDF, such as excessive use of spam trigger words, or if the PDF is hosted on a domain with a poor reputation.

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that linking to PDFs themselves isn't inherently bad for deliverability. However, the content of the PDF and the reputation of the domain hosting the PDF can impact deliverability. Ensure the PDF content is not spammy and the hosting domain is reputable.

Email marketer from Email Geeks Forum responds that best practice dictates to monitor the domain reputation that the pdfs are hosted on. If it is a new domain, make sure it is warmed up correctly.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that using links to support your content is okay, as long as they're used appropriately. Links to well-known, reputable external websites actually assist in improving trust as it shows that you're not afraid to reference external content and are happy to provide users with a wider range of information. But if these are broken links then deliverability can be impacted.

Expert from Email Geeks responds that linking to PDFs doesn't seem like it'd be a problem from a deliverability perspective, although it's always a possibility because there are people in control of filters everywhere with strange and peculiar opinions. It wouldn't be the first thing he'd reach for without a bit more data gathering.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that linking to PDFs shouldn’t cause a problem, even in bulk. The links will be scanned on the inbound, and the filtering company may rewrite them and send them out through a proxy/firewall. There may be extra technology to deal with HIPAA and other health privacy stuff.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that the primary deliverability consideration for PDFs is the reputation of the domain hosting the PDF. A poor domain reputation will affect deliverability, regardless of the content of the PDF. They also state that PDF links are usually OK.

Documentation from Microsoft highlights that anti-phishing policies in Exchange Online Protection can scan links in emails, including those pointing to PDFs. If the link is deemed suspicious, the email may be flagged as spam or blocked. Therefore, it's important to ensure that linked PDFs are hosted on reputable domains and have safe content.

Documentation from Google explains that Google's Safe Browsing technology scans links in emails, including links to PDFs, for malicious content. If a PDF link is found to be unsafe, users may see a warning message before accessing the file. While this doesn't directly impact deliverability, it can affect the recipient's trust and interaction with the email.

Documentation from Spamhaus explains that Spamhaus tracks the reputation of domains and IPs used in email campaigns. Linking to a PDF hosted on a domain with a poor Spamhaus reputation can negatively impact email deliverability. Before linking, ensure the PDF is hosted on a reputable domain that is not blacklisted.