Should I include a reply-to header if it's identical to the from header?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from SuperOffice shares that using a no-reply address has a negative effect as customers cannot respond to questions or ask for help by replying directly. This can result in lost opportunities to solve customer problems, increase sales, and build customer loyalty.
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that the Reply-to field specifies where replies should be sent. While it can be the same as the From field, it is required in some circumstances.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that there's generally no deliverability downside to having identical From and Reply-To, though some older systems might benefit from explicit declaration. Focus on authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for deliverability.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that setting Reply-To to the same address as From is redundant, but shouldn't cause problems. Not setting Reply-To means replies go to From, which is fine in most cases.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus shares that the 'Reply-To' field specifies where replies should be sent. They advise keeping 'From' and 'Reply-To' the same unless you have a specific need for replies to go to a different address.
Email marketer from MailerLite shares that using a valid email address in the 'reply-to' field is important. If it is the same as the 'from' header, it is still important as some email clients and systems rely on it.
Email marketer from Gmass says that the Reply-To field is used to specify an address different from the From address for replies. They suggest using it to direct replies to a team inbox or support address.
Email marketer from Litmus says that setting the reply-to as noreply affects engagement and reputation of sending domain
Email marketer from Neil Patel Digital explains that using a ‘no-reply’ address can prevent you from receiving valuable feedback and engagement. Even if the from and reply-to are identical, a no-reply may harm sender reputation.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that using a 'no-reply' address is bad practice as it inhibits engagement and prevents deliverability, regardless of having identical From and Reply-To addresses.
Expert from Email Geeks responds that one shouldn’t include a reply-to field if it’s the same as the from: field, but it doesn’t matter if you do.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that mail clients default to sending replies to the From: address, so if you’re using the same address in the From: and the Reply-To: there’s no need to put in a Reply-To: header. Reply-To: is a way to direct replies to a different place than the from: address. She advises against putting a no-reply@ address in the reply-to: header, as that is extremely consumer unfriendly.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that the point where reply-to affects deliverability is when the address in the reply to: mimics what a spammer does. That’s often a corporate domain with a reply to: pointing at a free mail address, or with one freemail address in the from: and a second, different freemail address in the reply-to. Using the same address in both is redundant but a lot of companies do it.
Expert from Spamresource.com responds that in general, it's not necessary to include a Reply-To header if it's identical to the From header. Most email clients will automatically direct replies to the From address if no Reply-To is present. It is only necessary if you are using an address other than the from address.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Mozilla explains the Reply-To header field for email messages. It specifies an email address different from the From: field that is used when the user hits "reply."
Documentation from Oracle explains that the 'Reply-To' header specifies an email address for replies that is different than the 'From' header. They note if not specified, the 'From' header is used.
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies that the 'Reply-To:' field contains address(es) where replies should be directed. If absent, replies are sent to the address(es) in the 'From:' field. Including it when identical doesn't violate the standard, but is redundant.
Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that the From: attribute specifies the address of the sender. The Reply-To: attribute specifies where replies should go. While often the same, Reply-To allows for a different address to handle responses.