Should I segregate sending IPs by recipient domain to improve email deliverability?

Summary

The overwhelming consensus from marketers, documentation, and experts is that segregating sending IPs by recipient domain is generally unnecessary and often detrimental for improving email deliverability. Modern email deliverability hinges on building and maintaining a strong sender reputation, which is achieved through consistent sending volume, engagement, quality content, proper authentication, and list hygiene. While IP segregation might have had limited applications in the past (e.g., circumventing throttling for specific regions or managing deliverability for extremely large senders), current best practices favor a unified approach. Attempting to segregate IPs by domain can appear suspicious to ISPs, potentially harming sender reputation. Most sources advocate focusing on holistic deliverability strategies rather than relying on outdated tactics like IP segregation.

Key findings

  • Generally Unnecessary: For most email senders, IP segregation is not required and can be detrimental.
  • Reputation Focused: A strong sender reputation is more effective than IP segregation.
  • Holistic Deliverability: Focus on improving deliverability through consistent engagement, quality content, and proper authentication across all IPs and domains.
  • Potential for Harm: Rotating IPs by domain can appear suspicious to ISPs and harm the sender reputation.
  • Historical Practice: IP segregation is often a historical practice and not aligned with modern deliverability best practices.

Key considerations

  • Sender Reputation: Prioritize building and maintaining a strong sender reputation across all sending IPs and domains.
  • Content Quality: Ensure high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience.
  • List Hygiene: Practice good list hygiene by regularly removing inactive or disengaged subscribers.
  • Authentication: Implement proper email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
  • Sending Volume: For very large senders, assess whether dedicated IPs and advanced management strategies are necessary, but domain-based segregation should still be approached with caution.

What email marketers say
12Marketer opinions

The general consensus is that segregating sending IPs by recipient domain is usually unnecessary and potentially harmful for most email senders. While it might have been a tactic used by spammers in the past, or a niche solution for circumventing throttling in specific geographic regions, modern email deliverability focuses on sender reputation, engagement, and good sending practices. For very large senders or those experiencing specific deliverability issues with certain domains, IP segregation may offer some benefit. However, for small to medium senders, it's generally considered complex, unnecessary, and a potential risk to sender reputation. Most experts recommend focusing on building a strong sender reputation, practicing good list hygiene, and creating engaging content instead.

Key opinions

  • Not generally recommended: For most senders, segregating IPs by domain is not recommended.
  • Potential harm to reputation: Rotating IPs by domain may appear suspicious to ISPs.
  • Focus on sender reputation: Building a good sender reputation is more effective than IP segregation.
  • Good sending practices: Focus on good sending practices, list hygiene, and engaging content.
  • Large senders exception: IP segregation may benefit very large senders or those with specific deliverability issues.

Key considerations

  • Size of sending volume: Consider whether your sending volume is large enough to warrant IP segregation.
  • Specific deliverability issues: Assess whether you have specific deliverability problems with certain domains.
  • Complexity: Be aware of the complexity involved in managing multiple IPs.
  • Reputation impact: Understand the potential impact on your sender reputation.
  • Alternative solutions: Explore alternative solutions like segmentation and improved content.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Quora suggests that, for most email senders, IP segregation isn't required. It is better to focus on engaging the recipients with relevant emails.

March 2022 - Quora
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow shares that rotating IP by domain is generally a bad practice because it might look suspicious to receiver ISPs and harm the sender reputation.

December 2024 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains the importance of maintaining a consistent sending volume and reputation across all IPs, which is more effective than segregation.

December 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains segregating IPs is a historic spammer tactic, using IP pools of varying quality. A legitimate use case is to circumvent throttling for some country-level ISPs.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from MailerQ suggests that IP warm up is not needed when sending to a variety of recipients and domains. The recommendation is not to segregate unless required.

December 2023 - MailerQ
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that IP segregation can be helpful for very large senders or those with specific deliverability issues with certain domains, but for most, it adds unnecessary complexity.

September 2023 - Reddit r/emailmarketing
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Vendor Selection, suggests that the requirement of segregating IP is complex and usually unnecessary. Focus on segmentation, relevance, and list hygiene instead

October 2022 - Email Vendor Selection
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendlane shares that IP segregation for deliverability is not necessary in modern email practice, instead it is recommended to focus on segmentation to improve deliverability.

July 2021 - Sendlane
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks believes segregating sending IPs based on recipient domain is a waste of time because Gmail's reputation is independent of Hotmail's, even from the same IP. This might be warranted only if you're on global blacklists.

January 2025 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that segregating IPs per domain isn't generally recommended for small to medium senders, as it can be complex and unnecessary. Focus on good sending practices instead.

March 2025 - Mailjet Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that if there isn't an identified deliverability problem, IP segregation isn't needed.

April 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid Blog suggests that IP segregation is rarely necessary for deliverability if you're following best practices. They advise focusing on building a good reputation across all domains.

January 2023 - SendGrid Blog

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Experts generally advise against segregating sending IPs by recipient domain. Reputable ESPs typically don't allow this practice, as they focus on carefully managing sender reputations across shared IPs. Furthermore, mailbox providers consider factors beyond just the IP address when determining deliverability, making a strong sender reputation more important than IP segregation.

Key opinions

  • ESPs don't usually allow it: Reputable ESPs are usually careful to not allow IP segregation.
  • Sender reputation is key: Building a good sender reputation is more important than IP segregation.
  • Mailbox providers look at more than IP: Receiving mailbox providers consider various factors beyond just the IP address.

Key considerations

  • ESPs limitations: Consider if your ESP permits you to manage IP segregation.
  • Holistic deliverability: Focus on building a positive sender reputation across all IPs and domains by sending quality content that users want and engage with.
  • Beyond IPs: Improve deliverability by considering other factors, such as authentication, content quality, and list hygiene.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that reputable ESPs are extremely careful about whose mail they send and that they will not usually allow IP segregation. Dedicated IP addresses are sold with the intent of a user warming up their own IP and gaining a good reputation.

September 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that segregating sending IPs by recipient domain (like Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) might not improve deliverability because the receiving mailbox providers look at various factors beyond just the IP address. Focus on building a good sender reputation is more important.

September 2021 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Technical documentation generally does not recommend segregating sending IPs by recipient domain for improved email deliverability. While IP pool segmentation is technically possible, managing sender reputation through content quality, engagement, and overall sending practices is considered more effective. Dedicated IPs are suited for high-volume senders managing their own reputation independently, but domain-based segregation is not endorsed. Sender reputation is often assessed domain-wide, making IP segregation unnecessary.

Key findings

  • Content and engagement are key: Managing sender reputation via content and engagement is more effective.
  • Dedicated IPs for high-volume: Dedicated IPs are suited for high-volume senders managing reputation independently.
  • Domain-wide reputation: Sender reputation is often domain-wide, rendering IP segregation unnecessary.
  • RFC does not recommend: RFC acknowledges technical feasibility but does not recommend IP segregation for deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Content Quality: Focus on high-quality content to improve engagement and sender reputation.
  • Sending Volume: Assess if your sending volume justifies the use of dedicated IPs.
  • Reputation Management: Develop a comprehensive strategy for managing your overall sender reputation.
  • Technical Feasibility vs. Practicality: Just because IP segregation is technically possible doesn't mean it's the most effective or practical solution.
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that while IP pools can be segmented, it's more effective to manage sender reputation through content and engagement rather than relying solely on IP segregation by domain.

November 2022 - SparkPost Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from AWS outlines dedicated IP addresses where they share that they are best suited for high-volume senders who want to manage their sender reputation independently. It doesn't directly endorse segregation by domain.

January 2022 - Amazon Web Services
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft, using data from Hotmail and outlook services, explains that sender reputation is domain wide, and as such, IP segregation per domain is not necessary.

January 2024 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from RFC specifies that while technically feasible to send from different IPs to different domains, the RFC does not recommend this practice for improving deliverability.

October 2021 - RFC-Editor