Should I use a common email address if individual seller emails are blacklisted?

Summary

The overwhelming consensus from experts, email marketers, and documentation sources is that using a common email address after individual seller emails are blacklisted is a detrimental strategy. This approach fails to address the underlying problems causing the blacklisting, such as spamming, poor list hygiene, and authentication issues. It can concentrate negative feedback, damage the sender's reputation and overall domain deliverability, and create a single point of failure. Instead, focusing on identifying and resolving the root causes, implementing email authentication, maintaining list hygiene, separating mail streams, and setting up separate mailing infrastructures for outbound communications are recommended best practices.

Key findings

  • Root Cause Not Addressed: Switching to a common address doesn't fix the underlying reasons for blacklisting (e.g., spam complaints, poor email content).
  • Reputation Damage: Using a common address concentrates negative feedback, further harming sender reputation and domain deliverability.
  • Single Point of Failure: A common address creates a single point of failure, making it easier for email providers to block all communications.
  • Need for Separation: Separating different types of email traffic (e.g., transactional, marketing, outreach) is essential to protect healthy mail streams.
  • Authentication Importance: Properly authenticating email domains is crucial for establishing trust and improving deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Identify Blacklisting Reasons: Determine the specific factors causing emails to be blacklisted (e.g., spam traps, high bounce rates, lack of consent).
  • Implement Email Authentication: Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify sender identity and improve deliverability.
  • Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists by removing inactive, unsubscribed, or problematic addresses.
  • Separate Mail Streams: Segregate different types of email traffic (e.g., transactional, marketing, outreach) to isolate and manage deliverability issues.
  • Build Separate Infrastructure: If engaging in outbound outreach or potentially spammy activities, consider setting up a separate infrastructure with new domains and accounts.
  • Wanted Email: Consider if your email is wanted by the recipent, if its not you should not send it.

What email marketers say
7Marketer opinions

The consensus from email marketing experts is that using a common email address after individual seller emails get blacklisted is generally a bad idea. It concentrates negative feedback, potentially damaging sender reputation and overall domain deliverability. Instead, focusing on fixing the underlying causes of blacklisting, such as spam complaints, poor list hygiene, and authentication issues, is recommended.

Key opinions

  • Reputation Damage: Using a common email address concentrates negative feedback, damaging sender reputation more broadly.
  • Masking, Not Fixing: Switching to a common address doesn't solve the underlying deliverability issues, such as poor list hygiene or spam practices.
  • Domain Impact: A blacklisted common address can negatively impact the entire domain's reputation and deliverability.
  • Single Point of Failure: Consolidating sending into a single address creates a single point of failure for deliverability problems.

Key considerations

  • Identify Root Cause: Determine the specific reasons for individual blacklistings, such as spam complaints or low email engagement.
  • Improve List Hygiene: Clean up email lists by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers.
  • Authenticate Email: Implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify sender identity.
  • Monitor Reputation: Monitor sender reputation and domain health to identify and address deliverability issues promptly.
  • Follow Best Practices: Adhere to email sending best practices to avoid triggering spam filters and maintain a good sender reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that using a common email after blacklisting creates a single point of failure. Instead, it’s better to improve list hygiene and follow email best practices.

May 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that using a common email address after individual accounts get blacklisted can further damage your sender reputation as it concentrates negative feedback into one source.

July 2024 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Email marketer from MarketingForums.com explains that it is better to determine the root cause of the blacklisting (e.g., spam complaints, poor list quality) rather than masking the issue with a shared email address.

March 2024 - MarketingForums.com
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Institute Forums shares that consolidating sending activity into a single, shared address after blacklisting is likely to exacerbate the problem. Investigate the specific issues leading to blacklisting and fix them.

June 2023 - Email Marketing Institute Forums
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailchimp explains that using a shared email for sending to avoid individual blacklists can lead to even more significant deliverability problems as it can negatively affect the reputation of the entire domain.

August 2024 - Mailchimp
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit answers that if individual emails are being flagged, shifting to a shared email domain will have negative effects as the impact of sender reputation will have a much larger impact on all your outbound mail.

July 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that if individual emails are being blacklisted, a better strategy is to identify and fix the underlying issues causing the blacklisting, such as spam complaints or poor list hygiene, rather than switching to a shared address.

January 2024 - Sendinblue

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

Experts generally advise against using a common email address if individual seller emails are blacklisted. This approach doesn't address the root causes of blacklisting, such as spamming or unwanted email, and can further damage the sender's reputation and domain deliverability. A better strategy is to identify and fix the underlying issues, potentially separating mail streams and setting up a separate mailing infrastructure for outbound communications to protect the primary domain.

Key opinions

  • Doesn't Solve the Problem: Using a common address doesn't fix the reason for blacklisting and can make it easier for email providers to block the sender.
  • Damages Reputation: Consolidating sending activity into a single address can negatively impact the overall sender reputation and domain deliverability.
  • Need for Separation: Separating mail streams, particularly toxic outbound ones, is a good strategy to protect healthy mail.
  • Infrastructure Setup: Setting up a separate mailing infrastructure, including new domains and accounts, is recommended for outbound spam/outreach activities.

Key considerations

  • Identify Underlying Issues: Determine what's causing emails to be blacklisted, such as spam complaints, unwanted emails, or poor list management.
  • Separate Mail Streams: Segregate different types of email (e.g., transactional, marketing, outreach) to isolate and manage deliverability issues.
  • Build a Firewall: Create a barrier around toxic outbound mail streams to constrain the impact on the healthy mail.
  • Consider a Separate Infrastructure: If engaging in outbound spam or outreach activities, consider a completely separate mailing infrastructure to protect the main domain.
  • Wanted Email: Consider if the email you are sending is wanted and if not you should not send it.
Expert view

Expert from WordtotheWise.com answers that moving all email to a single sender address may be a good idea or it may be a bad idea. You need to know what is going wrong and why addresses are blacklisted in the first place and if your email is wanted.

August 2024 - WordtotheWise.com
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks agrees that separating mailstreams is a good idea and that building a firewall around the toxic outbound mailstream helps constrain the impact and allows focus on the healthy mail.

October 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from SpamResource.com explains that using a common email address after individual blacklisting is a very bad idea because it doesn't solve the problem and can impact the whole sending domains sender reputation.

January 2023 - SpamResource.com
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that if the team is using Outreach to spam, they will get blacklisted by Google and damage deliverability, regardless of the sending address. Moving to a single address will only make it easier for Google to block it.

November 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that the team spamming will eventually damage the reputation of the company domain, causing delivery problems at Google. She recommends setting up a separate mailing infrastructure, including new domains and a separate G Suite account, to protect corporate mail from outbound spam.

January 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Email deliverability documentation from Google, Microsoft, RFC, SparkPost and AWS indicates that switching to a common email address to avoid blacklisting is not recommended. They state it's essential to address the root causes of deliverability issues, such as authentication problems, content quality, sending practices, and sender reputation. Implementing email authentication, using dedicated IP addresses, warming up IPs, monitoring sending reputation, and adhering to email standards are highlighted as more effective strategies.

Key findings

  • Underlying Issues: Addressing the issues causing emails to be marked as spam is crucial rather than simply changing the sending address.
  • Authentication Matters: Properly authenticating the email domain is more effective than switching to a generic email address.
  • Consistency is Key: A valid and consistently used 'From:' address is important for email identification and filtering.
  • IP Warmup and Reputation: A proper IP warmup strategy and monitoring sending reputation are essential for deliverability.
  • System Limits: Sending from a new domain after the old one is blacklisted can trigger sending limits and cause further deliverability problems.

Key considerations

  • Address Root Causes: Focus on fixing the underlying problems that lead to emails being marked as spam (e.g., content, sending practices).
  • Implement Authentication: Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate the email domain.
  • Maintain Consistency: Use a valid and consistent 'From:' address for all emails.
  • Monitor Sending Reputation: Regularly monitor the sender's reputation to identify and address deliverability issues.
  • Follow Email Standards: Adhere to email sending best practices to avoid being flagged as spam.
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft shares that using a dedicated IP address and properly authenticating your email domain are more effective strategies for improving deliverability than switching to a generic 'sales' or 'info' email address.

September 2021 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from RFC dictates that a valid and consistently used 'From:' address is crucial for email identification and filtering. Switching to a different address to avoid blacklisting may be seen as inconsistent and trigger more filters.

December 2024 - RFC
Technical article

Documentation from Google explains that if emails are being marked as spam, addressing the issues causing this (authentication, content, sending practices) is crucial. Changing to a common address may not resolve these underlying problems.

January 2023 - Google
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost shares that a proper IP warmup strategy and careful monitoring of your sending reputation are key to deliverability. Switching to a common email won't fix underlying deliverability problems.

April 2024 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from AWS explains that they place limits on the amount of email you can send to protect their systems. Sending from a new domain after the old domain gets blacklisted will likely trigger these limits and cause deliverability problems.

April 2024 - Amazon