What are Microsoft SCL and BCL ratings and how do they affect email deliverability?

Email marketer from GMass shares tips that to avoid high BCL scores, make sure to get explicit consent from subscribers, ensure easy unsubscribe options, segment lists to send relevant content, and monitor engagement metrics to remove inactive subscribers. High complaint rates can significantly increase your BCL.

Email marketer from StackExchange explains that a high SCL score means your email is more likely to be classified as spam and not delivered to the inbox. SCL affects deliverability by influencing whether an email reaches its intended recipient or is filtered out.

Email marketer from Mailjet details that high complaint rates, which affect both SCL and BCL scores, can severely impact deliverability. Microsoft actively monitors complaint rates and uses them as a primary factor in determining email placement. Reducing complaints is crucial for maintaining good deliverability.

Email marketer from EmailVendorSelection.com shares that different organizations may have different thresholds and actions configured for BCL. Some admins may choose to send all mail with a BCL above a certain level to the junk folder, while others may apply less strict filtering. So, the effect of BCL on deliverability varies.

Email marketer from Reddit discusses that a high BCL indicates that your email is considered bulk mail and may be directed to the junk folder or filtered based on admin configurations. A high BCL can negatively impact inbox placement if admins have strict policies in place.

Expert from Word to the Wise discusses that sender reputation plays a crucial role in both SCL and BCL. A positive sender reputation helps in achieving lower SCL and BCL scores, improving inbox placement. Poor reputation leads to higher scores and filtering.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that SCL is based on how likely Microsoft thinks an email is to be spam. BCL indicates whether the mail is bulky and the degree to which the sender tends to cause complaints.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that Microsoft's BCL rating is heavily influenced by complaint rates. A high complaint rate will directly result in a higher BCL, impacting deliverability to the junk folder.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that SCL is used in filtering for both consumer and hosted platforms, while BCL is an evaluation done by Microsoft, with filtering done directly by the admin of an O365 hosted domain.

Expert from Email Geeks defines SCL as spam confidence level and BCL as “bad” bulk mail confidence level, which includes greymail.

Expert from Email Geeks states BCL 5 means: The message is from a bulk sender that generates a mixed number of complaints.

Documentation from Microsoft Learn describes that the SCL (Spam Confidence Level) rating predicts the probability that a specific message is spam. SCL ratings range from 0 to 9, where higher values indicate a greater probability that a message is spam. These ratings are used by Exchange Online Protection (EOP) and Outlook to filter spam.

Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that the BCL (Bulk Complaint Level) helps identify bulk email and assess its potential to generate complaints. It ranges from 1 to 9, with higher values indicating a greater likelihood of complaints. Admins can configure actions based on BCL thresholds.

Documentation from Microsoft Learn details that spam is unsolicited and unwanted email, while bulk email is typically marketing or promotional content that users may have opted-in to receive. Microsoft uses different technologies and policies to manage these two categories. Bulk mail is evaluated using BCL, and spam is evaluated using SCL.