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What are the best online resources to learn about email deliverability?

14 Marketer opinions2 Expert opinions4 Technical articles4 Resources

Summary

A wealth of online resources exist for learning about email deliverability, encompassing blogs from ESPs like Mailjet, SendGrid, Litmus, SparkPost, and GMass, as well as community forums such as Reddit's r/emailmarketing and Stack Overflow. Interactive tools like learndmarc.com, blacklist checking resources, and official documentation from Google, Microsoft, and DMARC.org offer practical guidance. Industry events like M3AAWG and resources focused on feedback loops provide valuable insights into deliverability best practices. Key areas of focus include authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, sender reputation, and monitoring spam complaints.

Key findings

  • ESP Blogs & Guides: Email Service Providers (ESPs) like Mailjet, SendGrid, Litmus, SparkPost, and GMass offer blogs and comprehensive guides covering various aspects of email deliverability.
  • Community Forums: Platforms like Reddit's r/emailmarketing and Stack Overflow provide spaces for discussions, troubleshooting, and knowledge sharing within the email marketing community.
  • Interactive Learning: Interactive tools, such as learndmarc.com, facilitate hands-on learning about email authentication protocols.
  • Blacklist Monitoring: Tools and resources for checking IP addresses and domains against email blacklists are essential for identifying and resolving deliverability issues.
  • Official Documentation: Official documentation from Google (Postmaster Tools), Microsoft (anti-spam policies), and DMARC.org provide essential guidelines and protocols for improving deliverability.
  • Industry Events: Industry events like M3AAWG serve as valuable resources for staying informed about current deliverability challenges and best practices.
  • Feedback Loops: Leveraging feedback loops helps proactively manage and address deliverability issues.

Key considerations

  • Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication methods is crucial for verifying sender legitimacy and improving deliverability.
  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean and engaged email list is vital for avoiding spam traps, reducing bounce rates, and preserving sender reputation.
  • Sender Reputation: Actively manage and protect your sender reputation by adhering to best practices and monitoring deliverability metrics.
  • Spam Complaint Monitoring: Monitor and address spam complaints promptly to identify and resolve potential issues affecting deliverability.
  • SMTP Standards Understanding: Understanding SMTP standards and email protocols can help troubleshoot deliverability issues and optimize email transmission.
  • Proactive Learning: Continuously learning and adapting to evolving email filtering techniques and deliverability best practices is essential for long-term success.
  • Domain Reputation: Consistently sending high-quality, relevant email content can enhance your domain reputation.

What email marketers say
14Marketer opinions

Numerous online resources are available to learn about email deliverability. These resources range from blogs and comprehensive guides offered by email service providers like Mailjet, SendGrid, Litmus, SparkPost, and GMass, to community forums like Reddit's r/emailmarketing and Stack Overflow. Interactive tools like learndmarc.com and resources focusing on identifying and addressing blacklist issues are also valuable. Several platforms also offer guides in the deliverability space, such as EmailToolTester. Industry events like M3AAWG can also be good resources. Finally, checking official policies, such as Microsoft's anti-spam policies, as well as understanding DMARC are important for improving deliverability.

Key opinions

  • ESP Blogs: Email Service Providers (ESPs) such as Mailjet, SendGrid, SparkPost, GMass, and Litmus offer blogs and guides with comprehensive information on deliverability.
  • Community Forums: Platforms like Reddit's r/emailmarketing and Stack Overflow provide community-driven discussions and solutions related to email deliverability.
  • Interactive Tools: Interactive learning tools like learndmarc.com offer hands-on experience for understanding email authentication.
  • Blacklist Monitoring: Checking IP addresses and domains against blacklists is crucial for maintaining deliverability, and online tools can assist with this.
  • Official Policies: Reviewing and adhering to official anti-spam policies, such as those from Microsoft, is essential.
  • DMARC: Utilising DMARC is important for protecting your domain from spoofing and phishing attacks.
  • Industry Events: Attending industry events such as M3AAWG are good opportunities for learning about best practices and current challenges.
  • Feedback Loops: Feedback loops provide information on issues that may be affecting your email marketing results

Key considerations

  • Authentication: Implementing email authentication methods (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is critical for establishing sender legitimacy and improving deliverability.
  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean and engaged email list is essential for avoiding spam traps and maintaining a positive sender reputation.
  • Monitoring: Regularly monitoring sender reputation, bounce rates, and spam complaints is necessary for identifying and addressing deliverability issues promptly.
  • Engagement: Focusing on creating valuable content that encourages recipient engagement can improve inbox placement and overall deliverability.
  • Proactive Learning: Staying updated with the latest deliverability trends and best practices is crucial for adapting to evolving email filtering techniques.
  • Domain Reputation: Building a positive domain reputation is important for deliverability so that ISPs will trust your outgoing mail.
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares two fantastic resources for learning about deliverability: wordtothewise.com/blog/ and spamresource.com/

June 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost recommends their blog for insights on sender reputation, IP warming, bounce management, and other deliverability best practices.

February 2023 - SparkPost
Marketer view

Email marketer from GMass explains that their blog is a good source of information for understanding how to get into the inbox with cold email.

July 2021 - GMass
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that their blog offers comprehensive guides on email deliverability, covering topics from authentication to list management.

December 2023 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks recommends WTTW, SR, and EmailKarma. Chad White form Oracle is another great one to follow.

October 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow suggests using online tools to check if your IP address or domain is listed on any email blacklists, which can significantly impact deliverability.

October 2023 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus suggests following their blog and resources for the latest industry trends, deliverability updates, and best practices for optimizing email campaigns.

February 2025 - Litmus
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares gettotheinbox.com and blog.gettotheinbox.com as useful resources.

December 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks recommends emailkarma.net as a great deliverability resource, adding to the resources already mentioned.

January 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailToolTester explains they do not have specific pages on it but that all of their email platform reviews include deliverability as a key criteria and give an overview for each.

September 2022 - EmailToolTester
Marketer view

Email marketer from Validity shares resources for improving email marketing performance, with insights into email deliverability, data quality, and campaign optimization strategies.

April 2021 - Validity
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks provides an interactive learning process using learndmarc.com, and including ping@tools.mxtoolbox.com on a send to review the report sent back.

November 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid shares their comprehensive deliverability guide covering topics such as sender reputation, authentication, list hygiene, and engagement metrics.

December 2024 - SendGrid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit recommends utilizing community forums like r/emailmarketing to seek help, share experiences, and discuss deliverability issues with peers in the industry.

May 2024 - Reddit

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Industry experts emphasize the value of attending industry events like M3AAWG for deliverability insights, and leveraging feedback loops to proactively manage deliverability challenges.

Key opinions

  • Industry Events: M3AAWG and similar industry events are highlighted as valuable resources for staying up-to-date on deliverability challenges and best practices.
  • Feedback Loops: Feedback loops are identified as an important component for maintaining deliverability, with Spam Resource providing a list of domains that offer them.

Key considerations

  • Active Participation: Actively participate in industry events and communities to stay informed about the latest trends and best practices in email deliverability.
  • Feedback Loop Integration: Implement and monitor feedback loops to identify and address deliverability issues proactively.
  • Continuous Learning: Prioritize continuous learning and adaptation to address the ever-evolving landscape of email deliverability.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise highlights industry events like M3AAWG as valuable resources for staying informed about current deliverability challenges and best practices.

November 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains the importance of feedback loops in maintaining deliverability and gives a list of domains that provide them.

June 2023 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Official documentation from Google, the RFC Editor, Microsoft, and DMARC.org provide essential information for understanding and improving email deliverability. Google emphasizes avoiding spam filters through authentication, consistent sending, and complaint monitoring. The RFC Editor offers in-depth technical specifications for SMTP. Microsoft details its anti-spam policies, while DMARC.org explains how to protect domains from spoofing using DMARC.

Key findings

  • Google Guidelines: Google's Postmaster Tools outline key guidelines for avoiding spam filters, including authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), consistent sending IPs, and monitoring spam complaints.
  • SMTP Standards: The RFC Editor provides official specifications for SMTP and related email protocols.
  • Microsoft Policies: Microsoft's anti-spam policies are important to review and adhere to for emails sent to Microsoft email services.
  • DMARC Protection: DMARC.org explains how to use DMARC to protect domains from spoofing and phishing attacks.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Implementation: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate your email and improve deliverability.
  • Technical Understanding: Familiarize yourself with SMTP standards to better understand email transmission and processing.
  • Policy Adherence: Adhere to Microsoft's anti-spam policies to ensure your emails reach Microsoft users.
  • Spoofing Prevention: Use DMARC to protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attempts.
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains how you can use DMARC to protect your domain from spoofing and phishing attacks.

June 2024 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor explains the official specifications for SMTP and related email protocols, offering in-depth technical details about how email is transmitted and processed.

July 2022 - RFC-Editor
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains the company's anti-spam policies, which are important to review and adhere to if sending emails to Microsoft email services.

August 2021 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains key guidelines for avoiding spam filters, including authenticating your email (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintaining consistent sending IPs, and monitoring spam complaints.

April 2022 - Google Postmaster Tools

Related resources
4Resources

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