What are the data requirements, accuracy and freshness of Google Postmaster Tools and IP requirements for Microsoft SNDS?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Reddit explains Google Postmaster Tools requires you to authenticate your domain with SPF or DKIM, and that it takes a while to show data, even after you've set everything up.
Marketer from Email Geeks answers the Google Postmaster Tool questions stating: 1. About 100/day minimum emails are required to see data. 2. The data is reasonably accurate but you should always confirm with other data sources if it tells you something you think is crazy. 3. The data is as "fresh" as the date of the data but it can easily take 1 month for a significant positive change in sending behavior to be reflected.
Email marketer from Reddit answers question about Google Postmaster Tool data accuracy stating that GPT data should be taken as a general indication and not a precise measure. Check against other sources as well.
Email marketer from MailerQ blog answers questions about Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS explaining they are tools to monitor sender reputation, deliverability, and troubleshoot issues, not solutions to improve sender reputation.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog answers question about Google Postmaster Tools data freshness explaining that the data provided in Google Postmaster Tools isn't real-time and that there may be delays in seeing the most up-to-date information.
Email marketer from EmailDeliverabilityForum.com answers question about Microsoft SNDS requirements explaining that for SNDS, you need to register an IP range you control. Microsoft will then verify you are the owner of the range.
Email marketer from Gmass blog explains that while Google doesn't specify a precise number, a general guideline is a minimum of 100 emails per day for data to appear in Postmaster Tools.
Email marketer from EmailToolTester Blog shares Google Postmaster Tools data is an aggregate which means that it doesn't provide information on individual email performance, but gives an overview on the sender reputation and domain health.
Marketer from Email Geeks answers question about Microsoft SNDS IP requirements explaining that SNDS does require a dedicated IP. If the IP is not directly allocated to your organization then you will need to work with your ESP or data center to gain access through SNDS.
Email marketer from SparkPost Blog shares that Microsoft SNDS requires a dedicated IP address owned by the sender. Shared IPs typically do not qualify unless the ESP grants access, but it is often limited.
Email marketer from GlockApps blog explains Google Postmaster Tools are most helpful when you send a high volume of emails, and provides aggregated data.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks answers question about Microsoft SNDS IP requirements explaining that SNDS doesn’t require a dedicated IP - it just requires that the IP address owner authorizes you to read the data. You can sign up for any IP and they will send the request to the owner who can then decide if you should see the data. SNDS doesn’t set the policy - the registered address owner does. They've been able to see data on shared IPs in the past, for instance.
Expert from Email Geeks explains GPT usually lags 2-3 days behind so don't expect real time data.
Expert from Email Geeks answers the Google Postmaster Tool questions stating: Minimum amount of emails is in the low hundreds. The data is as accurate as Google wants it to be and they will give you what they know and are comfortable sharing. The dates are accurate for what the current measurement is.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that Google Postmaster Tools data should be used as a trend indicator rather than a precise measurement. It provides valuable high-level insights but might not reflect the exact reality due to aggregation and potential delays.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that SNDS requires you to prove ownership of the IP range before Microsoft provides access to the data. The registered owner has to specifically authorize you to view data associated with those IPs.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Google Support explains that to use Google Postmaster Tools, you need to authenticate your sending domain with SPF or DKIM. They recommend DKIM. Data will only be shown if you send a 'significant volume' of email, but no specific number is given.
Documentation from Microsoft answers question about SNDS registration, stating that registration requires a valid Microsoft account and verification of IP address ownership. They outline the process for proving ownership.
Documentation from Microsoft explains that to utilize SNDS, you must own the IP address range. You will need a Microsoft account, must register with the program, and prove ownership of the IPs.
Documentation from Google Developers notes that Google Postmaster Tools requires a 'consistent volume' of email to generate meaningful data. Smaller senders might not see detailed reporting.