What are the deliverability considerations when moving to Amazon SES with a dedicated IP?

Summary

Moving to Amazon SES with a dedicated IP involves several crucial deliverability considerations. A flawless technical setup with proper rDNS, naming conventions, and aligned authentication is paramount. It's vital to secure a clean IP reputation by avoiding 'dirty' IPs and proactively checking for blacklisting. Due to potential Microsoft blocking and a potentially worse initial reputation for Amazon IP ranges, careful planning is necessary. Employ permission-based list acquisition to build a healthy subscriber base. A proper IP warm-up process, where sending volume gradually increases, is essential for establishing a positive sending reputation. Monitoring sending activity, managing bounces and complaints through feedback loops, and maintaining consistent sending volumes are all key to ensuring optimal deliverability. Segmenting lists, using seed lists, and verifying email addresses contribute to a strong sending reputation and improved deliverability.

Key findings

  • Technical Excellence: A near-perfect technical setup is fundamental for SES deliverability.
  • Clean IP Reputation: Securing a clean IP and avoiding blacklists is paramount.
  • Warming IP: Proper IP warm-up is crucial, gradually increasing sending volume.
  • Active Monitoring: Constant monitoring of IP reputation and sending activity is necessary.
  • Clean List: Maintain clean and engaged lists to avoid bounces and complaints.
  • Email Authentication: Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) must be correctly configured.
  • Consistent Volume: Maintain consistent sending volume for optimal deliverability.
  • Feedback Loops: Establish feedback loops to manage bounces and complaints effectively.
  • Microsoft: Consider Microsofts IP blocking of Amazon SES IPs.

Key considerations

  • Flawless Technical Configuration: Prioritize technical configurations for smooth integration with Amazon SES.
  • Pre-Sending IP Check: Thoroughly inspect the IP for any issues that can impair the reputation.
  • Microsoft Implications: Factor in potential Microsoft blocking effects on deliverability results.
  • Controlled Ramp-Up Strategy: Develop a ramp-up strategy to help boost deliverability results.
  • Aggressive Monitoring: Use tools to review and mitigate deliverability issues with consistent performance.
  • Email List Maintenance: Consistently maintain your email list to minimize deliverability challenges.
  • ISP Relationships: Configure and maintain a good relationship with ISPs to improve overall deliverability.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

When transitioning to Amazon SES with a dedicated IP, several deliverability considerations are crucial. Initially, ensure a clean IP reputation and proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Warming up the IP gradually by throttling sending rates is essential to establish a positive reputation with ISPs. Maintaining a clean and engaged email list by removing inactive subscribers and verifying email addresses is vital. Proactively monitoring IP reputation, managing bounces and complaints effectively through feedback loops, and maintaining a consistent sending volume further enhance deliverability. Employing seed lists to monitor placement across different ISPs and segmenting email lists for targeted sending are also beneficial strategies.

Key opinions

  • Authentication: Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential to verify email legitimacy and reduce spam filtering.
  • IP Reputation: A clean IP reputation is crucial; check for blacklisting and ensure a positive sending history.
  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean, engaged email list is vital for deliverability; remove inactive subscribers and verify email addresses.
  • Warming Up: Gradually warm up the IP by throttling sending rates to establish a positive reputation with ISPs.
  • Monitoring: Proactively monitor IP reputation and track bounces, complaints, and delivery rates.
  • Consistent Volume: Maintaining a consistent sending volume helps build a positive reputation; avoid large bursts followed by inactivity.
  • Feedback Loops: Implement feedback loops to manage bounces and complaints effectively.

Key considerations

  • Technical Setup: Ensure all technical aspects, including authentication and unsubscribe links, are properly configured.
  • Operational Capabilities: Assess your team's ability to manage a sending platform from the ground up, as Amazon SES requires expertise in handling deliverability issues.
  • Gradual Increase: Gradually increase sending volume to avoid triggering spam filters and damaging your reputation.
  • Consistent Sending: Maintain a consistent sending pattern to demonstrate that you are a legitimate sender.
  • List Segmentation: Segment email lists based on engagement and demographics to improve engagement and reduce spam complaints.
  • Seed List Monitoring: Use seed lists to monitor deliverability across different ISPs and identify any issues early on.
  • Address Verification: Regularly verify email addresses to remove invalid or inactive accounts, reducing bounces and improving reputation.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus Blog shares the importance of segmenting email lists based on engagement and demographics. Sending targeted emails to specific groups of subscribers improves engagement rates and reduces the likelihood of spam complaints.

November 2022 - Litmus Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that consolidating mail flows might cause a temporary issue, but it shouldn't matter if neither platform has prior reputation problems. They advise ensuring technical and legislative aspects align, such as authentication and maintaining old unsubscribe links.

September 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that the choice between SES via Sendy or directly depends on existing operational capabilities. Using SES directly requires a software backend and trained team. Amazon is strict about spam and bounce thresholds, so it's not the best time to learn while merging streams if you lack experience managing a sending platform from scratch.

July 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum mentions that proactively monitoring your IP reputation is essential. Use tools to check if your IP address is on any blacklists and take steps to remove it if necessary. A blacklisted IP can severely impact deliverability.

December 2021 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from GlockApps Blog shares about using seed lists to monitor deliverability across different ISPs. Seed lists allow you to track where your emails are landing (inbox, spam folder, or missing) and identify any deliverability issues early on.

October 2021 - GlockApps Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid Blog shares that handling bounces and complaints effectively is important for maintaining a good sending reputation. Implement a feedback loop to automatically remove subscribers who mark your emails as spam. Regularly review bounce codes to identify and address any underlying issues.

February 2023 - SendGrid Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that throttling your email sending rate is crucial when moving to a dedicated IP on SES. ISPs monitor new IPs closely, and sending too many emails too quickly can trigger spam filters. Gradually increase your sending volume to avoid deliverability issues.

April 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog shares that proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for deliverability when using Amazon SES. These protocols verify that emails are sent from a legitimate source, reducing the likelihood of being marked as spam. Implement these before sending any significant volume of emails.

May 2023 - Mailjet Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from ZeroBounce Blog shares that regularly verifying email addresses to remove invalid or inactive accounts is critical. Sending to invalid addresses leads to bounces, which can damage your sending reputation. Use an email verification service to clean your list.

May 2023 - ZeroBounce Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost Blog shares that maintaining a clean and engaged email list is vital for deliverability. Remove inactive subscribers and those who have not engaged with your emails in a long time. Sending to a disengaged list can lead to higher bounce rates and spam complaints, harming your reputation.

June 2022 - SparkPost Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog shares that maintaining a consistent sending volume helps build a positive reputation with ISPs. Avoid sending large bursts of emails followed by periods of inactivity. A steady sending pattern demonstrates that you are a legitimate sender.

April 2023 - Email on Acid Blog

What the experts say
6Expert opinions

When moving to Amazon SES with a dedicated IP, several key deliverability considerations emerge. A near-perfect technical setup, including clear rDNS, proper naming conventions, and aligned authentication, is crucial. Microsoft's active blocking of Amazon IP ranges, coupled with the potential for worse initial reputation of those ranges, necessitates careful planning. Securing a clean IP reputation by avoiding 'dirty' IPs and ensuring the IP is not blacklisted is vital. Employing permission-based list acquisition practices rather than buying lists is essential for maintaining deliverability. Finally, a proper IP warm-up process involving a gradual increase in sending volume is critical for establishing a positive sending reputation with ISPs.

Key opinions

  • Technical Setup: A flawless technical setup with proper rDNS, naming, and authentication is essential for SES deliverability.
  • Microsoft Blocking: Microsoft actively blocks Amazon IPs, impacting deliverability.
  • IP Reputation: Amazon IP ranges may start with a worse reputation.
  • Clean IP: A clean IP reputation is critical; avoid inheriting 'dirty' IPs.
  • List Acquisition: Permission-based list acquisition is vital; avoid buying lists.
  • Warm-up Process: Proper IP warm-up is critical for establishing a positive sending reputation.

Key considerations

  • Technical Perfection: Strive for near-perfect technical configurations to maximize deliverability.
  • Microsoft Impact: Factor in Microsoft's blocking of Amazon IPs when planning your strategy.
  • IP History Check: Thoroughly check the IP's history before using it to ensure it's not blacklisted.
  • Ethical List Building: Focus on building a permission-based email list to avoid deliverability problems.
  • Gradual Ramp-up: Implement a gradual ramp-up of sending volume to establish a positive reputation.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares that Microsoft actively dislikes Amazon and blocks IP ranges.

July 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource highlights the importance of having a clean IP reputation when moving to a dedicated IP with Amazon SES. She explains that inheriting a 'dirty' IP (one previously used for spamming) can significantly harm your deliverability from the start. Checking the IP's history and ensuring it's not blacklisted is crucial.

December 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks adds that the Amazon IP ranges start with a worse reputation.

October 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that a proper IP warm-up process is critical when transitioning to a dedicated IP with Amazon SES. This involves gradually increasing sending volume over time to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Ramping up too quickly can trigger spam filters and damage deliverability.

April 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource mentions that deliverability is affected by list acquisition practices. Buying email lists or using other non-permission based acquisition methods will cause significant deliverability issues with Amazon SES. Building a permissioned based list is important.

April 2021 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that when using SES, a near-perfect technical setup is crucial, including clear rDNS, good naming conventions, and perfectly aligned authentication.

October 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

When moving to Amazon SES with a dedicated IP, it's essential to follow AWS's recommended best practices. Warming up the IP address by gradually increasing email volume is crucial for establishing a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Monitoring sending activity, including bounces, complaints, and delivery rates, via the SES console or CloudWatch allows you to identify and address deliverability issues promptly. Email content should be relevant, engaging, and free of spam triggers. Setting up feedback loops (FBLs) with ISPs enables you to receive notifications when recipients mark your emails as spam, allowing you to remove problematic subscribers.

Key findings

  • IP Warm-up: Gradually increase email volume to establish a positive sending reputation.
  • Monitoring Activity: Monitor bounces, complaints, and delivery rates to identify issues.
  • Content Quality: Ensure email content is relevant, engaging, and free of spam triggers.
  • Feedback Loops: Set up FBLs to receive notifications of spam complaints.

Key considerations

  • Ramp-Up Strategy: Develop a strategy for gradually increasing sending volume over several weeks.
  • Monitoring Tools: Utilize the Amazon SES console or CloudWatch to monitor sending activity.
  • Content Creation: Create high-quality, engaging email content that provides value to recipients.
  • FBL Implementation: Implement feedback loops with ISPs to identify and remove problematic subscribers.
Technical article

Documentation from AWS Documentation explains the importance of monitoring your sending activity, including bounces, complaints, and delivery rates, via the Amazon SES console or CloudWatch. High bounce or complaint rates can negatively impact your sending reputation and deliverability. Take immediate action to address any issues.

June 2023 - AWS Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from AWS Documentation explains that when using a dedicated IP address with Amazon SES, it's crucial to warm up the IP by gradually increasing the volume of emails sent. This helps establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs. Start with a small volume and gradually increase it over several weeks, monitoring deliverability metrics closely.

September 2021 - AWS Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from AWS Documentation explains that the content of your emails should be relevant, engaging, and free of spam triggers. Avoid using excessive capitalization, exclamation points, or spammy keywords. Ensure your emails provide value to recipients and are properly formatted.

October 2023 - AWS Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from AWS Documentation explains setting up feedback loops (FBLs) with ISPs to receive notifications when recipients mark your emails as spam. This allows you to quickly identify and remove problematic subscribers from your list.

August 2024 - AWS Documentation