What causes temporary rate limiting due to IP reputation with Microsoft email servers?
Summary
What email marketers say16Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Stack Overflow User points out that failing to properly set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records can lead to deliverability issues and temporary rate limiting by Microsoft, as these authentication methods verify the sender's identity.
Email marketer from Gmass writes that one of the most significant factors affecting sender reputation is the quality of the email list. Sending to outdated or invalid email addresses leads to bounces and negatively impacts reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus answers that the email content itself can play a role, with certain words or phrases being flagged as spam. Regularly review your content for potential triggers.
Email marketer from SendGrid responds that maintaining a low bounce rate is vital for a healthy IP reputation. High bounce rates signal that the sender is not maintaining a clean email list.
Email marketer from Mailjet answers that gradually increasing email volume, a process known as 'warming up' a new IP address, helps build trust with mailbox providers like Microsoft, avoiding sudden rate limiting.
Email marketer from EmailGeeks forum mentions that a sudden increase in spam complaints can trigger Microsoft's throttling mechanisms, even if your sending infrastructure is properly configured.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that they are also experiencing throttling issues from Microsoft and have opened a case with them. The error received is 451 4.7.651 related to IP reputation.
Email marketer from Email Geeks says most of the impacted IPs have been mitigated successfully without explanation.
Email marketer from Email Geeks says responses from the postmaster have been sporadic, and the pattern observed was unlike anything they'd seen before.
Email marketer from Email Sender answers that building a strong sender reputation depends on several factors, including maintaining low spam complaint rates, proper list hygiene, consistent sending volumes, and authenticating your email.
Email marketer from Neil Patel Digital shares that maintaining a good IP reputation requires consistent email practices, including warming up new IPs, segmenting email lists, removing inactive subscribers, and monitoring bounce rates and spam complaints.
Email marketer from Email Geeks states they were trending very well and then saw a major dip.
Email marketer from Email Geeks says there are no hits on any of them and that the IPs went from Green to Yellow in a day.
Email marketer from Email Geeks confirms that some of their IPs have been resolved as well, but not all of them.
Email marketer from Reddit User suggests that Microsoft might temporarily rate limit IPs due to a sudden increase in email volume, even if the content is legitimate. Warming up new IPs slowly is crucial.
Email marketer from Email Geeks asks if there's anything showing in SNDS for the remaining impacted IPs, such as increased trap hits or complaints, noting that when the issue first occurred, the IPs had high reputation.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that participating in feedback loops (FBLs) with ISPs like Microsoft helps identify and remove users who mark emails as spam, thus preventing future complaints and improving IP reputation.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that new IPs often face deliverability challenges because they lack an established reputation. Gradually increasing sending volume and maintaining good engagement metrics are critical for building trust.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that senders should monitor their IP address reputation using tools like Microsoft's SNDS and JMRP, as these provide insights into potential issues like spam traps or high complaint rates that can lead to throttling.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Outlook.com Postmaster advises that senders should ensure their sending IPs are not on any blocklists, authenticate their email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and provide an easy way for recipients to unsubscribe to avoid complaints that can negatively impact IP reputation.
Documentation from Google answers that following best practices for bulk email senders, such as providing easy unsubscribe options and avoiding spam trigger words, is important as email providers often share sender reputation insights.
Documentation from SparkPost explains that sender reputation is an assessment of your email sending practices by mailbox providers like Microsoft. Poor practices, such as sending to invalid email addresses or generating high complaint rates, lead to a low reputation and potential rate limiting.
Documentation from RFC states that email receivers monitor sending patterns, and significant deviations from the norm can trigger suspicion and temporary blocks. Regular and consistent sending patterns are recommended.
Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that temporary rate limiting due to IP reputation can occur when Microsoft's systems detect suspicious email activity originating from an IP address. This includes sudden spikes in email volume, sending to honeypots, or a high complaint rate.