Summary
The Yahoo TSS04 bounce code indicates email throttling due to a low sender reputation, often stemming from spam-like content, low engagement, or poor list hygiene. Addressing this requires a multi-faceted approach: improve list hygiene by removing inactive/invalid addresses and using double opt-in; implement robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC); actively monitor and address deliverability issues using tools like Google Postmaster Tools; segment lists based on engagement; analyze bounce and complaint rates; and review sending practices regularly. Communicating the impact of deliverability issues to leadership by highlighting bounces by domain can help secure resources for improvement.
Key findings
- TSS04 Throttling: Yahoo TSS04 indicates email throttling due to low sender reputation.
- Cause: Low Engagement: Often results from unengaged recipients and a lack of complaints/signals from subscribers.
- Cause: Poor List Hygiene: Sending to inactive or invalid addresses contributes to a low sender reputation.
- Solution: Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for verifying sender legitimacy.
- Solution: Monitoring Tools: Utilize tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS to identify and address deliverability issues.
- Leadership Attention: Presenting bounces by domain to leadership can help highlight deliverability problems and their impact.
Key considerations
- Proactive Monitoring: Continuously monitor sending practices, analyze bounce rates, and address deliverability issues proactively.
- List Segmentation: Segment email lists based on engagement to target active subscribers and attempt to re-engage inactive ones.
- Content Review: Regularly review content to avoid spam triggers and ensure relevance to subscribers.
- Authentication Setup: Ensure proper setup and configuration of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate emails.
- Process Bounce Messages: Configure email platforms to process bounce messages and remove bad addresses automatically.
- Continuous Improvement: Commit to continuous monitoring and adjustment of email marketing practices to maintain a healthy sender reputation.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
The Yahoo TSS04 bounce code indicates that Yahoo is throttling email due to a low sender reputation. This is often caused by increased complaints, sending to inactive or invalid email addresses, or issues with email authentication. Resolving TSS04 errors involves improving sender reputation through list cleaning, proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), monitoring sender reputation, and proactively addressing deliverability issues.
Key opinions
- List Hygiene: Cleaning email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses is essential for reducing bounce rates and improving sender reputation.
- Authentication: Properly implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps verify the legitimacy of your emails, improving deliverability and reducing the risk of being marked as spam.
- Engagement Monitoring: Actively monitoring sender reputation and engagement metrics helps identify and address deliverability issues before they escalate.
- Complaint Handling: Addressing complaints and feedback from recipients helps improve email content and reduce the likelihood of future complaints.
- Domain Bounces: Highlighting bounces by domain to leadership can help get attention to deliverability issues.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Focus on building and maintaining a positive sender reputation by following email best practices and addressing deliverability issues promptly.
- List Segmentation: Segment your email list based on engagement and behavior to target your most active subscribers and re-engage or remove inactive subscribers.
- Content Quality: Ensure your email content is relevant, engaging, and avoids spam triggers to encourage recipients to interact with your emails.
- Bounce Processing: Configure your email marketing platform to properly process bounce messages and automatically remove bad email addresses from your list.
- Monitoring: Continuously monitor sending practices, analyze bounce and complaint rates, and monitor sender reputation.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog responds that Yahoo's TSS04 bounce often means Yahoo is throttling your emails. This can occur if your emails are being marked as spam or are being sent to too many inactive or invalid email addresses. Reduce the number of emails you send to invalid recipients, and start cleaning up your email lists by removing old, inactive emails. Make sure your subscribers want your content and use a double opt-in.
7 Jun 2022 - Mailjet Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Vendor Selection shares that improving deliverability requires continuous monitoring and adjustment. Regularly review your sending practices, analyze bounce and complaint rates, and monitor your sender reputation. Actively engage with your recipients to ensure they want your emails, and promptly address any deliverability issues that arise. By staying proactive and adaptable, you can maintain a healthy sender reputation and improve your email deliverability.
10 May 2022 - EmailVendorSelection.com
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
The Yahoo TSS04 bounce code indicates Yahoo is throttling mail due to low sender reputation, often resulting from unnoticed placement in the bulk folder or lack of recipient engagement. Addressing this requires improving list hygiene, email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), engagement, and regular review of domain performance. Effective email list management and bounce processing are also critical.
Key opinions
- TSS04 Meaning: TSS04 indicates Yahoo has been placing emails in the bulk folder without notice and is now rate limiting senders.
- Sender Reputation: Yahoo TSS04 error typically means Yahoo is throttling your mail due to a low sender reputation.
- List Hygiene: Properly managing your email lists and handling bounces effectively are crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and avoiding deliverability issues.
- Regular Review: Regular by-domain review with metrics lookback helps spot deliverability problems earlier.
Key considerations
- Improve Engagement: Focus on improving engagement to show recipients want to receive emails.
- Email Authentication: Focus on improving email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- List Management: Clean your lists regularly to remove invalid and inactive email addresses and set up a system to process bounce messages.
- Proactive Monitoring: Implement a system for regular domain performance review to proactively address issues.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise, Steve Atkins, responds that a Yahoo TSS04 error typically means Yahoo is throttling your mail due to a low sender reputation. Focus on improving list hygiene, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement to address the underlying issues causing the low reputation.
3 Apr 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that properly managing your email lists and handling bounces effectively are crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and avoiding deliverability issues. Clean your lists regularly to remove invalid and inactive email addresses and set up a system to process bounce messages.
3 Jun 2021 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
The Yahoo TSS04 error indicates potential spam-like characteristics and temporary rate-limiting due to lack of engagement. Improving deliverability involves maintaining a clean email list with double opt-in, implementing DMARC to prevent spoofing, understanding RFC status codes for diagnosing delivery issues, and monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools, all contributing to better list hygiene, authentication, and content quality.
Key findings
- TSS04 Indicator: Yahoo identifies potential spam-like characteristics and limits sending volume.
- List Hygiene Importance: Maintaining a clean email list is crucial for deliverability.
- DMARC Protection: DMARC protects domains from spoofing and phishing.
- RFC Status Codes: Enhanced status codes provide information about delivery failures.
- Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is a key factor in email deliverability.
Key considerations
- Clean Email List: Regularly remove invalid addresses and use double opt-in.
- Implement DMARC: Protect your domain from email spoofing and improve deliverability.
- Monitor Status Codes: Diagnose deliverability problems using RFC status codes.
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Use Google Postmaster Tools to track bounce rates, spam complaints, and engagement.
- Email Best Practices: Follow best practices for email authentication, list hygiene, and content quality to improve your sender reputation.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Standard details that enhanced status codes provide specific information about email delivery issues, including temporary failures and permanent rejections. The 4.X.X range typically indicates temporary failures where the email might be retried, while the 5.X.X range indicates permanent failures. You can use status codes to diagnose deliverability problems and determine appropriate actions, such as retrying delivery or removing invalid addresses.
30 Apr 2024 - RFC Standard
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org explains implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) helps protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. DMARC allows you to specify how receiving email servers should handle messages that fail SPF and DKIM authentication checks. By implementing DMARC, you can improve your email deliverability and prevent malicious actors from using your domain to send fraudulent emails.
12 Aug 2023 - DMARC.org
Why is Yahoo deferring my emails with a TSS04 error and high bounce rate?
How can I troubleshoot and resolve Yahoo TSS04 email errors?
What are TSS04 errors and how do I fix them?
How can I resolve Yahoo SMTP error 421 4.7.0 TSS04?
Why is Yahoo blocking my emails with TSS04 error?
How many retries should I send to Yahoo after receiving a temporary error?
