What should I do if Apple blocks my emails due to a local policy issue?

Summary

When Apple blocks emails due to a 'local policy' issue, a comprehensive approach is required. Central to resolution is contacting Apple's postmaster with detailed information about your email practices and being prepared to address any concerns they raise. It's crucial to understand and adhere to Apple's email policies, especially regarding consent, list management, and authentication. Review your email content for potential spam triggers and ensure your sending infrastructure is properly configured. Proactive steps include checking bounce messages, verifying IP address status, maintaining a good sender reputation, practicing list hygiene, segmenting your list, and carefully increasing sending volume. Avoiding overly aggressive follow-up practices is also important.

Key findings

  • Contact Apple Postmaster: Direct communication with Apple's postmaster is consistently recommended for resolution.
  • Adhere to Apple's Policies: Understanding and adhering to Apple's specific email policies is vital, particularly regarding consent, list management, and authentication.
  • Comprehensive Review: A comprehensive review of content, sending practices, and infrastructure is essential.
  • Authentication and Infrastructure: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured and your sending infrastructure is correctly set up.
  • List Quality: List hygiene, segmentation, and responsible sending volume are crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Bounce Messages: Check bounce messages for specific reasons for rejection.
  • IP Reputation: Verify your IP address isn't on any blacklists.
  • Sender Reputation: Maintain a good sender reputation by avoiding spam traps, practicing list hygiene, and sending engaging content.
  • Email Content: Review email content for potentially problematic keywords or phrases.
  • Sending Volume: Avoid sudden spikes in sending volume and gradually increase volume when sending to Apple domains.
  • Follow-up Frequency: Ensure follow-ups are not too frequent or aggressive.

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

When Apple blocks emails due to a 'local policy' issue, the primary recommendation is to proactively engage with Apple's postmaster for direct assistance. Ensure your email practices are aligned with Apple's policies, including proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene (removing inactive subscribers), and responsible sending volume. Review content for potentially problematic keywords, maintain a good sender reputation, and avoid aggressive follow-up practices.

Key opinions

  • Contact Apple Postmaster: Engaging with Apple's postmaster is frequently cited as a direct and effective way to resolve blocking issues.
  • Authentication is Key: Properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for deliverability to Apple domains.
  • List Hygiene Matters: Maintaining a clean and engaged subscriber list improves sender reputation and deliverability.
  • Content Review: Carefully review email content for keywords or phrases that may trigger Apple's spam filters.
  • Reputation: Ensure sender reputation is good, if not it will hinder all chances of email being delivered.

Key considerations

  • Bounce Message: Always check the bounce message for specific reasons for rejection to guide your troubleshooting efforts.
  • IP Blacklists: Verify your IP address is not on any blacklists, as this can significantly impact deliverability.
  • Sending Volume: Maintain consistent and reasonable sending volumes, especially when sending to Apple domains, to avoid triggering security measures.
  • Follow-up Frequency: Avoid overly frequent or aggressive follow-up practices that can lead to being blocked.
  • Be Prompt: Contact the postmaster as soon as the block is identified.
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailGeek.org shares that it’s possible to be delisted and suggests checking the bounce string for a URL and contacting Apple's postmaster for help.

November 2022 - EmailGeek.org
Marketer view

Email marketer from emailonacid.com explains the need to check sender reputation is good and to maintain consistent sending volumes to avoid triggering security.

January 2022 - emailonacid.com
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains the need to ensure your IP address isn't on any blacklists as this could be causing the issue.

May 2022 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from postmarkapp.com advises segmenting your email list and gradually increasing sending volume to Apple domains to establish a positive sending reputation.

May 2024 - postmarkapp.com
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that they experienced a similar issue and contacting Apple's postmaster with detailed information about email practices resolved the problem within hours.

May 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that you should review recent email content for any potentially problematic keywords or phrases that might trigger Apple's filters.

September 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid shares to check your email list hygiene and remove inactive or unengaged subscribers to improve your sender reputation with Apple.

August 2021 - SendGrid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailgun recommends ensuring your sending domain is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve deliverability to Apple domains.

January 2023 - Mailgun
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Apple postmaster has been very helpful recently, providing human responses.

April 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Woodpecker.co shares to ensure your follow ups are not too frequent, or aggressive which may make you get blocked.

February 2025 - Woodpecker.co

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

When Apple blocks emails due to a 'local policy' issue, experts recommend a multi-faceted approach. Contacting Apple's postmaster with detailed information about email practices is crucial for resolution. Understanding and adhering to Apple's email policies, particularly regarding consent and list management, is emphasized. Reviewing email content for spam triggers and ensuring proper authentication and sending infrastructure are also essential.

Key opinions

  • Contact Apple Postmaster: Direct communication with Apple's postmaster, providing detailed information, is a key step for resolving the block.
  • Adhere to Apple's Policies: Understanding and adhering to Apple's specific email policies, especially regarding consent and list management, is vital.
  • Review Content and Infrastructure: Reviewing email content for spam triggers and ensuring proper authentication and sending infrastructure are important for preventing future blocks.

Key considerations

  • Bounce String: Check the bounce string for specific error messages or URLs that may provide clues to the reason for the block.
  • List Management: Ensure best practices for acquiring and maintaining subscriber lists, including explicit opt-in and easy unsubscribe mechanisms, are followed.
  • Authentication: Ensure your sending infrastructure is properly configured and authenticated.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that it’s possible to be delisted and suggests checking the bounce string for a URL and contacting Apple's postmaster for help.

May 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares his experience of contacting Apple postmaster, explaining the error, email types, acquisition methods, and unsubscribe processes, which led to a resolution within a few hours.

November 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource shares that a 'local policy' bounce could mean Apple's filters have flagged your content or sending patterns. Review your email content for spam triggers and ensure your sending infrastructure is properly configured and authenticated. Contacting Apple's postmaster is crucial to understanding the specific reason for the block.

September 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of understanding and adhering to Apple's specific email policies and guidelines, particularly regarding consent and list management. Apple heavily penalizes senders who do not follow best practices for acquiring and maintaining subscriber lists, including explicit opt-in and easy unsubscribe mechanisms.

February 2025 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
3Technical articles

When Apple blocks emails citing a 'local policy' issue, documentation suggests a three-pronged approach: first, examine the bounce message for specific error details. Second, ensure your sending practices align with Apple's guidelines, reviewing both content and infrastructure. Finally, be prepared to directly communicate with Apple's mail server administrator to clarify the exact cause, as 'local policy' errors can be implementation-specific.

Key findings

  • Check Bounce Messages: Examine bounce messages for specific details regarding the reason for rejection.
  • Review Sending Practices: Ensure your sending practices comply with Apple's guidelines, including content and infrastructure.
  • Communicate with Apple: Direct communication with Apple's mail server administrator may be necessary for clarification, due to the implementation-specific nature of 'local policy' errors.

Key considerations

  • Address Validity: Verify the recipient's email address is valid and active.
  • Content Filtering: Understand that 'local policy' errors often indicate content filtering or policy violations.
  • Implementation Specifics: Recognize that SMTP error codes related to 'local policy' can be implementation-specific, requiring direct inquiry.
Technical article

Documentation from RFC explains that SMTP error codes, including those related to 'local policy,' are often implementation-specific and require direct communication with the recipient's mail server administrator (Apple in this case) for clarification.

April 2022 - RFC-Editor
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost explains that 'Message rejected due to local policy' often indicates content filtering or policy violations on the recipient's (Apple's) side and advises reviewing your email content and sending practices.

April 2021 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from Apple Support suggests checking the bounce message for specific reasons for rejection, ensuring your sending practices comply with Apple's guidelines, and verifying the recipient's email address is valid and active.

January 2025 - Apple Support