What should I do if Gmail blocks my email after using a purchased list?

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog recommends regularly cleaning your email list to remove unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses. This helps improve your sender reputation and deliverability. They advise using tools to identify and remove these problematic addresses and implementing a sunset policy to automatically remove inactive subscribers.

Email marketer from StackOverflow states to completely stop emailing purchased addresses! Email service providers (ESPs) are very good at detecting this, and they will blacklist you in a hurry. You'll need to take some serious action to attempt to clean it up

Email marketer from Gmass advises segmenting your email lists into highly engaged and unengaged subscribers. Focus on sending to the engaged segment first to improve your sender reputation, and remove unengaged subscribers. He also recommends setting up feedback loops to get feedback from ESPs, such as Gmail and Yahoo, about complaints.

Email marketer from Email on Acid states that one of the first things to address is email authentication. If you haven’t set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your domain, now’s the time. ISPs use these records to verify that you are who you say you are, so having them in place is vital for improving sender reputation.

Email marketer from Email Geeks advises against swapping IP or domain. They recommend opening a ticket with Google Postmasters, stopping sending to Gmail and Google Workspaces for at least 7 days, then slowly warming up Gmail from scratch with the most engaged subscribers. They state it will probably take 6 to 9 months to get back to all green with Gmail.

Email marketer from Email Geeks advises checking for spam traps and blacklisting at SPAMHAUS. They agree with previous advice to not change IP or sending domain, immediately stop sending to Gmail, remove the purchased list, and refrain from sending to Gmail for 15-30 days. They recommend a very slow rewarming process, starting with low volumes and gradually increasing.

Email marketer from Reddit states that the best course of action is to stop sending to the purchased list immediately. They state damage is done, so create a new IP, authenticate that properly then email warm it up slowly. After this email only engage audiences.

Email marketer from Sender Blog advises to first identify the problem, which in this case is using a purchased list. Stop sending immediately, clean your list by removing unengaged and invalid addresses, authenticate your email, and request to be removed from any blacklists. Then, slowly warm up your IP address by sending to highly engaged subscribers first.

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog advises against using purchased lists and suggests focusing on building an organic list. If you've already used a purchased list and are experiencing deliverability issues, they recommend cleaning your list by removing unengaged subscribers, setting up authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and warming up your IP address.

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that while you can't typically identify spam trap email addresses directly, tools like 250ok/Everest report on the number and types of spam traps hit. This information can help discuss data acquisition and validation methods with the sender. They stress focusing on data quality because spam traps are ever-changing.

Email marketer from Web Hosting Talk forum details a quick guide for how to resolve an issue around IP/Domain Reputation. Some of their tips include getting off blacklists, using tools to analyse, and check your DNS is working. They also mention to make sure the emails you are sending are opt-in emails.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that list bombing will ruin your deliverability and is difficult to recover from. They state you will be blocked and it will take a long time to recover your reputation. They also highly discourage the use of purchased lists and recommend building your list organically.

Expert from Spam Resource warns against using purchased lists. They state these lists often contain spam traps and invalid email addresses, which will damage your sender reputation. They also state that sending to people who haven't opted in is unethical and can lead to legal issues.

Expert from Email Geeks quotes a Google postmaster, advising to "rest your resources," meaning to stop sending for a while so the block will fall off.

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help emphasizes the importance of sending wanted mail. They recommend only sending to users who want to hear from you and providing easy unsubscription options. They also state that buying email lists is against their policies and can result in deliverability issues.

Documentation from RFC details the DKIM authentication framework. DKIM allows an organization to take responsibility for a message by associating a domain name with it, providing a means to verify the sender's identity and the message's integrity. Implementing DKIM helps prevent email spoofing and phishing attempts.

Documentation from SparkPost highlights that sender reputation is based on various factors, including spam complaints, bounce rates, and engagement. Using purchased lists typically leads to poor reputation due to low engagement and high complaint rates. They recommend focusing on acquiring subscribers organically and maintaining a clean list.

Documentation from Microsoft states to ensure to use a double opt-in, so new subscribers confirm their interest in receiving emails, it helps reduce spam complaints. Also Microsoft highlights that it is essential to provide clear and easy opt-out options in every email. When recipients can easily unsubscribe, they are less likely to mark your emails as spam.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) which uses SPF and DKIM to determine the authenticity of an email message. It allows domain owners to specify how email receivers should handle messages that fail authentication checks, providing an additional layer of security against email spoofing and phishing.