What steps can I take to resolve email deliverability issues and improve my sender reputation?

Summary

To resolve email deliverability issues and improve sender reputation, both marketers and official documentation highlight the importance of a multi-faceted approach. Key aspects include rigorous list hygiene practices such as double opt-in, regular scrubbing of inactive subscribers, and avoiding purchased lists. Email authentication via SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential to verify sender identity and prevent spoofing. Sending relevant, personalized content to segmented audiences enhances engagement. Proactive deliverability management, involving auditing email practices, setting stakeholder expectations, and continuously monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and feedback loops, is crucial. Other considerations include securing signup forms, configuring reverse DNS, complying with anti-spam regulations, and providing easy unsubscribe options.

Key findings

  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean and engaged email list through double opt-in, regular scrubbing, and avoiding purchased lists is paramount.
  • Email Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential for verifying sender identity and improving deliverability rates.
  • Proactive Deliverability: A proactive approach, involving regular audits, planning, and continuous monitoring, is crucial for long-term deliverability success.
  • Content and Segmentation: Delivering relevant, personalized content to segmented audiences increases engagement and reduces spam complaints.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation through Google Postmaster Tools, blacklists, and feedback loops helps identify and address deliverability issues promptly.

Key considerations

  • Signup Form Security: Protect signup forms from abuse using CAPTCHA or honeypots to prevent spam signups and maintain list quality.
  • Reverse DNS: Properly configure reverse DNS so that sending IP addresses resolve back to the sending domain, enhancing credibility.
  • Anti-Spam Compliance: Comply with anti-spam regulations like CAN-SPAM to avoid penalties and maintain a positive sender reputation.
  • Unsubscribe Options: Provide clear and easy-to-use unsubscribe options to maintain a healthy and engaged subscriber base.
  • Feedback Loops: Implement and actively monitor feedback loops with major ISPs to promptly identify and remove subscribers who mark emails as spam.
  • Email Surveys: Capture emails in surveys at the end and make optional to reduce invalid entries.

What email marketers say
14Marketer opinions

To resolve email deliverability issues and improve sender reputation, marketers and experts emphasize several key areas. List hygiene is critical, including using double opt-in, regularly cleaning the list by removing inactive subscribers and invalid emails, and avoiding purchased lists. Email authentication through SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential. Sending relevant, personalized content and segmenting the audience are also important. Monitoring sender reputation via tools like Google Postmaster Tools, checking blacklists, analyzing bounce rates and spam complaints is advised. Other considerations include ensuring signup forms are protected against abuse (e.g., using CAPTCHA or honeypots), configuring reverse DNS, sending RFC compliant email, and providing easy ways for users to unsubscribe. Reducing sending volume initially, focusing on engagement, and using feedback loops can also assist in improving deliverability.

Key opinions

  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean email list by using double opt-in, removing inactive subscribers, and avoiding purchased lists is crucial for good deliverability.
  • Email Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential to verify the authenticity of your emails and improve sender reputation.
  • Content Relevance: Sending relevant and personalized content to segmented audiences increases engagement and improves deliverability.
  • Sender Reputation Monitoring: Regularly monitor your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools, and check blacklists and spam complaints to identify and address issues.

Key considerations

  • Signup Form Security: Protect signup forms against abuse using CAPTCHA or honeypots to prevent spam signups.
  • Reverse DNS Configuration: Ensure proper configuration of reverse DNS so that sending IP addresses resolve back to your sending domain.
  • RFC Compliance: Send RFC-compliant email to avoid being flagged as spam.
  • Unsubscribe Options: Provide easy and accessible ways for subscribers to unsubscribe from your email list.
  • Feedback Loops: Implement and monitor feedback loops with major ISPs to identify and remove problematic subscribers based on spam complaints.
  • Email Surveys: If conducting surveys, make email capture optional or capture at the end to ensure accurate information is collected from users.
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot shares that improving email deliverability requires focusing on list segmentation, personalization, and sending relevant content to your subscribers. They also emphasize the importance of cleaning your email list regularly and monitoring your sender reputation.

December 2021 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that Gmail will not block based on a SORBS listing. They use their own metrics to block. Suggests starting with Google Postmaster Tools and see where you’re at. Explains if Google is blocking you, it’s because their users are telling them your mail is unwanted and it’s all about your list and how you add emails to it.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that in their experience, Gmail doesn't use SORBS so they would be surprised if those two problems were the cause & effect (SORBS listing leading to Gmail rejections), but they do likely share the same root cause which is a lack of list hygiene. That could be your collection process, your management process, or both. Asks about subscription process, and how often you sunset inactive subscribers and if using single or double opt-in?

December 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that the best way to maintain a strong sender reputation is to only send mail people have asked for, follow email authentication best practices, and provide ways for your subscribers to easily update their preferences or unsubscribe from your email list.

March 2025 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Quora explains that to avoid emails going to spam, you should keep your email list clean, don't purchase email lists, use double opt-in, personalize your emails, and include an easy way for recipients to unsubscribe.

January 2024 - Quora
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that for the short-term, though, you'll probably want to identify the bad part(s) of the list, severely reduce volume, focus on engagement, and wait. SORBS is probably not a big deal, and will resolve on its own with time and effort.

October 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackExchange shares that it's important to ensure that you properly configure reverse DNS so that your sending IP addresses resolve back to your sending domain. Also, make sure you are sending RFC compliant email.

April 2021 - StackExchange
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that improving email reputation in the long term includes sending relevant content, using double opt-in, consistently scrubbing invalid emails from the list and engaging with subscribers on a frequent basis.

April 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that asking for email address during a survey, while common, can lead to poor data quality. A lot of people don't want to provide an email address so early in the relationship and will provide bad information to bypass the requirement but proceed with the results. Suggests pushing that til the end of the survey, make it optional, and be sure you're doing double opt-in.

July 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel shares that one should focus on building a quality email list through double opt-in, cleaning your list regularly to remove inactive subscribers, and segmenting your audience to send relevant content. They also advise using a reputable email service provider (ESP) and monitoring your sender reputation.

September 2023 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that improving sender reputation involves consistently sending valuable content, avoiding spam triggers, authenticating your emails, and maintaining a clean email list. They also emphasize the importance of engaging with subscribers and promptly handling complaints.

October 2024 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that to troubleshoot email deliverability issues, check your IP address against blacklists, review your email authentication settings, and analyze your bounce rates and spam complaints. They also recommend testing your emails with different email clients and devices.

February 2025 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests the signup form may be vulnerable to attack and asks if there is a captcha and/or honeypot on this form, or anything to combat signup form abuse?

March 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit advises using a tool to check your emails for spam flags, which will then give tips on what to correct and improve the email to reduce the likelihood of the email being flagged as spam.

December 2023 - Reddit

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

Experts emphasize a proactive approach to email deliverability management, which includes setting clear expectations, auditing current practices, identifying gaps, and creating a plan for improvement. Continuous monitoring of sender reputation, by regularly checking blacklists, analyzing bounce rates, and tracking spam complaints, is crucial. Implementing and actively monitoring feedback loops with major ISPs is also recommended to promptly address spam complaints and maintain a healthy sender reputation.

Key opinions

  • Proactive Management: Proactive deliverability management is essential for long-term success, involving a structured approach to planning, implementation, and monitoring.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Regularly monitoring sender reputation through blacklists, bounce rates, and spam complaints is critical for identifying deliverability issues.
  • Feedback Loops: Implementing and monitoring feedback loops with ISPs helps to identify and remove problematic subscribers, preventing further damage to sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Stakeholder Expectations: Set realistic expectations with stakeholders regarding email deliverability and the efforts required to maintain a positive reputation.
  • Comprehensive Audits: Conduct thorough audits of current email practices to identify weaknesses and areas for improvement.
  • Continuous Improvement: Email deliverability is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and adjustments to maintain a positive sender reputation.
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource explains that monitoring your sender reputation is crucial for identifying and addressing deliverability issues. This involves regularly checking blacklists, analyzing bounce rates, and tracking spam complaints to ensure your emails reach the intended recipients.

February 2023 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise shares the need to implement and actively monitor feedback loops (FBLs) with major ISPs. Feedback loops provide valuable data on spam complaints, allowing you to quickly identify and remove problematic subscribers from your list, thus preventing further damage to your sender reputation.

December 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that proactive deliverability management involves setting expectations with stakeholders, auditing current email practices, identifying gaps, creating a plan, implementing changes, and continuously monitoring results. This includes things like authentication, list hygiene and feedback loops.

October 2021 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Official documentation emphasizes email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC as a primary step to ensure deliverability. Maintaining a consistent sending IP address and volume, along with monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and SendGrid's platform, is also crucial. Proper configuration of sending infrastructure, compliance with anti-spam regulations (e.g., CAN-SPAM), segmenting email lists, and personalizing messages are recommended for improving email deliverability and mitigating email spoofing.

Key findings

  • Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC): Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records is a fundamental requirement to authenticate your email and improve deliverability.
  • Sender Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and SendGrid's platform provides insights into deliverability issues.
  • Consistent Sending Practices: Maintaining a consistent sending IP address and volume helps establish trust with email providers.
  • Email Spoofing Protection: SPF and other authentication methods protect against email spoofing and phishing attacks by verifying the sender's domain.

Key considerations

  • Dedicated IP Address: Using a dedicated IP address can provide greater control over sender reputation and deliverability.
  • Anti-Spam Compliance: Complying with anti-spam regulations such as CAN-SPAM is essential to avoid penalties and maintain a positive sender reputation.
  • List Segmentation & Personalization: Segmenting email lists and personalizing messages can improve engagement and deliverability.
  • Infrastructure Configuration: Properly configuring sending infrastructure ensures emails are delivered correctly and efficiently.
Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid explains that implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are crucial for verifying your email's authenticity and improving deliverability. They also recommend using a dedicated IP address and monitoring your sending reputation through their platform.

December 2023 - SendGrid Documentation
Technical article

Documentation from RFC explains that Sender Policy Framework (SPF) for Authorizing Use of Domains in Email, Version 1 is to define a mechanism that permits explicit authorization of hosts to send mail with a domain. This mechanism aims to supplement existing mechanisms to reduce the problem of email address forgery and spam, and it is independent of the transport protocol. Email address forgery (also known as "email spoofing") occurs when the sender address of an email is altered to appear as if the email was sent by someone other than the actual sender. Email spoofing has become a large problem on the Internet, as it enables "phishing" (attempting to acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity). Email spoofing is also used by spammers, since forging the sender's address increases the difficulty of tracing the spam to its source, and reduces the effectiveness of blacklists.

August 2021 - RFC
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Docs explains that to improve email deliverability, ensure your sending infrastructure is properly configured, use a dedicated IP address, monitor bounce rates and spam complaints, and comply with anti-spam regulations such as CAN-SPAM. They also advise segmenting your email lists and personalizing your messages.

December 2021 - Microsoft Docs
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that to ensure mail is delivered to Gmail users, authenticate your email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. They also recommend using a consistent sending IP address, keeping your sending rate consistent, and monitoring your sender reputation using Google Postmaster Tools.

October 2022 - Google Workspace Admin Help