What to do when a customer says they aren't receiving marketing emails even after safelisting?

Summary

When a customer reports not receiving marketing emails after safelisting, a comprehensive troubleshooting approach is needed. Start with basic checks: ensure the customer checked their spam folder and the email address is correct. Then, investigate server-side acceptance by examining SMTP transaction logs to confirm if the recipient's server accepted the email. If accepted, the issue lies on the recipient's end. Check SMTP error codes for more information. Authentication is key: ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured. Also, monitor sender reputation via Google Postmaster Tools, as poor reputation overrides safelisting. Review email content for spam triggers and sending limits (AWS SES). Encourage customers to add the sender to their address book and use alternative email addresses for testing. Examine client-side filters by checking custom rules. Don't forget good list hygiene; remove unengaged subscribers and manage complaint rates. Consider dedicated IP addresses. Also check for rendering issues as it might result in unreadable email.

Key findings

  • Transaction Logs Vital: SMTP transaction logs determine if the recipient server accepted the email. This is a crucial step.
  • Authentication Configuration: Correctly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are critical for email authentication and deliverability, even with safelisting.
  • Sender Reputation Matters: A good sender reputation is essential, as poor reputation can override safelisting efforts. Monitor and address complaints promptly.
  • List Hygiene Improves Deliverability: Maintaining a clean, engaged email list enhances overall deliverability, regardless of individual safelisting statuses.
  • Content Can Trigger Filters: Even with safelisting, email content can still trigger spam filters. Avoid spam trigger words and suspicious links.
  • Client-side Filters: The customer might have set a client side rule that moves the emails away from the inbox

Key considerations

  • Customer Actions: Involve the customer in troubleshooting by having them check spam folders, add the sender to their address book, and provide an alternate email address.
  • Troubleshooting Expertise: Diagnosing deliverability issues often requires technical skills, such as analyzing transaction logs and configuring email authentication protocols.
  • Address Issues Proactively: Implement proactive measures to monitor sender reputation, manage complaints, and maintain a clean email list.
  • Rendering Tests: Make sure that emails render correctly across different email clients.
  • Sending Limits: Make sure you haven't exceeded sending limits with your email provider.

What email marketers say
12Marketer opinions

When a customer reports not receiving marketing emails despite safelisting, a multi-faceted troubleshooting approach is necessary. Initial steps involve verifying basic issues, such as checking spam folders and ensuring the customer's email address is correctly entered in the system. More advanced troubleshooting includes analyzing email server logs to confirm acceptance and checking SMTP replies. Technical aspects like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration and sender reputation (via tools like Google Postmaster Tools) should be verified. Furthermore, the content of the emails should be reviewed to avoid triggering spam filters. Other strategies include using dedicated IP addresses, advising customers to add the sender to their address book, checking email client rules, and testing rendering across devices. Using alternative email addresses can isolate domain-specific issues. Addressing high complaint rates and poor list hygiene can also improve deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Basic Checks: Always start by verifying the recipient's spam/junk folder and confirming the accuracy of their email address in your system.
  • Server-Side Acceptance: Check the recipient's email server logs and SMTP replies to ensure your emails are being accepted by their server. If accepted, the problem lies on their end.
  • Authentication: Properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are crucial for verifying the legitimacy of your emails and improving deliverability.
  • Sender Reputation: Maintain a good sender reputation by monitoring feedback loops, addressing complaints, and using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
  • Content Review: Review the content of your emails for spam trigger words, excessive capitalization, and suspicious links that might be triggering spam filters.

Key considerations

  • Customer Involvement: Involve the customer by asking them to check spam folders, provide alternative email addresses, and add your 'From' address to their address book.
  • Technical Expertise: Troubleshooting deliverability issues may require technical expertise, such as analyzing server logs and configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
  • Domain-Specific Issues: If emails are being received at alternative email addresses (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo), the problem may be specific to the recipient's domain or email provider.
  • List Hygiene: Maintaining a clean and engaged email list is essential for improving overall deliverability. Remove unengaged subscribers and address high complaint rates.
  • Rendering: Test emails across different email clients to ensure they are rendering correctly. Poor rendering can lead recipients to believe they are not receiving the emails properly.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue advises checking the recipient's email server logs to see if the emails are being accepted. This can help identify if the emails are being blocked at the server level, despite safelisting.

May 2022 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit suggests asking the customer to provide an alternate email address (e.g., a Gmail or Yahoo address) to see if emails are received there. This can help determine if the issue is specific to their domain or email provider.

July 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests asking the customer if they had created any custom rule recently on their email client and to check if the email is moved to a different folder than inbox.

August 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares their process for troubleshooting email delivery issues, explaining they check if the email was accepted by the receiving server, either at the sending point or the inbound server. They suggest checking the logs to see if the 'from' address is found and what is being done with the email.

November 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel Blog suggests that the first step is to ensure the recipient has checked their spam or junk folder. Sometimes, even after safelisting, emails can still end up there due to overly aggressive spam filters.

October 2023 - Neil Patel Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass shares that using a dedicated IP address can help improve sender reputation and deliverability. A shared IP address might be affected by the sending practices of other users.

April 2023 - Gmass
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests retrieving the SMTP reply resulting from the submissions and sending it to the receiver's admin so they can trace the message, assuming it has been accepted.

December 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that even with safelisting, the content of your emails could be triggering spam filters. Avoid using spam trigger words, excessive capitalization, or suspicious links in your emails.

September 2024 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet recommends confirming that the customer's email address is correct and hasn't been mistyped in your system. A simple typo can prevent emails from being delivered.

April 2023 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackExchange shares ensuring that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are properly configured for your domain. These authentication methods help verify that your emails are legitimate and can improve deliverability, even with safelisting.

December 2022 - StackExchange
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus mentions that while not directly related to delivery, rendering issues might make emails unreadable, leading the customer to believe they aren't receiving them correctly. Test your emails across different email clients and devices.

April 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that asking the recipient to add your 'From' address to their address book can help bypass spam filters, as many email clients prioritize emails from known contacts.

September 2021 - Email on Acid

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

When troubleshooting email delivery issues after a customer has safelisted the sender, experts emphasize the critical role of transaction logs. Examining these logs helps pinpoint where the failure occurs and if the recipient domain accepted the email. If the domain accepts the email, the responsibility shifts to them. However, even with safelisting, high complaint rates can negate its effects, making feedback loop monitoring and prompt complaint resolution essential. Furthermore, maintaining good list hygiene by removing unengaged subscribers remains vital, as poor list quality can negatively impact sender reputation and overall deliverability, even for safelisted recipients.

Key opinions

  • Transaction Logs are Key: Obtaining and analyzing SMTP transaction logs is crucial for identifying the point of failure in email delivery.
  • Recipient Domain Responsibility: If the recipient domain accepts the email according to the transaction logs, the deliverability issue is on their end.
  • Complaint Rates Override Safelisting: High complaint rates can negate the benefits of safelisting, underscoring the need to monitor feedback loops.
  • List Hygiene Matters: Maintaining a clean and engaged email list improves sender reputation and deliverability, regardless of individual safelisting.

Key considerations

  • Access to Logs: Ensuring access to detailed SMTP transaction logs is essential for effective troubleshooting.
  • Proactive Complaint Management: Implement a system to monitor feedback loops and promptly address complaints to maintain a positive sender reputation.
  • List Segmentation: Regularly segment and clean email lists to remove unengaged subscribers and improve overall list hygiene.
  • Balance Safelisting and Reputation: While safelisting can help, it's crucial not to rely on it solely. Focus on building a positive sender reputation through good sending practices.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that even with safelisting, high complaint rates can override that. Monitor feedback loops and address complaints promptly to maintain a positive sender reputation.

January 2025 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that the only fix is to get the SMTP transaction logs to see if the recipient domain is accepting from Pardot. If they are accepting, they have taken responsibility and it is no longer your problem.

September 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of good list hygiene. Even if someone safelists you, if they're on an old, unengaged part of your list, it still hurts your overall reputation and deliverability.

March 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks emphasizes the importance of getting the actual transaction logs to determine where the email delivery failure is happening. They suggest doing a special send to the customer to create a smaller set of logs for easier searching and contacting deliverability support for actual log messages. If the email is accepted, provide timestamps and message ID to recipient domain.

August 2023 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Even when a customer has safelisted a sender, emails can still be blocked for various reasons. Examining SMTP error codes in bounce-back messages is crucial for diagnosing delivery failures, indicating issues like full mailboxes or non-existent domains. Poor sender reputation, as monitored through tools like Google Postmaster Tools, can also cause filtering despite safelisting. Microsoft's Exchange Online Protection (EOP) may apply restrictive settings that override safelisting. Finally, exceeding sending limits with services like AWS SES can prevent email delivery.

Key findings

  • SMTP Error Codes: Check SMTP error codes in bounce-back messages to diagnose delivery failures.
  • Sender Reputation Impact: Poor sender reputation can override safelisting, leading to email filtering.
  • EOP Filtering: Exchange Online Protection (EOP) settings can still filter emails despite safelisting.
  • Sending Limits: Exceeding sending limits with services like AWS SES can prevent email delivery.

Key considerations

  • Error Code Interpretation: Understand the meaning of various SMTP error codes to effectively troubleshoot delivery failures.
  • Reputation Monitoring: Proactively monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
  • EOP Configuration: Review and adjust Exchange Online Protection (EOP) settings to ensure they are not overly restrictive.
  • Limit Management: Monitor and manage sending limits with email sending services to prevent delivery failures.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that poor sender reputation can cause emails to be filtered even if the recipient has safelisted the sender. Monitor your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools to identify and address any issues.

April 2021 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article

Documentation from RFC explains to Check SMTP error codes to understand why the email was not delivered. Look for specific error codes in bounce-back messages to diagnose the reason for failure (e.g., mailbox full, domain not found).

July 2024 - RFC
Technical article

Documentation from AWS explains to verify you haven't exceeded your sending limits. If you're using a service like AWS SES, ensure you haven't hit your sending limits, which could prevent emails from being delivered.

August 2023 - AWS
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft details that Exchange Online Protection (EOP) may still filter emails based on various factors, even if the sender is on a safelist. Review EOP settings and policies to ensure they are not overly restrictive.

January 2022 - Microsoft