Which domain does Google Postmaster Tools Spam Rate graph use?
Summary
What email marketers say10Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Reddit explains that maintaining a good domain reputation is critical for ensuring your emails reach the inbox. A poor domain reputation can result in emails being flagged as spam.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that whether the domain is set up with the Search Console (which GPT shares authentication with) may influence the spam data.
Email Marketer from Sendgrid shares that DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds upon SPF and DKIM by adding a reporting function that allows senders and receivers to improve and monitor protection of the domain from fraudulent email. A DMARC policy allows a sender to indicate that their messages are protected by SPF and/or DKIM, and tells a receiver what to do if neither of those authentication methods passes.
Email Marketer from StackOverflow explains that DMARC policies apply to subdomains. You can configure DMARC to apply policies to all subdomains.
Marketer from Email Geeks states that Google uses the 5322.From domain in the Spam Rate graph.
Email marketer from EmailOnAcid shares that high bounce rates negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability. Regularly clean your email lists to remove invalid or inactive email addresses.
Email Marketer from ZeroBounce explains that DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method designed to detect email spoofing. It allows an organization to take responsibility for transmitting a message, providing a way for mailbox providers to verify that an email message was authorized by the organization.
Email Marketer from Mailjet explains that Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an email authentication method designed to prevent spammers from sending messages on behalf of your domain. SPF records specify which mail servers are authorized to send email from your domain.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests spam complaints populate based on the Feedback-ID header rather than the DKIM domain. As long as the RFC.5322 domain has a Feedback-ID header and no DKIM record, spam complaints should still show.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares their observation that the spam rate graph appears to be more liberal than others. They've noticed that adding a sender to GPT who is not DKIM signing with their own domain results in all graphs being dead except the spam one, which will start to populate.
What the experts say1Expert opinion
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Google Postmaster Tools shows data for domains that have sent a 'significant volume' of email to Gmail users. The precise threshold for 'significant volume' is not publicly disclosed by Google, but the tool requires domain verification, indicating an intent to monitor and improve sending practices.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Google explains that Feedback Loops (FBLs) are mechanisms used by mailbox providers (like Gmail) to identify campaigns that are generating spam complaints. Senders can use FBLs to identify problematic traffic and improve their sending practices.
Documentation from Google states to ensure that your emails are authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Authentication verifies the authenticity of your emails, helping to prevent spoofing and phishing.
Documentation from Google states to monitor your sender reputation in Postmaster Tools. A low reputation can lead to deliverability issues, including emails being marked as spam.
Documentation from RFC describes the Internet Message Format, which specifies the syntax for email messages. This includes the structure of the header and body of an email.