Which ESPs pay Validity for ARF reports and how is the data used?
Summary
What email marketers say16Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that Acoustic is getting ARF report data, so assumes they are paying for it.
Email marketer from Email Vendor Selection explains that many ESPs subscribe to feedback loop (FBL) reports, which are similar to ARF reports, to monitor complaints and improve deliverability. ESPs use this data to identify and address issues like spam traps and high complaint rates within their client base.
Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailExpert responds that having ARF data helps ESPs proactively manage their network and penalize users who generate a lot of complaints, thus protecting their overall reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from Return Path shares that ARF reports are used to identify sources of abuse and improve email authentication practices. By analyzing complaint data, senders can pinpoint specific campaigns or sending practices that are generating negative feedback and take corrective action.
Email marketer from Email Geeks says that campaign identification can't be done, but it would vary a lot, thus more complicated than they'd expect to be done.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that Monitoring complaint rates and maintaining a good sender reputation are key to deliverability, and feedback loops (similar to ARF) are critical for that. So good ESPs will use this to maintain the health of their outbound servers.
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that they aggregate the data they get internally and for users in their interface, so it's helpful to give them some context. They also normalize complaint rates based on the domain volumes they actually get feeds for.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that parsing ARF reports manually can be complex, so many ESPs and senders use dedicated tools or services to automate the processing of this data. These tools typically provide dashboards and analytics to help users identify trends and take action.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that Monitoring and acting upon feedback loops (FBLs) data, similar to ARF reports, is an important practice for email deliverability. This involves identifying the sources of complaints, implementing changes to improve email content, and taking action to stop spam.
Email marketer from Email Geeks expects that Validity data aggregation is by date, not campaign. IDing campaigns is too hard for receivers, probably.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that participating in feedback loops (FBLs), which generate data similar to ARF reports, helps senders maintain good sender reputations. Mailjet actively uses FBL data to ensure its users follow best practices and avoid being flagged as spammers.
Email marketer from Email Geeks states that many ESPs did not pay for ARF reports.
Email marketer from Email Geeks mentions that many ESPs don't normalize complaint rates and people are surprised their complaint rates are higher than they thought.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that other than processing unsubs from it, ARF is not a particularly good way to find actual abuse. Other metrics are better.
Email marketer from Quora User explains that ESPs use ARF to identify spammers and abusive email practices, helping them maintain cleaner IP addresses and better reputations with mailbox providers. They can then take action against offending senders.
Email marketer from Validity Blog shares that mailbox providers use complaint data from feedback loops to identify senders who are generating unwanted emails and block or filter their messages. So ARF reports help inform deliverability decisions on the receiver side.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, answers that feedback loop reports (the data from ARF reports) help senders identify specific campaigns, content, or sending practices that lead to recipient complaints. By analyzing this data, senders can refine their targeting and messaging to reduce complaints and improve engagement.
Expert from Spam Resource, Steve Jones, explains that Feedback Loops (FBLs) and Complaint Feedback Loops (CFBLs) are mechanisms where ISPs provide senders with data about recipients who mark their messages as spam, which is the data that ARF reports provide. By participating in FBLs, ESPs can identify problematic sending practices, improve filtering, and maintain a good sender reputation.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Google explains that While not directly ARF, Google Postmaster Tools allows senders to monitor their spam rates, which is crucial for understanding how users are marking their emails. High spam rates can indicate issues that ARF reports would also highlight, suggesting similar corrective actions are needed.
Documentation from SparkPost explains that they provide tools to help senders analyze their feedback loop data, including information derived from ARF reports. This data helps senders understand their complaint rates and identify potential issues affecting deliverability.
Documentation from RFC Editor specifies the 'The Abuse Reporting Format (ARF)'. It standardizes the format for email feedback reports, including complaint data, making it easier for ESPs and senders to process and act on this information.
Documentation from Validity explains that their Aggregate Report Feedback (ARF) provides summarized complaint data from various mailbox providers. This data helps senders understand overall complaint trends and identify potential issues affecting their email programs.