Why are emails sent via Mailchimp delivered successfully but not received by Microsoft accounts?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from EmailToolTester shares that setting up feedback loops with Microsoft can help identify and address deliverability issues. Feedback loops provide information about spam complaints from recipients.
Email marketer from Mailjet suggests gradually increasing email volume when using a new IP address (IP warming) to establish a good sending reputation with Microsoft.
Email marketer from Litmus explains that email content can trigger spam filters. Avoid using spam trigger words, excessive links, or large images. Ensure the email content is relevant and engaging.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that the first step is to check the recipient's spam or junk folder. Sometimes, emails are filtered there due to aggressive spam filters.
Email marketer from StackExchange suggests that the IP address used by Mailchimp might have a poor reputation with Microsoft. Microsoft could be blocking emails from that IP due to past spam activity.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that Microsoft is known for "vanishing" emails after accepting them.
Email marketer from Email Geeks states that emails may be delivered into the junk folder, and that you can ask the ESP to try and mitigate the reputation issues with Microsoft.
Email marketer from Sendgrid shares that using a dedicated IP address helps in building a positive reputation with ISPs, including Microsoft, by ensuring that only the sender's email traffic is associated with that IP.
Email marketer from Gmass shares that segmenting email lists and sending targeted emails can improve engagement and deliverability. Sending relevant content to specific groups of recipients reduces the likelihood of spam complaints.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that this is a pattern that is seen with MS, especially with reputation issues and you can request that your ESP try to mitigate the issue with MS.
Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that poor list hygiene can lead to deliverability issues. Regularly cleaning the email list by removing inactive or invalid email addresses can improve sending reputation.
What the experts say7Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks notes that Microsoft sometimes accepts emails but then effectively discards them, causing them to disappear.
Expert from Email Geeks states that if an ESP cannot provide a rejection message upon request, it's time to consider switching to a different ESP.
Expert from Email Geeks cautions that if the core issue is the client's reputation, simply changing ESPs might not resolve the problem, as the issues could be domain-based reputation problems.
Expert from Email Geeks advises escalating issues with Microsoft and emphasizing the problem of emails disappearing after acceptance. They recommend including the 'd=' value and selector value in communications.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that Microsoft heavily relies on sender reputation. New IPs or domains, or those with low engagement, may face deliverability challenges. Building a positive reputation with consistent sending practices and good content is crucial for reaching Microsoft inboxes.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that ESPs are unlikely to allow direct contact with Microsoft about shared IPs due to the involvement of multiple senders' email data. However they do say you can open a ticket with MS with mailchimp's shared IPs.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that Microsoft's filtering is complex and can sometimes block emails even if they pass initial checks. They suggest monitoring your sender reputation and ensuring your email content is high quality and relevant to the recipient.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Mailchimp shares that email authentication methods like SPF and DKIM are properly set up to improve deliverability. Mailchimp provides instructions on how to configure these settings.
Documentation from SparkPost explains that using Microsoft's Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) allows senders to monitor their IP reputation and identify potential issues affecting deliverability to Microsoft accounts.
Documentation from Microsoft Support explains that senders should adhere to Outlook.com's policies, practices, and guidelines to ensure emails are delivered. This includes maintaining a good sending reputation and following best practices for email marketing.
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that using a dedicated IP address can improve email deliverability, especially if the sender has a high email volume and a good sending reputation.
Documentation from Microsoft Support explains that if a sender or domain is blocked, emails will not be delivered to the inbox. The recipient needs to check their blocked senders list and remove the sender if necessary.