Why are Microsoft email addresses bouncing and how do I fix it?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from DigitalMarketer explains that to improve email deliverability, focus on segmentation and personalization. Sending relevant content to specific segments of your audience can improve engagement and reduce bounce rates. Avoid sending the same generic email to your entire list.
Email marketer from EmailOversight shares that issues with Microsoft email addresses often stem from reputation issues. They recommend using Microsoft's JMRP program to receive feedback on spam complaints, ensuring your sending IPs aren't on blocklists, and proactively managing your sender reputation.
Email marketer from Gmass explains that sending cold emails through Microsoft may be problematic if you have a low domain reputation. Focus on improving the domain reputation by using a custom tracking domain.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog shares that improving email deliverability to Microsoft and other domains involves warming up your IP address, authenticating your emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, maintaining a clean email list by removing inactive subscribers, and monitoring your sender reputation using tools like Microsoft's SNDS.
Email marketer from SendGrid shares that email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is critical to confirming the authenticity of your emails and achieving deliverability. Make sure these are properly configured at your domain for maximum deliverability.
Email marketer from Mailjet responds that to improve Microsoft email deliverability, you need to ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), segment your email list, send engaging content, and regularly monitor your sender reputation. High bounce rates or low engagement can lead to deliverability issues.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests asking the MS deliverability support team to allow mitigation for the IP and set up appropriate throttle on the outbound IP.
Email marketer from an Email Marketing Forum suggests that one possible cause is a sudden spike in email volume. Microsoft may view this as suspicious activity and temporarily block your emails. Gradually increasing your sending volume can help mitigate this issue.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that Hotmail/Outlook bounces can often be related to IP reputation. Check if your IP is on any blocklists. If you are using a shared IP, your deliverability can be affected by the sending habits of others using the same IP.
Email marketer from Stackoverflow mentions that issues with Microsoft can arise from sending emails that trigger their spam filters. Review the content of your email to ensure it's not overly promotional or uses spam trigger words. Also, ensure you have a clear and easy unsubscribe process.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that cleaning your email list regularly by removing inactive or invalid addresses is critical to maintaining a good sender reputation. High bounce rates negatively impact your deliverability across all email providers, including Microsoft.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that Hotmail/Outlook is notorious for aggressive throttling, especially for new IPs or sudden volume increases. Consistent volume and gradual warm-up are essential.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that Microsoft may block email sent from EC2 or SES. It is important to look at bounce messages, investigate customer sending practices, and consider custom reverse DNS. If complaints are low, mail might be going to spam. Custom rDNS can clarify dedicated IPs to Amazon, reducing spillover from neighbors and confirming the source of issues.
Expert from Word to the Wise recommends enrolling in Microsoft's JMRP to receive feedback on spam complaints, enabling you to identify and address potential issues with your sending practices.
Expert from Spam Resource shares the importance of maintaining a good IP reputation with Microsoft. Monitor your IP's health in SNDS and promptly address any complaints or issues.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Microsoft Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) is a valuable resource for understanding your sending reputation with Microsoft and troubleshooting deliverability problems. You can track complaint rates and identify potentially problematic campaigns.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC explains that SPF records specify which mail servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Incorrect or missing SPF records can cause Microsoft and other email providers to reject emails from your domain, leading to bounce messages.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that implementing DMARC helps prevent email spoofing and phishing attacks. It allows you to specify how receiving email servers should handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks, reducing the likelihood of your emails being marked as spam or rejected.
Documentation from Microsoft Docs explains that bounce messages (NDRs) can indicate various issues like incorrect email addresses, recipient server problems, or sender policy framework (SPF) failures. Review the specific error code within the bounce message to diagnose the cause.
Documentation from Microsoft SNDS explains that the Sender Network Data Services (SNDS) allows you to monitor the health and status of your sending IP addresses to Microsoft domains. This involves signing up with a Microsoft account, verifying your IP ownership, and reviewing the data provided to identify issues like spam complaints or trap hits.