Why are my emails going to spam after IP warming despite good domain reputation?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Stack Overflow recommends using email testing tools to preview emails across different email clients and devices, ensuring optimal rendering and reducing the likelihood of being marked as spam.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor explains that segmenting your email list and sending targeted content to specific groups can improve engagement metrics and reduce the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
Email marketer from Mailjet emphasizes the importance of gradually increasing sending volume during IP warming, starting with small batches to engaged subscribers. They also recommend monitoring deliverability metrics closely and adjusting sending practices as needed.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that common spam triggers include using spammy words, having a poor sender reputation, not authenticating emails (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and sending to inactive email addresses.
Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that several factors influence inbox placement, including sender reputation, email authentication, engagement metrics (open rates, click-through rates), spam complaints, and the content of the email itself.
Email marketer from HubSpot advises that enrolling in feedback loops with major ISPs helps identify and address spam complaints quickly, improving sender reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from Email on Acid emphasizes that sending relevant and engaging content to subscribers increases open rates and click-through rates, signaling to ISPs that the email is wanted and reducing the chances of it being marked as spam.
Email marketer from Litmus recommends that maintaining clean email lists is crucial. Regularly remove inactive subscribers and invalid email addresses to improve engagement rates and sender reputation.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that building a sending reputation with a dedicated IP takes time and requires a warmup plan. The low volume of test messages might not be sufficient signals for filters. Also, there might be a problem with email authentication (SPF, DKIM, or DMARC).
Email marketer from GlockApps recommends using seed list testing to monitor inbox placement across different ISPs. This helps identify deliverability issues early and make necessary adjustments.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests ensuring you are sending a consistent volume of emails daily to maintain your IP reputation. Fluctuations can negatively impact deliverability, even with good domain reputation.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that even with a good domain reputation, issues during or after IP warming can stem from poor email authentication configurations (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). He emphasizes the need to meticulously verify these settings and ensure they are correctly implemented for the new IP address.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests checking rDNS, HELO settings, IP source and SWIP status, neighbors, upstream ASN, and spam destination when troubleshooting IP warming issues.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that if everything is correctly configured (wanted mail, proper reputation building, SPF/DKIM/DMARC), persistence is key. If problems persist, the issue might be related to volume, either too much or not enough.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that problems after IP warming can relate to content filtering issues or unexpected reputation changes. She suggests reviewing email content for potentially triggering keywords and monitoring IP reputation post-warming, as providers might adjust filtering rules dynamically.
Expert from Spam Resource shares that if you’re warming a shared IP, the actions of other users on that IP can impact your deliverability, regardless of your domain reputation. He suggests closely monitoring deliverability and considering a dedicated IP if problems persist.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Validity (formerly ReturnPath) notes that sender reputation is a critical factor in email deliverability. Maintaining a positive reputation with ISPs is essential for inbox placement.
Documentation from Google Bulk Sender Guidelines specifies that senders must authenticate their email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. They also must keep spam rates below 0.1% and avoid sending unwanted mail. They must also make it easy to unsubscribe.
Documentation from Microsoft explains that Outlook.com uses a variety of signals to filter email, including sender reputation, content filtering, and user feedback. Senders should monitor their reputation and address any issues promptly.
Documentation from RFC 4871 describes how to generate DKIM signatures by using cryptographic keys and adding a DKIM-signature header to outbound emails. It provides detailed steps on generating the keys and using them.
Documentation from RFC 4408 details the correct syntax for SPF records, explaining the use of mechanisms (e.g., 'a', 'mx', 'ip4', 'include') and qualifiers (+, -, ~, ?) to specify authorized sending sources.