Why are Yahoo and AOL email engagement and delivery rates dropping?

Email marketer from Litmus shares that poor mobile optimization can lead to lower engagement rates with Yahoo and AOL as email users will ignore emails not optimized for their devices. Increase rendering on smaller screens or other devices.

Email marketer from ReturnPath (now Validity) talks about importance of using feedback loops to help identify and remove users who mark the email as spam improving delivery rates.

Email marketer from Neil Patel highlights the role of user engagement in Yahoo/AOL filtering algorithms. He notes that low open rates and high unsubscribe rates can negatively impact deliverability, suggesting senders focus on providing valuable content and segmenting their audience effectively.

Marketer from Email Geeks reports a 50% drop in Yahoo/AOL engagement starting Friday the 25th and a 3x increase in "mailbox not found" and "mailbox disabled" responses.

Email marketer from EmailVendorSelection explains that as Yahoo and AOL's market share declines, ESPs may deprioritize specific optimization and troubleshooting efforts related to deliverability to these providers, leading to a perceived drop in performance.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that their clients sending to Yahoo/AOL are seeing drastic changes in engagement or are outright blocked by 421/TSS04s.

Email marketer from Mailjet states that poor list hygiene (e.g., sending to inactive or invalid email addresses) significantly impacts deliverability. Yahoo/AOL, like other major providers, penalize senders with high bounce rates, leading to filtering or blocking.

Email marketer from WordStream explains that decreased deliverability to Yahoo/AOL can be attributed to stricter spam filters, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a clean email list and avoiding spam trigger words to improve sender reputation.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that recent changes in Yahoo/AOL's algorithms are prioritizing user engagement more heavily. They advise monitoring sender reputation metrics and adjusting sending practices to align with user preferences, such as sending more targeted content.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that their Yahoo open rates are very deflated and some IPs are temp failing since yesterday, suggesting something weird is going on.

Marketer from Email Geeks says they've seen an aggressive decrease in engagement since the 24th.

Email marketer from SendGrid shares the importance of gradually warming up new IP addresses before sending large email volumes to Yahoo/AOL. A sudden spike in sending volume from a new IP can trigger spam filters and negatively impact deliverability.

Marketer from Email Geeks reports a 50% decrease in engagement since Friday and some IPs with TSS04 and TSS05 deferrals, with rolling back sending speed not making a difference.

Email marketer from HubSpot suggests that using deceptive or misleading subject lines can negatively affect your sender reputation with Yahoo and AOL. Optimize your subject lines to accurately reflect the email content and avoid spam trigger words.

Expert from Word to the Wise talks about deliverability as a moving target. They share that Yahoo and AOL's constantly evolving filtering mechanisms make it more difficult to maintain consistent deliverability. They recommends continuous monitoring and adaptation to algorithm updates. It could be from things such as your sending habits.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that Yahoo and AOL filters are reacting to content as well as reputation and infrastructure. This can include URLs, wording, and images within the email body. Changes here may have an immediate effect on deliverability even if sender reputation is good.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that TSS04/5 errors indicate a reputation issue and the need to focus on building positive reputation, reducing bounces and complaints.

Documentation from AOL Postmaster highlights the critical role of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) in maintaining deliverability. It specifies that unauthenticated emails are more likely to be filtered as spam, and provides technical details for implementing these protocols correctly.

Documentation from Yahoo Help outlines guidelines for bulk email senders, emphasizing the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and providing clear unsubscribe options. It notes that failure to comply with these guidelines can lead to deliverability issues and filtering.

Documentation from DMARC.org explains how Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) policies give domain owners control over how email receivers handle unauthenticated emails. Implementing a DMARC policy helps protect against spoofing and phishing, which can improve deliverability rates overall with Yahoo/AOL and other providers.

Documentation from Spamhaus outlines the importance of maintaining a positive sender reputation. This includes managing bounce rates, complaint rates, and avoiding being listed on blocklists. Poor sender reputation can lead to decreased deliverability to major providers like Yahoo/AOL.