Why did FBL spam rate and identifier counts drop to zero affecting inbox placement?
Summary
What email marketers say13Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailchimp explains that sudden changes in delivery rates (and potentially related spam metrics) can stem from alterations in sending volume, content triggers, or recipient engagement. They advise reviewing recent campaign changes and segmenting lists based on engagement to improve deliverability.
Marketer from Email Geeks recommends establishing a baseline for expected metrics from each affiliate and setting up alerts for deviations, in addition to email validation. They also advise throttling sends to affiliate leads to identify problems before they affect overall deliverability.
Marketer from Email Geeks advises that bad data from affiliate feeds can quickly damage sending reputation and that the presence of spam traps indicates poor data quality. Even removing traps, the data from a bad affiliate source is suspect. Repeatedly sending to trap addresses will cause a problem, regardless of whether you stop sending after a few days.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that deliverability fluctuations, including unexpected spam rates, often correlate with changes in sender reputation due to sending behavior or content. Litmus suggests monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
Email marketer from SparkPost explains that low engagement, combined with the potential of a block, could cause a spam score of 0 as no one sees the email to even mark it as spam. Clean the list to remove any potentially risky users, and engage users appropriately.
Email marketer from Reddit user u/EmailExpert responds that sometimes a spam rate of zero actually means all your email is going straight to the spam folder without the users ever seeing it. Ensure you are correctly configured with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC as these are key signals for inbox placement.
Email marketer from EmailGeeks Forum user SarahK responds that sometimes a sudden drop across the board may mean that some kind of new spam filter has triggered and that the problem isn't your email, but the users client is not getting any emails from anyone, have a few of your customers who have had this problem submit the issue as a bug to their client
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that a sudden drop in engagement, which may include spam scores, can be caused by changes in audience behavior, algorithm updates by email providers, or issues with your sending reputation. He advises analyzing data to pinpoint the cause.
Email marketer from StackOverflow user MailGuru answers that a zero-spam report might indicate a problem with FBL reporting itself, or an indication that emails aren't even making it to the inbox to be marked as spam. It's crucial to check raw bounces, and ensure mail servers are properly configured.
Email marketer from SendGrid shares that inbox placement issues often arise from poor list hygiene and authentication issues. If your spam rate is inexplicably low, it might be that your mail is going straight to the spam folder without being registered as spam complaints. Improving authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and cleaning your list are recommended.
Marketer from Email Geeks advises checking DNS records, monitoring domain reputation, and observing open rate drops. Rob shares that domain reputation often drops before inbox issues become apparent and that seed accounts can show warning signs.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that the drop in inbox placement, combined with the FBL being a multiplier, could explain the zero spam rate.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests the sender might be in 'Gmail purgatory,' where only highly engaged users receive emails in their inbox. Rob advises reducing volume to the most engaged subscribers and segmenting less engaged users, as sending to users who mark emails as spam can negatively impact inbox placement.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that a sudden and complete drop in spam complaints, along with decreased inbox placement, strongly suggests you're being blocked or filtered aggressively. Focus on identifying the cause of the filtering (list quality, sending reputation, content, etc.) and addressing it with the ISPs.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that there is no spam to report if the email is in the bulk folder.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that issues with feedback loops (FBLs) themselves can lead to incorrect or missing spam reports. Check that the FBL is properly set up and functioning with the ISPs you're sending to. Ensure you're correctly authenticating mail to enable FBL reporting.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC explains that a misconfigured Feedback Loop Reporting setup may be causing an error. Verify with your email provider if you are getting the correct feedback loops.
Documentation from Amazon SES Documentation explains that if your FBL spam rate and identifier counts in GTP suddenly went to zero, it could indicate that you've been completely blocked from sending to Gmail users, or there's a problem in the feedback loop. Double check settings are correct.
Documentation from Microsoft Documentation responds that zero spam complaints or other unusual metrics could indicate that emails are being blocked entirely, impacting metrics. It recommends checking blocklists and ensuring compliance with Microsoft's sending policies.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that a low sender reputation can cause emails to be marked as spam or not delivered. A sudden drop indicates potential problems with sending practices, list hygiene, or content quality. They advise monitoring your reputation score for sudden changes.