Why do emails to .com domains send faster than other TLDs and what factors affect email sending speed?

Summary

Email deliverability and sending speed are multifaceted, influenced by factors spanning technical infrastructure, sender behavior, and recipient engagement. While anecdotal evidence suggests faster delivery to .com domains, experts emphasize that TLD is not the primary driver. Instead, sender reputation, email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), content quality, and engagement metrics are crucial. Technical aspects like DNS lookup times, server location, and SMTP protocol play a significant role. ISPs and email providers throttle emails from low-reputation senders, impacting speed. Responsible list management, gradual volume ramping, and continuous monitoring via tools like Gmail Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS are essential for sustained deliverability.

Key findings

  • Sender Reputation is Paramount: A positive sender reputation, built through engaging content, permission-based marketing, and consistent sending patterns, is the cornerstone of email deliverability.
  • Authentication is Essential: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols is vital for verifying sender identity and preventing spoofing, thereby boosting deliverability.
  • Content Matters: High-quality, relevant content that avoids spam triggers is critical for maintaining a good sender reputation and avoiding spam filters.
  • Technical Infrastructure Impacts Speed: DNS lookup times, server location relative to recipients, and the efficiency of the SMTP protocol influence email sending speed.
  • Throttling Affects Delivery: ISPs and email providers throttle emails from low-reputation senders, limiting the number of emails accepted per connection or timeframe, thus impacting delivery speed.

Key considerations

  • Manage Email Lists Responsibly: Practice permission-based marketing, use double opt-in, segment lists for targeted messaging, and provide clear and easy unsubscribe options.
  • Monitor and Analyze Metrics: Continuously monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints to identify and address deliverability issues.
  • Gradually Ramp Up Volume: Avoid sudden spikes in email volume, especially when starting with a new IP or domain, to prevent triggering spam filters and damaging sender reputation.
  • Optimize DNS Settings: Ensure DNS settings are properly configured and utilize a reputable DNS provider to minimize lookup times and improve delivery performance.
  • Use Monitoring Tools: Leverage tools like Gmail Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS to monitor sender reputation and troubleshoot delivery issues proactively.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

While some email marketers observe faster sending speeds to .com domains, this is often attributed to factors beyond the TLD itself. Sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and content quality are crucial. High engagement, clean email lists, double opt-ins, and proper unsubscribe options contribute to a positive sender reputation. Throttling by ISPs, DNS lookup times, and the physical location of sending servers relative to recipient servers also play significant roles in email sending speed. Analyzing per-MX distribution, domain names (especially Gmail and Yahoo), and addressing DNS issues are also key to ensure email deliverability. The quality and reputation of individual domains within a TLD are more impactful than the TLD itself.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: A positive sender reputation is critical for email deliverability and sending speed. Factors contributing to this include engaging content, clean email lists, and proper authentication.
  • Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols is essential to verify the sender's identity and improve deliverability.
  • Content Quality: High-quality, relevant content that avoids spam triggers is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and avoiding spam filters.
  • Throttling: ISPs and email providers may throttle email delivery from senders with low reputation or those sending to high-volume domains, impacting sending speed.
  • DNS Impact: DNS lookup times and the reliability of DNS servers can influence email sending speed. Optimizing DNS settings is important.
  • Location: The physical location of the sending server relative to the recipient's server can affect sending speed due to network latency.

Key considerations

  • List Management: Maintain clean and engaged email lists by using double opt-in, regularly removing inactive subscribers, and providing clear unsubscribe options.
  • Engagement Monitoring: Monitor email performance metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints to identify and address deliverability issues.
  • Volume Ramping: Avoid sudden spikes in email volume, especially for new senders, as this can trigger spam filters. Gradually increase sending volume over time.
  • Per-MX Distribution: Check the distribution of domains in the email list, and focus on optimising the larger domains.
  • Domain Analysis: When encountering email delivery delays, check that the domain that email delivery is being sent to has the correct setup.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit states that throttling by ISPs and email providers is a key factor. They mention that large providers like Gmail and Yahoo may limit the number of emails accepted per connection or within a specific timeframe, especially from new or low-reputation senders.

June 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot explains the factors that impact email deliverability. HubSpot emphasizes the importance of permission-based email marketing, clean email lists, and relevant content to improve deliverability. They suggest using double opt-in, segmenting lists, and personalizing emails to enhance engagement and avoid spam traps.

January 2022 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests that the physical location of the sending server relative to the recipient's server can affect sending speed due to network latency. Closer proximity generally results in faster delivery.

December 2021 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares observations that sending emails to a list of only .com domains resulted in a significantly faster send rate compared to a list with other TLDs, suspecting that the exclusion of ~20k emails with other TLDs reduced the strain on their system due to deferrals.

May 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests checking the per-MX distribution of the list and the distribution of domain names, prioritizing Gmail and Yahoo if they constitute a significant portion. Also, without knowing what tools are available, it's important to check if the delays are with specific domains. Mentions it goes beyond just .com tld.

November 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that while TLDs themselves don't directly impact deliverability, the reputation of domains within a TLD can vary. Domains associated with spam or low-quality content may experience lower deliverability rates, regardless of the TLD.

December 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Web Hosting Talk mentions that DNS lookup times can impact email sending speed, particularly for domains with slow or unreliable DNS servers. Optimizing DNS settings and using a reputable DNS provider can improve email delivery performance.

April 2023 - Web Hosting Talk
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailchimp shares how engaging content improves your sender reputation. Mailchimp highlights that consistent engagement builds a positive sender reputation. Factors influencing delivery are authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC), managing subscriber lists, and providing clear unsubscribe options.

May 2024 - Mailchimp
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendPulse shares how to maintain a good sender reputation. SendPulse identifies factors such as sender reputation, email authentication, and content quality. They suggest using double opt-in, cleaning email lists regularly, and monitoring bounce rates to enhance deliverability.

January 2023 - SendPulse
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel Digital explains that factors such as sender reputation, email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and content quality significantly influence email deliverability. He highlights the importance of maintaining a clean email list and avoiding spam triggers to ensure emails reach the intended recipients.

January 2024 - Neil Patel Digital
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that sender reputation, spam filters, and authentication protocols influence email deliverability. Litmus emphasizes the importance of monitoring email performance metrics and implementing best practices for email design and content to improve inbox placement.

May 2022 - Litmus

What the experts say
5Expert opinions

Experts agree that several factors affect email sending speed and deliverability. DNS lookups, IP address reputation, and sending volume all play crucial roles. Larger email providers respond and accept mail faster than smaller servers. Throttling by mailbox providers, especially for low-reputation senders, slows delivery. Seed testing is also important for measuring deliverability across different domains.

Key opinions

  • DNS Latency: DNS lookups for each domain add latency to email sending. Sending multiple messages in a single session helps amortize setup costs.
  • IP Reputation: The sending IP address's reputation significantly impacts delivery speed; a poor reputation can lead to throttling or blocking.
  • Sending Volume: Sudden spikes in sending volume can trigger spam filters, slowing delivery. A gradual increase in volume is preferable.
  • Throttling: Mailbox providers use throttling to control the rate at which they accept emails, especially from low-reputation senders.
  • Server Response Time: Larger email providers such as Gmail and Yahoo tend to respond and accept emails faster than smaller servers.

Key considerations

  • Monitor IP Reputation: Regularly monitor your sending IP address's reputation to identify and address any issues affecting deliverability.
  • Ramp Sending Volume: Gradually increase email sending volume, particularly when starting with a new IP address or domain, to establish a positive sending reputation.
  • Implement Seed Testing: Use seed testing to monitor deliverability rates across various mailbox providers and identify potential delivery issues.
  • Monitor DNS timeouts: You should be pruning addresses on DNS timeouts or connection failures
  • Plan for Throttling: Be aware of throttling mechanisms and plan your sending strategies to accommodate rate limits imposed by mailbox providers.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that throttling is a mechanism used by mailbox providers to control the rate at which they accept emails from a particular sender. Throttling can significantly slow down email delivery, especially for senders with low reputation or those sending to high-volume domains.

February 2025 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that DNS lookups for each domain add latency. Sending multiple messages in a session amortizes setup costs for domains with many recipients. Also suggests that Gmail and Yahoo respond and accept mail faster than smaller servers and to check for pruning addresses on DNS timeouts or connection failures.

September 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource explains that sending volume impacts deliverability, stating that a sudden spike in email volume can trigger spam filters and slow down delivery. Gradual increases in volume, coupled with consistent sending patterns, help establish a positive sending reputation.

December 2023 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that seed testing is the practice of sending emails to a pre-defined list of email addresses (seeds) at various mailbox providers to measure deliverability rates. This provides insights into potential delivery issues and helps identify factors affecting email sending speed across different domains.

April 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource explains that the reputation of the sending IP address significantly impacts email delivery speed. A poor IP reputation can lead to throttling or blocking by receiving mail servers, slowing down the sending process.

October 2023 - Spamresource

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Email deliverability is influenced by several factors, as highlighted by various documentation sources. Sender reputation is paramount, with both Gmail and Microsoft emphasizing its impact. Authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are essential for verifying sender identity. SMTP governs the technical processes of email transfer. Monitoring sender reputation through tools like Gmail Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS, along with managing subscriptions responsibly, is crucial. Engagement metrics, such as bounce rates and spam complaints, need careful attention to maintain a healthy sending reputation.

Key findings

  • Sender Reputation: Gmail and Microsoft both emphasize the critical role of sender reputation in ensuring email delivery to their users.
  • Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols are fundamental for authenticating email senders and preventing spoofing, thereby enhancing deliverability.
  • SMTP Protocol: RFC 5321 outlines the standard SMTP protocol which governs the technical processes of email transmission, influencing delivery speed and reliability.
  • Engagement Metrics: Monitoring bounce rates, spam complaints, and other engagement metrics is essential for assessing and improving sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Use Postmaster Tools: Utilize Gmail Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS to actively monitor sender reputation and identify potential issues affecting deliverability.
  • Manage Subscriptions: Implement responsible subscription management practices, including clear opt-in and unsubscribe options, to avoid spam complaints.
  • Consistent Sending IPs: Maintain consistent sending IP addresses to help establish a reliable sender reputation.
  • Adhere to Best Practices: Adhere to established email marketing best practices to avoid being flagged as spam by receiving mail servers.
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost shares details regarding all things Email Deliverability. SparkPost outlines the key factors that impact email deliverability, including sender reputation, authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement metrics. It emphasizes the importance of monitoring bounce rates, spam complaints, and sender score to maintain a healthy sending reputation.

August 2021 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Docs details how sender reputation impacts email delivery to Outlook.com. It advises on monitoring the Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) to identify and resolve issues affecting sender reputation, such as spam complaints and blocked IP addresses.

November 2022 - Microsoft Docs
Technical article

Documentation from RFC 5321 describes the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), which governs the transmission of email messages between servers. It outlines the communication process, including connection establishment, message transfer, and error handling, influencing overall delivery speed.

October 2022 - RFC 5321
Technical article

Documentation from Gmail Help outlines guidelines for sending bulk emails to Gmail users, emphasizing the need for authentication, consistent sending IPs, and managing subscription practices. It advises monitoring sender reputation via Postmaster Tools and adhering to best practices to avoid being flagged as spam.

September 2024 - Gmail Help