Why does domain reputation drop when changing ESPs and using a new dedicated IP?

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that new IP warmup starts from 0 with reputation. Ensure DNS settings are correct, send to the most active groups first to endorse your emails, then trickle in moderately active, and finally the last bit. Adding a welcome series with warmup for new signups can help because welcome series emails are highly engaging and go out randomly rather than in blasts. Warmup is a lot of wait and see.

Email marketer from Litmus Blog shares that ensuring proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is critical during an ESP migration. If these records are not correctly configured for the new ESP and dedicated IP, it can lead to authentication failures, damaging domain reputation and deliverability.

Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog shares that decreased subscriber engagement after an ESP migration can negatively impact domain reputation. Even if sending the same content, different ESP configurations and IP reputation can lead to lower open rates, which ISPs interpret as a sign of spam.

Email marketer from SparkPost Blog shares that consistent sending volume is vital for maintaining a good reputation. Abrupt changes, such as those occurring during ESP migration and new IP usage, can trigger spam filters. A gradual increase in volume helps establish a positive sending pattern.

Email marketer from Validity Blog explains that poor list hygiene (e.g., sending to old, unengaged addresses) can severely hurt deliverability during an ESP change. A new IP amplifies the impact of bad data, leading to higher bounce rates and spam complaints, which negatively impacts domain reputation.

Email marketer from Reddit answers that domain reputation decreases when you shift to a different ESP and utilize a new IP because email providers see it as a change and you are not as trusted as before. If you move to a new dedicated IP, it needs to be warmed up as it has no sending history.

Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that changing ESPs and using a new dedicated IP leads to a drop in domain reputation because the sending history and reputation are tied to the previous setup. The new IP lacks history, and email providers treat it with suspicion until a positive reputation is established through consistent sending practices and good engagement.

Email marketer from EmailGurus Forum shares that when switching ESPs, carefully monitor inbox placement. Check if emails are landing in the inbox, spam folder, or are being blocked. This real-time feedback helps adjust the warmup strategy and address deliverability issues promptly.

Email marketer from Gmass Blog shares that sending emails too fast when warming up a new IP address can negatively affect domain reputation because email servers can flag you as a spammer. Gradually increase your email volume over time so the server knows you're not trying to send out mass email campaigns

Expert from Email Geeks explains that IP reputation affects domain reputation. Lower open rates can be addressed by slowing down the warmup and focusing on engaged addresses. Follow the ESP's warmup plan, as machine learning filters are in flux. Reputation is going down because it’s coming off an IP with no reputation. Machine learning filters hate change, which causes weird things to happen to reputation. As long as mail is hitting the inbox, you're fine. Mail from new IPs doesn’t get the same level of prefetching, which could be impacting open rates at Gmail.

Expert from Spamresource explains that when moving to a new dedicated IP with a new ESP, you're essentially starting from scratch. Your IP has no history, and ISPs use IP reputation as a key factor in determining whether to accept, reject, or filter your mail. The lack of a pre-existing positive reputation means your emails are more likely to be treated with suspicion initially.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that building a sender reputation takes time and consistency. When you switch to a new ESP and a new dedicated IP, you lose the history you've built with your previous setup. ISPs look at factors like sending volume, complaint rates, and engagement metrics to determine your reputation, and a new IP lacks this information, leading to a temporary drop in reputation.

Documentation from Microsoft SNDS explains that IP reputation plays a crucial role in spam filtering. A new IP lacks the positive history that ISPs use to assess sender trustworthiness. Transitioning to a new IP without warming it up will likely result in emails being filtered as spam, thereby negatively impacting domain reputation.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that sender reputation is negatively affected when switching to a new IP address without proper warm-up. Google uses reputation to filter spam and evaluate trustworthiness, so a new IP without a history will have a low reputation until it proves itself.

Documentation from RFC provides in-depth information about SMTP configuration, explaining the technical intricacies of ensuring messages are properly sent and received. Issues with SMTP configuration can lead to deliverability issues

Documentation from SendGrid Documentation explains that when switching to a new dedicated IP with a new ESP, the IP's reputation starts at zero. ISPs don't know you yet, so they watch your sending behavior closely. You must 'warm up' the IP by gradually increasing sending volume to build a positive reputation and avoid being flagged as spam.