Why has Microsoft email engagement dropped and how does throttling affect email deliverability?

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that low engagement rates (opens, clicks) negatively affect deliverability. Microsoft and other ISPs use engagement as a signal to determine if emails are wanted by recipients. Low engagement can lead to spam filtering.

Email marketer from Stackoverflow explains that Hotmail often has deliverability problems because of Microsoft's heavy filtering on unsolicited email. The user shares to make sure you sign up for the SNDS (Smart Network Data Services) program, check the IP reputation and ensure you have good authentication.

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that warming up an IP address is critical for new senders or those with low sending volumes to establish a positive sender reputation with ISPs like Microsoft. Gradually increasing sending volume and monitoring engagement helps build trust and avoid triggering spam filters.

Email marketer from Litmus shares a positive sender reputation is critical for deliverability to Hotmail and Outlook. They recommend monitoring feedback loops, managing your subscriber list, and authenticating your emails to build and maintain a good reputation.

Email marketer from Sender explains tracking email engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates is crucial for maintaining good deliverability. Low engagement signals to ISPs that your emails may not be relevant to recipients, which can harm your sender reputation and lead to more emails being filtered as spam.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that Hotmail (Microsoft) is notorious for strict filtering and requires a clean IP address and a high sender reputation. They recommend warming up your IP address slowly and closely monitoring bounce rates and spam complaints.

Email marketer from Marketing Over Coffee forum explains Microsoft email throttling can stem from various issues including IP reputation, content triggers, or infrastructure concerns. User recommends leveraging Microsoft's SNDS to review data on mail flow and subscriber concerns and ensure proper authentication.

Email marketer from EmailToolTester explains that Microsoft's Outlook and Hotmail have strict filtering. They share issues like 'grey listing' cause delays. Also, sender reputation is key; low reputation leads to spam folders or blocking.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares their client experienced a high delay/bounce rate with Microsoft emails and their ESP reported system-wide throttling from Microsoft due to changes to their system.

Expert from Spam Resource suggests joining Microsoft's SNDS (Smart Network Data Services) and JMRP (Junk Mail Reporting Program) to monitor your IP reputation and understand how Microsoft views your sending practices. They also note that Microsoft weighs user complaints heavily.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that Microsoft uses engagement metrics as a primary factor in filtering decisions. They explains consistently low engagement rates can lead to throttling and eventually blocking. Improving engagement requires sending relevant content to interested subscribers and honoring unsubscribe requests promptly.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that throttling is a warning from the ISP that you may be blocked in the near future, typically after some emails have already been sent to spam folders.

Expert from Email Geeks shares his investigation into a drop in Microsoft engagement. He explains while there were no immediate issues, he found Microsoft engagement was significantly worse than Gmail, Yahoo etc. He dissected email sends for 2020, showing a drop in mid-to-late March. He also notes an increase in opens as states closed down during Coronavirus, he believes a change in behaviour on Microsoft means they are engaging less.

Documentation from Microsoft explains sender reputation is calculated using several factors, including email authentication, complaint rate, and sending volume. Microsoft uses this reputation to determine whether to accept, reject, or filter emails.

Documentation from RFC Editor details that SMTP throttling is a mechanism used by mail servers to control the rate at which they accept email connections and messages from a particular sender. They also share it helps prevent overload and abuse and maintain the stability of the email system.

Documentation from SparkPost explains that throttling is a temporary delay in email delivery imposed by ISPs. They also share it is often a response to sudden spikes in sending volume or suspected spam activity. Throttling can impact overall deliverability by delaying important messages and potentially leading to timeouts.

Documentation from Google explains even though it is for Gmail some of the best practices apply to all email providers. It is important to authenticate your email, avoid sending unwanted mail, make it easy to unsubscribe, and monitor your sender reputation.