Why is email delivery to Orange and Wanadoo slow?

Summary

Email delivery to Orange and Wanadoo is often slow due to a complex interplay of factors including ongoing server migrations, strict and aggressive spam filtering, lower acceptance thresholds rooted in historical spam issues, and stringent anti-spam policies. Technical issues such as temporary server failures, resource limitations, network congestion, DNS lookup problems, greylisting, reverse DNS inconsistencies, and incorrect DMARC implementation also contribute. Sender-side factors like poor list hygiene, spam complaints, exceeding sending limits, and low sender reputation are significant contributors. Successfully delivering emails requires diligent monitoring of feedback loops, prompt handling of complaints, proactive reputation management, adhering to Orange and Wanadoo's specific guidelines, correct implementation of email authentication methods (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), IP warming, and careful management of sending volumes.

Key findings

  • Server Migrations: Orange's ongoing server migrations can temporarily slow down email delivery.
  • Strict Spam Filtering: Orange and Wanadoo employ very strict spam filtering and have lower acceptance thresholds compared to other ISPs.
  • Historical Spam: Aggressive anti-spam measures stem from historical issues with spam originating from or targeting France.
  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is a critical factor; low reputation leads to delays and blocks.
  • Technical Issues: Greylisting, DNS problems, server failures, network congestion, and incorrect DMARC configuration contribute to delays.
  • Sending Limits: Exceeding sending limits results in throttling and delays.
  • List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene and spam complaints negatively affect deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Feedback Loops: Closely monitor feedback loops from Orange and Wanadoo to identify and address issues.
  • Reputation Management: Proactively manage your sender reputation by promptly addressing complaints and maintaining good sending practices.
  • Compliance: Adhere to Orange and Wanadoo's specific email sending guidelines and policies.
  • Authentication: Implement and correctly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate your emails.
  • IP Warming: Warm up your IP address gradually, especially when starting new campaigns or using new IPs.
  • Sending Volume: Carefully manage your sending volume to avoid exceeding the limits imposed by Orange and Wanadoo.
  • Blacklist Monitoring: Monitor blacklists to proactively ensure that IP addresses and domains are not blacklisted.

What email marketers say
9Marketer opinions

Email delivery to Orange and Wanadoo is often slow due to a combination of factors, including server migrations, aggressive spam filtering, strict anti-spam policies, low sender reputation, greylisting, reverse DNS issues, high spam scores, network congestion, DNS lookup problems, server overload, poor list hygiene, spam complaints, exceeding sending limits, and the need for IP warming.

Key opinions

  • Server Migration: Orange's server migrations can temporarily slow down email delivery.
  • Aggressive Spam Filtering: Orange and Wanadoo employ aggressive spam filtering techniques.
  • Strict Anti-Spam Policies: These ISPs have strict anti-spam policies, often delaying or blocking emails with low reputation.
  • Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is a critical factor influencing deliverability.
  • Greylisting: Greylisting (temporary rejection) can cause delays.
  • DNS Issues: Reverse DNS issues and DNS lookup problems contribute to delivery delays.
  • Spam Scores: High spam scores can result in slower delivery or blocking.
  • Network Congestion: Network congestion and server overload on the recipient's end can slow down delivery.
  • List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene and spam complaints negatively impact deliverability.
  • Sending Limits: Exceeding sending limits imposed by Orange and Wanadoo results in delays.
  • IP Warming: A gradual IP warm-up strategy is essential for new campaigns to establish a good sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Reputation: Regularly monitor your sender reputation with Orange and Wanadoo.
  • Compliance: Ensure your emails comply with Orange's and Wanadoo's specific guidelines.
  • Bounce Rates: Monitor bounce rates closely and address any issues promptly.
  • Authentication: Implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability.
  • Dedicated IP: Consider using a dedicated IP address to manage your sender reputation effectively.
  • List Hygiene: Maintain a clean and engaged email list to reduce spam complaints.
  • Sending Volume: Monitor and adhere to sending volume limits imposed by Orange and Wanadoo.
  • IP Warming: If starting a new campaign or using a new IP, implement a gradual IP warming strategy.
  • Blacklist Checks: Regularly check if your IP address is on any blacklists used by Orange and Wanadoo.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailfence Blog explains that Orange heavily filters emails based on sender reputation and content. They recommend using a dedicated IP address and authenticating your emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

July 2021 - Mailfence Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Orange is migrating servers, expect slower delivery to orange.fr and wanadoo.fr.

February 2025 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet mentions that to avoid delays to ISPs like Orange/Wanadoo, it's critical to warm up your IP address, especially when starting new campaigns. A gradual increase in volume helps establish a good sender reputation.

December 2022 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailGeek Forum shares that Orange and Wanadoo have strict anti-spam policies and often delay or block emails from senders with low reputation. It's essential to monitor your bounce rates and IP reputation.

May 2024 - EmailGeek Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that Orange and Wanadoo often have aggressive spam filtering and lower sending limits which can cause delays. They recommend checking your sender reputation and ensuring your emails comply with their specific guidelines.

July 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that exceeding sending limits to Orange/Wanadoo can lead to delays. Monitor your sending volume and adhere to their specified limits to avoid being throttled.

February 2025 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid shares that delivery delays can occur due to network congestion, DNS lookup issues, or server overload on the recipient's end (Orange/Wanadoo).

January 2022 - EmailOnAcid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stackoverflow explains that slow email delivery to specific domains like Orange/Wanadoo could result from a combination of factors: greylisting (temporary rejection), reverse DNS issues, and high spam scores.

August 2024 - Stackoverflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus suggests that deliverability issues like delays to Orange/Wanadoo may stem from poor list hygiene, spam complaints, or exceeding sending limits imposed by those ISPs.

December 2021 - Litmus

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Email delivery to Orange and Wanadoo is slow primarily due to their strict spam filtering policies and low acceptance thresholds, which stem from historical spam issues targeting France. Maintaining a positive sender reputation is crucial, requiring close monitoring of feedback loops and prompt handling of complaints.

Key opinions

  • Strict Spam Filtering: Orange and Wanadoo are known for their stringent spam filters.
  • Lower Acceptance Thresholds: They have lower acceptance thresholds compared to other ISPs due to historical reasons.
  • Sender Reputation Impact: Sender reputation significantly influences deliverability to these French ISPs.
  • Historical Spam Issues: Aggressive anti-spam measures are in place due to past spam originating from or targeting France.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Feedback Loops: Closely monitor feedback loops (FBLs) from Orange and Wanadoo.
  • Address Complaints Promptly: Act quickly to resolve any complaints received through feedback loops.
  • Maintain Positive Reputation: Prioritize building and maintaining a positive sender reputation.
Expert view

Expert from SpamResource explains that French ISPs, including Orange and Wanadoo, are known for their strict spam filtering and lower acceptance thresholds. They attribute this to historical issues with spam originating from or targeting France, leading to more aggressive anti-spam measures.

September 2021 - SpamResource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, shares that sender reputation plays a significant role in deliverability to French ISPs like Orange.fr and Wanadoo.fr. She emphasizes the importance of monitoring feedback loops and promptly addressing any complaints to maintain a positive reputation.

May 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Email delivery to Orange and Wanadoo can be slow due to several factors outlined in various technical documents and guidelines. These include emails being flagged as spam, the sender's IP being blacklisted, temporary server failures or resource limitations, server maintenance, high traffic, and issues with DMARC implementation. Following email sending best practices, regularly checking blacklist tools, implementing retry mechanisms, and ensuring correct DMARC configuration are recommended to mitigate delays.

Key findings

  • Spam Flagging & Blacklists: Emails flagged as spam or sent from blacklisted IPs face delays.
  • Temporary SMTP Errors: SMTP servers may introduce delays due to temporary failures or resource limitations.
  • Server Maintenance & Traffic: Server maintenance and high traffic can cause delays in email delivery.
  • DMARC Implementation: Incorrect or absent DMARC records can lead to delays or rejection of emails.

Key considerations

  • Follow Best Practices: Adhere to email sending best practices to avoid being flagged as spam.
  • Check Blacklist Tools: Regularly check your IP against blacklists used by Orange and Wanadoo.
  • Implement Retry Mechanisms: Implement retry mechanisms to handle transient SMTP errors.
  • Correct DMARC Setup: Ensure your DMARC records are correctly configured to improve deliverability.
Technical article

Documentation from Wanadoo's help page states that delays in receiving emails can be caused by server maintenance, high traffic, or spam filtering. They suggest checking spam folders and contacting customer support if delays persist.

August 2022 - Wanadoo
Technical article

Documentation from IETF (RFC 821) outlines that the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) allows for temporary delays in message delivery due to various reasons like server maintenance or network issues. Orange/Wanadoo may implement these delays.

December 2021 - IETF
Technical article

Documentation from RFC 5321 explains that SMTP servers, including those used by Orange and Wanadoo, may introduce delays due to temporary failures, resource limitations, or anti-spam checks. The RFC recommends implementing retry mechanisms to handle transient errors.

October 2022 - RFC Editor
Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org highlights that implementing DMARC correctly can improve email deliverability. Incorrect or absent DMARC records may cause Orange/Wanadoo to delay or reject emails.

December 2021 - DMARC.org
Technical article

Documentation from Orange's Postmaster Guidelines specifies that delays can occur if emails are flagged as potentially spam or if the sender's IP address is on a blacklist. They advise regularly checking their blacklist tools and following best practices for email sending.

February 2023 - Orange