Why is Google Postmaster Tools not showing data even with proper authentication?
Summary
What email marketers say12Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests checking their DNS record to make sure the TXT or CNAME record that Google gave them to verify the domain is still there, as it might have gotten deleted by accident.
Email marketer from EmailGeek Forum shares that Google Postmaster Tools requires a significant volume of email traffic to display data. If the daily volume is too low (e.g., less than a few hundred emails), data may not be shown.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests checking Search Console for red warnings and AdWords for recent strikes. Also, have you confirmed that this problem exists for multiple GPT accounts with different email addresses? They've seen cases where Google had a problem with the "viewing" account.
Email marketer from Mailhardener shares that a strict DMARC policy (e.g., p=reject) without proper configuration can cause legitimate emails to be blocked, which in turn affects the data displayed in Google Postmaster Tools.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Tips shares that low engagement metrics (e.g., low open rates, high spam complaints) can cause Google to suppress data in Postmaster Tools, even with proper authentication.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that if the sending IP address or domain has a poor reputation (e.g., due to spam complaints), Google might suppress data in Postmaster Tools, even with proper authentication.
Email marketer from Email Provider Forum mentions that sometimes the issue is related to the Google account being used to view Postmaster Tools. Trying a different Google account might resolve the problem.
Email marketer from Email Deliverability Blog suggests that not being properly set up with feedback loops (FBLs) can cause Google to have less data about your sending reputation, potentially affecting what’s shown in Postmaster Tools.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests creating a CNAME record instead, using the feedback form with a screenshot, and determining how much they care (e.g., are they still delivering to the Inbox via inbox placement tests, are the open metrics still the same?). Also Google sometimes messes up, hard to believe but true.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that to get data in Google Postmaster Tools, the sender needs minimum daily volumes of a couple of hundred emails. Also, Google doesn't show anything for senders with domains associated with spamming.
Email marketer from Email Consultant Website shares that even with correct authentication, a sudden drop in sender reputation can cause Google to temporarily halt data reporting in Postmaster Tools while they reassess the traffic.
Email marketer from StackOverflow notes that sometimes there can be inconsistencies or bugs within Google's system that cause data to not display correctly. They suggest reporting the issue to Google.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that authentication issues, even if seemingly configured correctly, may impact Google Postmaster Tools data. It could be due to inconsistent DNS records or authentication failures from specific sending IPs, which are not immediately obvious.
Expert from Email Geeks responds that something more is going on if the volume isn't tiny and suggests deeper troubleshooting.
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that data discrepancies in Google Postmaster Tools, despite valid authentication, could be influenced by various deliverability metrics like complaint rates or sender reputation. Low or declining reputation may lead to data suppression.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from RFC specifies limits on SPF records, including the number of DNS lookups. Exceeding these limits can cause SPF to fail and affect data reporting.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that there might be a delay in data reporting, and it may not reflect real-time activity. Data is usually updated with a lag of 24-48 hours.
Documentation from DKIM.org emphasizes the importance of using a sufficient DKIM key size (e.g., 1024 bits or higher). Smaller keys may not provide adequate security and can lead to authentication issues.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help states that proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial. If any of these are misconfigured or failing, Google may not display data even if some authentication appears to be in place.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help emphasizes the need for correct domain verification in Google Search Console. If the domain isn't properly verified, it can impact the data displayed in Postmaster Tools.