Why is Sender Score reporting inaccurate data?
Summary
What email marketers say14Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Quora user responds that Sender Score's results don't always align with actual deliverability because it's just one factor among many. Others, such as authentication, list hygiene, and content, heavily influence whether emails reach the inbox.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that there have been recent changes in data sources and some wonkiness with Sender Score. They are planning a rehaul of it soon, and generally suggests not worrying too much about it. A European RepNet provider was also fixed then turned off due to odd numbers, causing volume fluctuations.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that Sender Score inconsistencies arise because the data is based on a limited portion of your email traffic. Therefore, changes you make might not be immediately reflected.
Email marketer from StackExchange user shares that Sender Score might not accurately reflect your reputation because it doesn't account for engagement metrics like opens, clicks, and replies. These factors are important for assessing sender reputation.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that Sender Score can report inaccurately due to false positives with spam traps. If a legitimate email is misidentified as spam, it can negatively affect your score, even if your practices are sound.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that data sources for Sender Score can come and go, or temporarily go offline. This could be due to a data source recently beginning to report traffic.
Email marketer from Reddit user shares that Sender Score can be inaccurate because it relies on a limited view of your email traffic. It might not capture the nuances of your sending practices or the preferences of your recipients, leading to skewed results.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that Sender Score often shows unusual metrics that don't match actual IP activity because the data is a small sample. He suggests focusing on actual volume counts.
Marketer from Email Geeks says this is widely seen for French senders, with the rumor being that Laposte.net data is being added, potentially causing the weird behavior in Sender Score, although there has been no deliverability impact.
Email marketer from ReturnPath responds that Sender Score's reliance on third-party data can lead to inaccuracies. The data may be outdated or not representative of your overall sending practices.
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms that they've tested tens of IPs and only IPs sending to FR customers showed huge volume increases and Sender Score drops, even with no changes to IP activity. Some MBP Providers are using SenderScore to apply rate limiting or blocking and in such case, it impacts delivery...
Email marketer from Email on Acid responds that Sender Score's reporting can fluctuate due to delays in data processing. Changes you make to improve your sending reputation might not be immediately reflected in your score.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum says that a sender's volume changes can greatly affect your Sender Score. Even a modest increase in reported volume can dramatically decrease your Sender Score overnight.
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that Sender Score, while a useful tool, isn't always 100% accurate due to the limited data it uses. He suggests considering it as one data point among many when assessing your sender reputation.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that Sender Score reports can be misleading due to the way they collect and process data. This is because Sender Score relies on data that is given to them and also may be influenced by factors unrelated to your sending practices, such as shared IP space or temporary network issues.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that Sender Score might show inconsistencies because it relies on limited data sets and algorithms that may not capture all factors impacting deliverability. The data is a small sample of overall email volume.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft states that Sender Score's data may not accurately reflect your reputation with Microsoft's email services. Microsoft uses its own proprietary filtering algorithms and reputation metrics, so Sender Score should not be the only metric.
Documentation from Cisco explains that Sender Score's focus on IP address reputation alone can lead to inaccuracies. Domain reputation and content quality also play a significant role in deliverability.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools suggests that discrepancies between Sender Score and other metrics can arise from the specific spam filters used by different ISPs. Each ISP has its own criteria for evaluating email traffic.
Documentation from Validity explains that Sender Score aggregates data from multiple sources, and discrepancies can occur if these sources have conflicting or incomplete information. This can lead to inaccuracies in the overall score.