Summary
The overwhelming consensus from email marketers, experts, and email platform documentation is that changing a domain extension requires a complete re-warming process, similar to setting up a brand-new domain. This is because email providers treat a domain with a new extension as an entirely new entity with no sending history or reputation. Failing to properly warm-up the new domain extension can negatively impact deliverability and tarnish sender reputation, leading to emails landing in spam folders or being blocked altogether. While humans might visually recognize the connection between the old and new domain, automated systems will not, necessitating a strategic approach to building trust and establishing a positive sending reputation from the ground up.
Key findings
- New Domain Identity: Changing a domain extension is viewed as creating a completely new domain identity by email providers.
- Reputation Reset: The domain's sending reputation is effectively reset, requiring a fresh build.
- Automated Evaluation: Automated systems, not human observation, determine email placement based on domain reputation.
- Warming is Mandatory: A warm-up process is mandatory for achieving acceptable email deliverability with the new domain extension.
Key considerations
- Implement Warm-up Strategy: Develop and execute a gradual warm-up strategy, increasing sending volume slowly over time.
- Authenticate Everything: Ensure all sending configurations, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, are correctly set up for the new domain.
- Monitor Deliverability: Actively monitor deliverability metrics (bounce rates, spam complaints) to identify and address any issues.
- New Sending Practices: Adhere to best practices for new sending domains, including careful list hygiene and engagement monitoring.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
The consensus from email marketers and experts is that changing a domain extension necessitates a warm-up strategy. Even if only the top-level domain (TLD) changes (e.g., .com to .net), email providers treat it as a new domain with zero reputation. Therefore, a warm-up process is essential to establish trust and avoid deliverability issues.
Key opinions
- New Domain: Changing a domain extension is treated as a completely new domain by mailbox providers.
- Reputation Reset: A new domain extension resets your domain's reputation, requiring you to rebuild trust with ISPs.
- Warming Essential: Warming up the new domain is essential to avoid deliverability issues and tarnishing your sender reputation.
- Authentication: Careful setup and authentication of the new domain (including the extension) is required.
Key considerations
- Warm-up Strategy: Implement a warm-up strategy for the new domain, starting slow and gradually increasing volume.
- Comprehensive Change: Ensure all authentication records (return-path, bounce handling, DKIM) are updated to align with the new domain extension.
- Deliverability Impact: Without a warm-up period, your email deliverability is likely to be negatively impacted.
- Sender Reputation: Failing to warm up the domain can tarnish your sender reputation, making it harder to reach the inbox.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Postmark explains that any significant change to your sending setup, including a new domain, even just the extension, requires a warm-up to ensure deliverability isn't negatively impacted.
15 Jul 2021 - Postmark
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks responds that it's technically still a brand new domain with zero reputation as far as the recipient mailbox providers will be concerned. Assuming that you're changing everything to go with it, then yes you should warm it.
18 Oct 2021 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Experts emphasize that changing a domain extension is essentially creating a new domain from a deliverability standpoint. While human observation might recognize a connection between the old and new domain, automated systems used by ISPs will treat them separately. Therefore, a new sending strategy, including a proper warm-up, authentication, and careful setup is essential.
Key opinions
- New Domain = New Warm-up: A domain extension change should be treated as a new domain requiring a new warm-up strategy.
- Automated Systems: Automated systems won't recognize the connection between the old and new domain extension.
- Human Recognition: While humans might see a connection, it's not enough to rely on for deliverability.
Key considerations
- Authentication & Setup: Implement a comprehensive authentication and setup process for the new domain extension.
- New Sending Strategy: Develop and execute a new sending strategy designed for a new domain.
- Deliverability: Prioritize best practices for deliverability with a new domain.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares if a human puts eyeballs on it they might make a connection, but automations isn't even going to try. There are much more reliable ways to cluster mailstreams.
6 Feb 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise advises, generally treat a new sending domain as a new sending domain, this includes just changing the TLD and you should implement a new sending strategy for this and follow all email authentication and setup advice.
10 Nov 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Email sending platforms like Google, Microsoft and SparkPost treat changing a domain extension as creating a brand new domain. The new domain lacks sending history and requires a fresh build-up of positive sender reputation through consistent, authenticated email sending and a ramp-up period.
Key findings
- New Domain, No History: New domains, including those with different extensions, lack prior sending history.
- Reputation Rebuild: Changing a domain extension necessitates re-establishing sender reputation from scratch.
- Consistent Sending: Building a positive reputation requires consistently sending authenticated email.
- Ramp-Up Required: A ramp-up period is essential for building a positive sender reputation with mailbox providers.
Key considerations
- Authentication: Ensure emails are properly authenticated to build a positive sender reputation.
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent sending frequency to establish a reliable sending history.
- Ramp-Up Plan: Develop and implement a plan to gradually increase sending volume over time.
- Monitor Reputation: Monitor sender reputation to identify and address any deliverability issues.
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft describes that when you change your domain (including the extension) you need to re-establish sender reputation. They treat this as a brand new sending domain.
22 Sep 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools states that new domains, including those with different extensions, have no sending history. You must build a positive reputation over time by consistently sending authenticated email.
26 Apr 2024 - Google Postmaster Tools
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