Do SuretyMail and Validity Sender Certification increase inbox reach, and how do they work?

SuretyMail and Validity Sender Certification (formerly Return Path) aim to improve email deliverability by signaling trustworthiness to mailbox providers (MBPs) through adherence to best practices, ongoing monitoring, and compliance checks. While SuretyMail offers a positive signal to SpamAssassin used by MBPs, Validity's certification provides direct and indirect signals influencing inbox placement. These certifications encourage senders to improve practices, but the ROI varies based on existing sending habits. Beyond certification, maintaining a solid sender reputation via consistent, permission-based sending, SPF, DKIM, DMARC setup, dedicated IP addresses, and email warmup are crucial. Avoiding blocklists like Spamhaus is also critical. The impact of these certifications hinges on the specific program, MBP reliance, and a sender's commitment to comprehensive deliverability strategies. No service guarantees deliverability, and it is important to be wary of those that do.

Sender certifications like SuretyMail and Validity (formerly Return Path) can improve email deliverability by providing positive signals to mailbox providers (MBPs) and demonstrating adherence to best practices. MBPs use these signals, directly or indirectly through services like SpamAssassin, in their algorithms to determine inbox placement. While certifications can act as a 'fast pass' to the inbox, their effectiveness depends on the sender's existing practices and the specific MBP's reliance on the certification. Building a solid sender reputation through consistent, permission-based sending, technical setups like SPF, DKIM and DMARC, IP warmup, and dedicated IP addresses are also crucial for sustained inbox placement. The ROI of certification varies; those already following best practices may see limited incremental benefit, while struggling senders could experience a significant boost. No service can guarantee deliverability.

Email sender certifications, such as those offered by SuretyMail and Validity (formerly Return Path), can improve email deliverability by providing a structured framework for adhering to email marketing best practices and signalling trustworthiness to mailbox providers. A key benefit of these programs is the need to modify and configure email programs to adhere to their requirements and enforce compliance. However, the effectiveness of these programs depends on factors like the specific certification program, the sender's existing sending practices and the reliance of mailbox providers on the certification signals. They should be part of a broader deliverability strategy and are not a guarantee of inbox placement.

Validity's certification program assures mailbox providers of senders' adherence to best practices through ongoing monitoring and compliance. Avoiding Spamhaus blocklists is crucial for deliverability, emphasizing good sending practices. SPF authorizes domain use in email, reducing unwanted email. Microsoft uses internal data from Microsoft 365 usage to influence email deliverability.