Summary
Removing block bounces and unblocking Yahoo and AOL in Salesforce Marketing Cloud involves a multi-faceted approach. A primary step is opening a support ticket with Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) to address IP unblocking and address reactivation, as direct customer intervention is often restricted. Understanding bounce types and leveraging SFMC's Bounce Mail Management are crucial for tracking. Maintaining a good IP reputation, setting up authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and actively monitoring bounce rates are also vital. List hygiene, including removing inactive subscribers, helps improve sender reputation and prevent blocks. Addressing block bounces also necessitates direct engagement with ISPs (like Yahoo and AOL) via feedback loops. Finally, hard-bounced addresses cannot be reactivated directly, requiring resubscription.
Key findings
- SFMC Support: Opening a support ticket with SFMC is generally required for resolving block bounces and IP unblocking.
- IP Reputation is Key: A good IP reputation prevents blocks from ISPs like Yahoo and AOL, influencing bounce rates.
- Authentication Protocols are Essential: Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC improves deliverability and avoids blocks.
- Monitor Bounce Rates: Continuous monitoring of bounce rates helps identify and address deliverability issues.
- List Hygiene Matters: Cleaning email lists and removing inactive subscribers reduces bounce rates and improves sender reputation.
- Direct ISP Engagement: Addressing underlying deliverability problems may require direct interaction with ISPs (Yahoo, AOL) via feedback loops.
- Hard Bounces are Permanent: Addresses that hard bounce cannot be reactivated automatically and require explicit resubscription.
Key considerations
- Engage Salesforce Support Early: Plan to engage with Salesforce support to handle block bounces and IP-related issues effectively.
- Maintain Continuous Monitoring: Implement ongoing monitoring of bounce rates, IP reputation, and spam complaints to proactively identify deliverability problems.
- Prioritize List Management: Establish a regular process for cleaning your email lists, targeting inactive subscribers for removal or re-engagement.
- Implement Robust Authentication: Ensure that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured and regularly maintained.
- Understand ISP Guidelines: Familiarize yourself with the feedback loop and postmaster guidelines of major ISPs like Yahoo and AOL.
- Establish Resubscription Process: If users have hard bounced, provide a clear and easy way for them to resubscribe should they wish to receive future emails.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
To remove block bounces and unblock Yahoo and AOL in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, a multi-faceted approach is required. Salesforce Marketing Cloud handles bounces automatically, unsubscribing hard bounced emails. For block bounces, raising a support ticket with Salesforce support is necessary to reactivate email addresses and potentially unblock IPs. Maintaining a good IP reputation is crucial, as a bad reputation can lead to increased bounce rates and blocks. Continuous monitoring of bounce rates helps identify deliverability issues and prevent blocks. List hygiene is also vital, including removing inactive subscribers to lower bounce rates and improve sender reputation. Email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for improving deliverability and avoiding blocks. Hard bounced addresses cannot be reactivated and need direct resubscription.
Key opinions
- SFMC Support: For block bounces, raising a support ticket with Salesforce support is generally required.
- IP Reputation: A bad IP reputation leads to increased bounce rates and blocks from ISPs like Yahoo and AOL.
- Bounce Rate Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of bounce rates helps identify deliverability issues.
- List Hygiene: Removing inactive subscribers lowers bounce rates and improves sender reputation.
- Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for avoiding blocks and improving deliverability.
- Hard Bounces: Hard bounced email addresses cannot be reactivated automatically; direct resubscription is needed.
Key considerations
- Salesforce Support Interaction: Be prepared to engage with Salesforce support for any resolution related to block bounces and IP unblocking.
- Proactive Monitoring: Implement continuous monitoring of bounce rates and IP reputation to detect and address issues promptly.
- List Maintenance Strategy: Establish a routine process for cleaning your email list to remove inactive or unengaged subscribers.
- Email Authentication Setup: Ensure proper configuration and maintenance of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for your sending domains.
- Resubscription Process: If users have hard bounced, ensure a clear and easy process for them to resubscribe if they wish to receive emails again.
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot explains that maintaining a clean email list and engaging subscribers are crucial for improving deliverability and avoiding blocks. Sending to unengaged subscribers can increase bounce rates.
15 Dec 2022 - HubSpot
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains the importance of continuously monitoring your bounce rates to identify deliverability issues and prevent blocks by ISPs like Yahoo and AOL.
6 Apr 2023 - Email on Acid
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Addressing block bounces and unblocking Yahoo and AOL in Salesforce Marketing Cloud primarily involves opening a support ticket with SFMC. This is necessary to request IP unblocking and address reactivation, as SFMC typically doesn't allow customers to perform these actions directly. Block bounces often signify serious deliverability issues, necessitating direct engagement with ISPs like Yahoo and AOL through feedback loops and adherence to their guidelines. Furthermore, maintaining list hygiene and actively managing subscribers are crucial to prevent high bounce rates, which can negatively impact inbox placement and result in blocks.
Key opinions
- SFMC Support Required: Removing block bounces and unblocking IPs typically needs a support ticket with SFMC.
- Direct ISP Engagement: Block bounces signal deliverability problems requiring interaction with ISPs like Yahoo and AOL.
- List Hygiene Importance: Maintaining a clean and engaged email list is crucial to prevent blocks.
Key considerations
- Prioritize SFMC Support: Understand that resolving block bounces usually involves the Salesforce Marketing Cloud support team.
- ISP Communication: Be prepared to engage with ISPs following their specific guidelines for remediation.
- Regular List Maintenance: Implement a system for regular list cleaning and subscriber management to avoid deliverability issues.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource shares that block bounces often indicate a more serious deliverability issue and require direct engagement with the ISP (Yahoo and AOL in this case) through their feedback loops or postmaster channels to resolve the underlying problem causing the blocks. The article highlights how understanding SMTP error codes and following the ISP's guidelines for remediation are crucial steps.
20 Nov 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that if the IP is actually blocked, you need to open a ticket with SFMC to get them to ask for it to be unblocked. If you're just looking to get the addresses set to "unbounced" so you can include them, you're going to need to open a ticket with them as they're not going to let you just send to them.
4 Feb 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
6 technical articles
To address block bounces and unblock Yahoo and AOL in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, it's crucial to understand bounce types, implement bounce rules, and use Bounce Mail Management for tracking. Block bounces often require Salesforce support. Maintaining a good sender reputation through authentication protocols, monitoring IP reputation, and utilizing feedback loops are essential. Google Postmaster Tools can help monitor sender reputation and diagnose deliverability issues proactively.
Key findings
- Bounce Management Tools: Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers Bounce Mail Management for tracking and analyzing bounces.
- SFMC Support for Blocks: Block bounces frequently necessitate intervention from Salesforce support.
- Sender Reputation: Maintaining a good sender reputation is vital for avoiding blocks and involves authentication protocols.
- IP Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring IP reputation and using feedback loops are essential strategies.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Google Postmaster Tools can be used to monitor sender reputation and diagnose deliverability issues.
Key considerations
- Utilize SFMC Tools: Leverage Salesforce Marketing Cloud's bounce management features for effective bounce tracking.
- Engage SFMC Support: Be prepared to contact Salesforce support for resolving block bounces and IP reputation problems.
- Authentication Protocols: Implement and maintain authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve sender reputation.
- Feedback Loops: Set up and monitor feedback loops to identify and address deliverability issues proactively.
- Monitor Reputation: Regularly check sender and IP reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
Technical article
Documentation from Salesforce Help explains that you can contact Salesforce support through the Help portal within Marketing Cloud to address block bounces and IP reputation issues.
4 Aug 2023 - Salesforce Help
Technical article
Documentation from Validity explains that maintaining a good sender reputation is vital for avoiding blocks. They recommend implementing authentication protocols and monitoring your IP reputation.
19 Oct 2024 - Validity.com
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