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How can I resolve email delivery errors due to tempfail and suspected spam?

Summary

Resolving email delivery errors related to 'tempfail' and 'suspected spam' requires a holistic approach focusing on sender reputation, technical configurations, and list management. Google's 'suspected spam' label prompts a content and infrastructure review (links, images). A key indicator is a high complaint rate, suggesting recipients don't want the emails. External factors like a company's poor reputation can contribute to spam reports. Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), resolve blocked IPs, use consistent sending IPs, and properly format email headers. Regularly clean email lists, segment by engagement, and remove inactive subscribers. When facing 'tempfail' errors, check server logs, network connectivity, and configure proper retry mechanisms for greylisting. Gradually warm up new IPs and consider dedicated IPs for high-volume sending. Address technical issues such as reverse DNS records and monitor your domain reputation.

Key findings

  • Sender Reputation is Key: A good sender reputation is critical, influenced by IP reputation, domain reputation, and recipient engagement.
  • Email Authentication is Mandatory: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is essential to verify sender identity and prevent spoofing.
  • List Hygiene is Crucial: Regularly cleaning email lists, segmenting, and removing unengaged subscribers improve deliverability.
  • Complaint Rate is a Direct Indicator: A high spam complaint rate signals recipients don't want the email and negatively impacts deliverability.
  • Technical Setup Matters: Properly configured DNS records, email headers, and server retry mechanisms for transient errors are vital.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Logs and Metrics: Regularly check server logs for rate limiting, authentication failures, and transient errors, and monitor metrics like complaint rates.
  • Validate Email Content: Review email content, links, and image hosting to avoid spam triggers.
  • Implement Double Opt-in: Use double opt-in to ensure subscribers actively want to receive emails.
  • Gradual IP Warming: Gradually warm up new IP addresses by starting with low sending volumes and increasing over time.
  • Address External Reputation Issues: Address any negative publicity or reviews affecting the overall company/domain reputation as it can influence email deliverability.
  • Stop Mailing Uninterested Recipients: Prioritize sending emails only to engaged recipients and promptly remove those who haven't interacted recently or have complained.

What email marketers say

10 marketer opinions

To resolve email delivery errors related to 'tempfail' and 'suspected spam,' it's crucial to focus on improving and maintaining a positive sender reputation. This involves authenticating emails using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, actively managing email lists by removing inactive subscribers and avoiding spam traps, and carefully monitoring and reducing spam complaint rates. Gradual IP warming, optimizing email HTML code, personalizing content, avoiding spam trigger words, and using dedicated IPs for high-volume sending are also beneficial strategies.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: Improving and maintaining a positive sender reputation is essential for deliverability.
  • Email Authentication: Using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps to authenticate emails and improve deliverability.
  • List Management: Actively managing email lists by removing inactive subscribers is important.
  • Spam Complaints: Reducing spam complaint rates is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation.
  • Content Optimization: Optimizing email content and avoiding spam trigger words improves deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Log Monitoring: Regularly check logs for messages related to rate limiting and other delivery issues.
  • Authentication Setup: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured.
  • List Segmentation: Segment email lists based on engagement to improve relevance.
  • IP Warming: Gradually warm up new IP addresses to build a positive reputation.
  • Dedicated IPs: Consider using a dedicated IP address for high-volume sending to manage reputation independently.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that improving your sender reputation is key. Ensure your sending IP addresses and domain have a good reputation by authenticating your emails with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

2 Apr 2023 - Mailjet

Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that to reduce spam scores, optimize your email's HTML code, avoid excessive use of images without alt text, and ensure your email is mobile-friendly.

1 Aug 2024 - StackOverflow

What the experts say

7 expert opinions

To resolve email delivery errors due to 'tempfail' and 'suspected spam', it's crucial to understand the underlying causes. 'Suspected spam' indicates Google is evaluating the email's legitimacy, so check links, image hosting, and list quality. A high complaint rate suggests recipients don't want the mail. External factors like a company's poor reputation can contribute to spam reports. Technical aspects like greylisting require proper server retry configurations, and authentication failures need accurate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup. Fundamentally, stop mailing uninterested recipients and maintain list hygiene through regular cleaning and segmentation.

Key opinions

  • Recipient Desire: High complaint rates often mean recipients don't want your emails; address this core issue.
  • Reputation Impact: A poor overall company reputation can negatively impact email deliverability.
  • Technical Configuration: Proper configuration of SPF, DKIM, DMARC and retry settings for greylisting is critical.
  • Google's Spam Detection: "Suspected spam" signals a need to review content and infrastructure details (links, images).

Key considerations

  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean and segment your email list based on engagement.
  • Domain Reputation: Monitor your overall domain reputation and address any underlying issues (not just email-related).
  • Authentication Validation: Validate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records using online tools.
  • Content Review: Carefully review email content, links, and image hosting to identify potential spam triggers.
  • Greylisting Retry: Configure email servers to properly retry sending emails after greylisting related temporary failures.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises to stop mailing people who don't want to hear from you.

5 Apr 2023 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Spamresource.com explains that if you are seeing a tempfail error due to greylisting (a technique used by mail servers to temporarily reject emails from unknown senders) ensure that your sending server retries sending the email after a delay as per the SMTP standards. Also, make sure that your server is properly configured for retries.

22 Jan 2023 - Spamresource.com

What the documentation says

5 technical articles

To resolve email delivery errors stemming from 'tempfail' and 'suspected spam,' a multi-faceted approach is necessary. This includes resolving blocked IP addresses, maintaining consistent sending IP addresses, minimizing complaint rates, ensuring correctly formatted email headers, and confirming the presence of reverse DNS records. Implement email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify sender identity and prevent spoofing. Regularly check your IP and domain against email blacklists and promptly address any listings. Remember that 'tempfail' indicates a transient error requiring server log analysis and retry mechanisms.

Key findings

  • IP Reputation: Blocked or inconsistent IP addresses negatively impact deliverability.
  • Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for verifying sender identity.
  • Blacklist Monitoring: Regularly checking blacklists is crucial for proactive issue resolution.
  • Technical Standards: Correctly formatted email headers and reverse DNS records are vital for trust.
  • Transient Errors: "Tempfail" indicates a transient server-side issue requiring investigation and automated retries.

Key considerations

  • IP Management: Implement policies to maintain consistent sending IP addresses.
  • Header Formatting: Adhere to email header formatting standards.
  • Complaint Rate: Proactively manage and minimize email complaint rates.
  • DNS Records: Verify and maintain correct reverse DNS records.
  • Blacklist Removal: Have a plan in place to promptly address and resolve any blacklist listings.
  • Server Logs: Regularly check the server logs to identify the cause of any transient errors.

Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains that to prevent email from being marked as junk, ensure your sending server has reverse DNS records, avoid URL shorteners, and monitor your domain reputation through their Sender Support services.

10 Aug 2023 - Microsoft

Technical article

Documentation from Google explains that to fix email delivery issues, resolve any blocked IP addresses, use consistent IP addresses for sending, keep complaint rates low, and ensure properly formatted email headers.

30 Nov 2024 - Google Workspace Admin Help

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