Summary
After a subdomain deletion resulting in deliverability issues and high spam rates, salvaging your email domain and IP reputation requires a multifaceted approach. Immediately stop all email sending to prevent further damage. Diagnose and rectify the underlying technical issues, particularly focusing on the correct setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Simultaneously, improve list hygiene by removing inactive subscribers and segmenting your audience. Warming up your IP address gradually by sending to engaged users first is vital. Furthermore, ensure you are providing valuable content that matches recipient expectations and avoid spam triggers. Regularly monitor your sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS/JMRP. Finally, engaging with ISPs and even reaching out to Google via their Sender Contact form may assist in the recovery process. Remember, patience is key, as rebuilding a positive sender reputation takes time and consistent effort.
Key findings
- Immediate Pause: Immediately stop all email sending to halt further damage to your sender reputation.
- Technical Fixes: Correctly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate your emails.
- List Hygiene: Implement rigorous list hygiene practices, removing inactive subscribers and segmenting your audience.
- Gradual Warm-up: Warm up your IP gradually, starting with your most engaged users, to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Content Quality: Provide valuable content that matches recipient expectations to rebuild trust.
- Reputation Monitoring: Monitor your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS/JMRP.
Key considerations
- Diagnostic Depth: Thoroughly diagnose the root cause of deliverability issues to implement targeted solutions.
- ISP Engagement: Consider engaging with ISPs and using Sender Contact forms for potential assistance.
- Patience: Understand that rebuilding a positive sender reputation takes time and sustained effort.
- Subscriber Expectations: Meeting subscriber expectations with valuable and relevant content is crucial for reducing spam complaints.
- Bulk Sender Guidelines: Review and adhere to bulk sender guidelines from major email providers.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
After a subdomain deletion leads to email deliverability issues and high spam rates, the primary steps to salvage domain and IP reputation involve immediately ceasing email sends, rectifying technical issues (specifically setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC correctly), and improving email list hygiene by removing inactive subscribers. Further steps include warming up the IP address gradually, focusing on providing valuable and expected content, engaging with ISPs, and using tools like Google Postmaster Tools to monitor sender reputation. Some even advise reaching out to Google via their Sender Contact form or posting in Reddit for assistance.
Key opinions
- Stop Sending: Immediately halt all email sends to prevent further damage to your sender reputation.
- Authentication: Correctly set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your emails.
- List Hygiene: Review and clean your email lists by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers to improve engagement metrics.
- Content Value: Focus on providing valuable content that aligns with subscriber expectations to rebuild trust with mailbox providers.
- Gradual Warm-up: Start warming up your IP address gradually by sending to your most engaged subscribers first to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Contact ISPs: Engage with ISPs and consider using Sender Contact forms or other mitigation approaches they offer.
Key considerations
- Technical Audit: Audit technical configurations to ensure no further misconfigurations exist, as these can negatively impact deliverability.
- Segmentation: Segment your email list to send relevant content to different audience groups and improve engagement.
- Monitoring: Monitor your IP and domain reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools to track improvements and identify potential issues.
- Remediation Speed: The faster corrective actions are implemented, the better the chances of a quick recovery. Delaying fixes can prolong the reputational damage.
- Subscriber Expectations: Ensuring email content matches subscriber expectations is vital in avoiding spam complaints and maintaining a good sender reputation.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus suggests auditing your current email practices. Check authentication setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and review your email content for spam triggers. Implement list hygiene practices to remove inactive subscribers, and monitor your IP and domain reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
30 Mar 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit suggests posting in reddit to get help and says that it is vital to stop sending emails immediately to prevent further damage. Focus on setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records correctly. Contact the email service provider to understand the impact of the subdomain deletion and ask for their remediation recommendations.
17 Sep 2022 - Reddit
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
After a subdomain deletion leading to email deliverability issues and high spam rates, salvaging domain and IP reputation hinges on identifying and rectifying underlying problems, including setting up proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). A conservative warm-up program, with minimal initial sending volume, combined with a focus on excellent email practices, is essential. Engaging ISPs for whitelisting after cleanup and diagnosing the reasons for reputation damage are crucial steps. Patience is key as rebuilding sender reputation takes time.
Key opinions
- Diagnose Root Cause: Identifying and understanding the reasons behind the bad reputation is essential for targeted remediation.
- Authentication Setup: Ensure proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is configured correctly to prevent spoofing and improve deliverability.
- Warm-Up Program: Implement a conservative warm-up program with minimal initial sending volume, gradually increasing over time.
- Clean Email Practices: Follow best practices for email content, list management, and sending frequency to avoid spam traps and complaints.
- Patience is Key: Rebuilding sender reputation takes time and consistent effort.
Key considerations
- Complete Fixes: Ensure all technical and content-related issues are completely fixed before restarting sending activities.
- ISP Engagement: Consider reaching out to ISPs for whitelisting or guidance after implementing the necessary fixes.
- Conservative Sending: Start with a small, highly engaged audience during the warm-up phase to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Reputation Monitoring: Continually monitor your IP and domain reputation to detect and address any new issues promptly.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, emphasizes the importance of diagnosing the reasons behind the bad reputation. She explains to ensure your authentication is configured correctly, mailing lists are clean and consent-based, content is engaging, and spam traps are avoided. Then you must reach out to the ISPs to get whitelisted after fixing the problems.
13 Jan 2025 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains there is hope to salvage the domain and IP but the client needs to fix all the issues, set up the email program properly, and then plead their case using the Google form. It is important to stop sending emails for a while to allow the bad reputation to fall off. During this pause, the client needs to ensure everything is perfect and then follow a conservative warmup program.
22 Sep 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
To recover email domain and IP reputation following a subdomain deletion and subsequent spam issues, documentation from major email providers and deliverability services emphasizes several key steps. These include reviewing bulk sender guidelines, ensuring proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and actively monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools, Microsoft SNDS/JMRP, and feedback loops. Critical actions also involve cleaning mailing lists, avoiding spam triggers in email content, providing clear unsubscribe mechanisms, and implementing a warm-up strategy with segmented lists to gradually increase sending volume while monitoring deliverability metrics.
Key findings
- Review Guidelines: Admins must review bulk sender guidelines from major providers like Google and Microsoft.
- Authentication: Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial for verifying email legitimacy.
- Reputation Monitoring: Actively monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS/JMRP.
- List Hygiene: Clean and segment mailing lists, removing inactive subscribers to improve engagement.
- Warm-up Strategy: Implement a warm-up strategy with segmented lists to gradually increase sending volume.
Key considerations
- Spam Complaints: Promptly address spam complaints and ensure clear unsubscribe mechanisms are in place.
- Content Review: Avoid spam triggers in email content to maintain a positive sender reputation.
- Dedicated IP: Consider using a dedicated IP to manage and improve sender reputation.
- Feedback Loops: Implement feedback loops to monitor spam complaints and adjust sending practices accordingly.
- Address Validation: Validate email addresses to reduce bounces and improve deliverability.
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft Learn advises checking IP and domain reputation with Microsoft SNDS (Smart Network Data Services) and JMRP (Junk Mail Reporting Program). It emphasizes cleaning up mailing lists, avoiding spam triggers in content, and ensuring proper unsubscribe mechanisms are in place to reduce spam complaints.
3 Oct 2023 - Microsoft Learn
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that to fix email delivery issues, admins should review Google's bulk sender guidelines, ensure proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), monitor sender reputation via Postmaster Tools, and address any spam complaints promptly.
25 Oct 2021 - Google Workspace Admin Help
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