Summary
The existing reputation of a domain significantly impacts the success of warming a new dedicated IP address. A positive domain reputation, built over time through consistent and ethical sending practices, accelerates the warming process and increases the likelihood of emails reaching the inbox. Conversely, a poor domain reputation, resulting from spam complaints, blacklistings, or low engagement, hinders the warming process and diminishes deliverability, even with a new IP. Experts emphasize the importance of maintaining a clean sending history and avoiding practices that lead to negative feedback. Allowing bad senders on an infrastructure can 'smear' the reputation onto others. While IP warming is crucial, it cannot fully overcome the negative effects of a tarnished domain reputation. Therefore, prioritizing domain reputation management is paramount for ensuring optimal email deliverability.
Key findings
- Reputation Matters: Existing domain reputation is a critical factor influencing new IP warming.
- Positive Impact: A good domain reputation speeds up IP warming and improves deliverability.
- Negative Impact: A poor domain reputation slows down or even negates the effects of IP warming.
- IP Warming Limitations: IP warming alone cannot overcome the consequences of a bad domain reputation.
- Clean Sending Required: Consistent, ethical sending practices are key to building and maintaining a good domain reputation.
Key considerations
- Prioritize Reputation: Invest in actively monitoring and managing domain reputation.
- Practice Ethical Sending: Adhere to email best practices and avoid spam-like behaviors.
- Segment and Clean Lists: Regularly clean email lists and segment based on engagement.
- Monitor Deliverability: Continuously monitor email deliverability metrics to identify and address issues promptly.
- Avoid Bad Senders: Do not onboard customers or users with a history of spam or bad email sending practices.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
Existing domain reputation significantly impacts the IP warming process for new dedicated IPs. A positive domain reputation can accelerate the warming process and improve deliverability, as ISPs are more likely to trust emails from domains with a good history. Conversely, a poor domain reputation, stemming from spam complaints, blacklistings, or poor engagement, can hinder the warming process and negatively affect deliverability, even with a new IP address. The age and history of the domain play a crucial role, and consistent positive sending practices are essential to building and maintaining a good domain reputation, which, in turn, influences the success of new IP addresses associated with that domain.
Key opinions
- Positive Reputation: A good domain reputation accelerates IP warming and improves deliverability.
- Negative Reputation: A poor domain reputation hinders IP warming, leading to deliverability challenges even with a new IP.
- Domain History: The age and history of the domain significantly influence IP warming success.
- Consistent Practices: Consistent positive sending practices are crucial for building and maintaining a good domain reputation.
Key considerations
- Prioritize Domain Reputation: Focus on maintaining a good domain reputation before and during IP warming.
- Monitor Engagement: Continuously monitor email engagement metrics to identify and address any potential issues affecting domain reputation.
- Address Negative History: If the domain has a history of poor sending practices, take steps to rectify the issues before starting IP warming.
- Gradual Warming: Even with a good domain reputation, gradually warm up the new IP address to establish trust with ISPs.
Marketer view
Email marketer from ZeroBounce shares the domain reputation directly impacts deliverability, regardless of having a dedicated IP. A domain that has been associated with spam or poor engagement will still have trouble reaching the inbox, even when sending from a new, clean IP address.
5 Jun 2024 - ZeroBounce
Marketer view
Email marketer from SendGrid shares that domain reputation plays a significant role in IP warming. A positive domain reputation can accelerate the warming process, as ISPs are more likely to trust emails from a domain with a good history.
10 Jun 2024 - SendGrid
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
A domain's existing reputation is a significant factor in determining the success of new dedicated IP warming. Sending 'bad mail' or onboarding customers with a history of spam or poor engagement will negatively impact deliverability, and simply changing IP addresses or domains won't solve the problem in the long run. Allowing problematic customers on your infrastructure can also smear reputation, even with dedicated IPs. IP warming aims to build a positive reputation with recipients, but if the underlying mail stream is inherently 'bad,' warming will only solidify a negative reputation. Therefore, domain reputation precedes the IP, making a tarnished domain an uphill battle even with a new, dedicated IP.
Key opinions
- Poor Sending Practices: Sending 'bad mail' negatively impacts deliverability, regardless of IP or domain changes.
- Reputation Smearing: Allowing problematic customers can damage the reputation of other customers, even with dedicated IPs.
- Warming Limitations: IP warming cannot overcome a fundamentally 'bad' mail stream; it will only solidify a negative reputation.
- Domain Precedence: Domain reputation significantly influences deliverability, even with a new IP address.
Key considerations
- Focus on Quality: Prioritize sending high-quality, engaging content that recipients want to receive.
- Screen New Customers: Carefully screen new customers and avoid onboarding those with a history of spam or poor engagement.
- Manage Reputation: Actively manage and protect your domain's reputation through best practices and monitoring.
- Address Root Causes: Address the root causes of deliverability problems, rather than relying solely on IP warming or changing infrastructure.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that "warming" is about introducing yourself and building a reputation with recipients. If your mail stream is just Plain Bad then the only thing warming will do is move the reputation of the mail stream from "unknown and suspicious" to "known and bad".
29 Mar 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that a domain's existing reputation significantly influences the IP warming process. A domain with a poor sending history will likely face deliverability challenges even with a new IP, as mailbox providers consider the overall reputation of the sending entity.
12 Aug 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email service providers emphasize that both IP and domain reputation are critical for email deliverability. New IP addresses lack sending history and require a gradual warming process to build trust with ISPs. The domain's existing reputation significantly influences this process; a positive reputation accelerates IP warming, while a poor one hinders it. Maintaining clean sending practices and avoiding spam complaints are crucial for improving domain reputation, which ultimately benefits the deliverability of emails sent from new IPs.
Key findings
- New IP Requires Warming: New IP addresses have no sending history and require a gradual warming process.
- Domain Influences IP Warming: The domain's existing reputation significantly influences the IP warming process.
- Positive Reputation Benefits: A good domain reputation accelerates IP warming.
- Poor Reputation Hinders: A poor domain reputation hinders IP warming.
- Clean Practices Improve: Clean sending practices improve domain reputation, benefiting new IPs.
Key considerations
- Prioritize IP Warming: Implement a gradual IP warming strategy when using a new dedicated IP.
- Maintain Domain Reputation: Focus on maintaining a positive domain reputation through clean sending practices.
- Monitor Performance: Monitor IP and domain reputation metrics to identify and address any potential deliverability issues.
- Avoid Spam Complaints: Minimize spam complaints by sending relevant, engaging content to opted-in recipients.
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost Documentation shares that sending from a new IP address requires warming to establish trust with mailbox providers. The domain's existing reputation can influence this process; a good domain reputation can accelerate IP warming, while a poor reputation can hinder it.
14 Jan 2022 - SparkPost Documentation
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that a new IP address has no sending history, and it's crucial to warm up the IP by gradually increasing the sending volume. Starting with a small volume and gradually increasing it over time helps establish a positive reputation with ISPs.
10 Dec 2022 - Google Postmaster Tools Help
Are IP warming services effective for improving email deliverability?
Does Gmail prioritize domain or IP reputation, and how does IP warming apply?
How do I warm up a new IP address for transactional emails?
How does domain reputation affect email deliverability compared to IP reputation?
How long does it take to warm up an IP address for email marketing?
What are the best practices and schedules for warming up an IP address for email sending?
