Summary
Migrating from an on-premise email system to a CRM can significantly impact email reputation and deliverability, necessitating careful monitoring and adjustments. Switching ESPs (IPs) to a CRM often affects delivery and reputation; comparing pre- and post-migration results, including engagement metrics and spam placement, is crucial. CRMs have their own reputations, so ensuring proper domain authentication to avoid authenticating as the CRM is vital. Analyzing email headers, using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS, helps assess authentication and reputation. Implementing IP warming, verifying SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, and monitoring blacklist status are essential. Using Feedback Loops, practicing list hygiene, maintaining consistent sending volume, and considering a dedicated IP address can further improve deliverability. If a CRM lacks robust sending capabilities, integrating a third-party sender with automation is recommended.
Key findings
- CRM Impact: Switching to a CRM impacts email reputation and deliverability.
- Authentication is Key: Proper domain authentication prevents authenticating as the CRM.
- Tool Utilization: Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS provide reputation insights.
- IP Warming Essential: IP warming is crucial when switching to a new IP range.
- Authentication Verification: Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records post-migration.
- Holistic Monitoring: Monitor various metrics including deliverability, engagement, and complaints.
- List Hygiene: Practicing good list hygiene improves deliverability.
- Feedback Loops: Feedback Loops provide insights on spam complaints.
- Third-Party Integration: Consider integrating a third-party sender for advanced features.
Key considerations
- Compare Performance: Compare pre- and post-migration results for deliverability changes.
- Secure Authentication: Ensure your emails are properly authenticated under your domain.
- Implement IP Warming: Implement a phased IP warming strategy for new IPs.
- Address Blacklists: Address any listing on blacklists to restore deliverability.
- Continuous Monitoring: Continuously monitor metrics and adapt based on performance.
- Use Dedicated IP: Setup dedicated IP for full control over sender reputation
- Clean Email Lists: Remove unresponsive emails to avoid spam traps
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
Migrating from an on-premise email system to a CRM often impacts email reputation and deliverability. Several key areas require monitoring to assess the extent of this impact. Comparing metrics before and after the switch is crucial. This includes analyzing deliverability metrics (bounce rates, spam complaints), engagement (opens, clicks), and email headers. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) must be verified, IP warming should be implemented, and the possibility of blacklisting needs to be checked. Utilizing feedback loops, practicing list hygiene, maintaining consistent sending volume, and segmenting lists are also recommended practices for mitigating deliverability issues during and after the transition.
Key opinions
- Impact on Reputation: Switching ESPs/IPs can negatively affect email reputation and deliverability.
- Metric Monitoring: Monitor bounce rates, spam complaints, opens, and clicks before and after the switch.
- IP Warming Importance: A phased IP warming process is essential when migrating to a new IP range.
- Authentication Verification: Verifying SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records is crucial for maintaining trust.
- Blacklist Checks: Check for IP address or domain blacklisting using online tools.
- Feedback Loops: Implement Feedback Loops (FBLs) to monitor complaint rates directly.
- List Hygiene: Removing inactive subscribers improves reputation and deliverability.
- Volume Consistency: Maintaining a consistent sending volume avoids suspicion from ISPs.
- Drop in Engagement: Tracking opens, clicks and conversions for significant drops points to deliverability issues.
Key considerations
- Compare Past Performance: Benchmark metrics against previous sends, focusing on surveys and recent campaigns.
- Address Blacklisting Immediately: If blacklisted, take immediate steps to remove your IP/domain.
- Implement FBLs: Actively use FBLs to address and resolve any identified issues with complaints.
- Segment Sending: Implement segmentation to target engaged groups and improve open rates.
- Consider Dedicated IPs: Explore using a dedicated IP to control reputation, especially with large volumes.
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailOnAcid shares that setting up Feedback Loops (FBLs) with major mailbox providers can help monitor complaint rates. This gives you direct information about the number of recipients marking your emails as spam. Increased spam complaints directly damage your sending reputation.
16 Mar 2025 - EmailOnAcid
Marketer view
Email marketer from SendGrid responds that a sudden switch to a new IP range (likely when migrating to a CRM) requires a phased IP warming process. Without warming, your reputation suffers as mailbox providers see a sudden surge of emails from an unknown source. Warming involves gradually increasing sending volume to build trust.
3 May 2024 - SendGrid
What the experts say
6 expert opinions
Switching to a CRM system for email sending can significantly impact reputation and deliverability due to changes in infrastructure. Since CRMs often have their own reputation, ensuring proper domain authentication is crucial to avoid authenticating as the CRM instead of your domain. Gathering data on outbound mail authentication by examining email headers helps determine who is authenticating your emails. Monitor key metrics like seedlist results, blocklist status, complaint rates, accepted vs. rejected volume, opens, and clicks. A simple initial step is comparing email results (spam placement) before and after the switch. Additionally, verify authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), check the sending IP address, and analyze email content for issues. If CRM solutions lack robust bulk sending capabilities, consider integrating a third-party sender with automation scripts.
Key opinions
- CRM Reputation: CRMs have their own reputation that can affect your email deliverability.
- Authentication Matters: Properly configure domain authentication to avoid authenticating as the CRM.
- Header Analysis: Analyze email headers to determine the actual authentication status.
- Monitor Key Metrics: Track seedlist results, blocklist status, complaint rates, and engagement metrics to assess deliverability.
- Compare Results: Comparing pre- and post-switch email placement is an easy high-level way to understand changes.
- Authentication Review: Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings to ensure proper email authentication.
- CRM Limitations: Many CRMs lack robust bulk email infrastructure and should be integrated with 3rd party senders.
Key considerations
- Custom Authentication: Customize domain authentication within the CRM to represent your brand.
- Data Gathering Focus: Focus on data related to outbound mail authentication when examining email headers.
- Holistic Monitoring: Monitor multiple metrics to identify shifts in deliverability and reputation.
- Regular Result Analysis: Regularly compare current results with historical data to detect changes early.
- Third Party Integration: Consider integrating a dedicated ESP for robust sending capabilities if your CRM is limited.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource recommends that you check your authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), sending IP address, and content for any changes or issues when diagnosing deliverability problems. Also, review bounce messages for clues about delivery failures.
27 Nov 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that after changing the infrastructure, everything changes. The CRM will have its own reputation, and if the domain authentication hasn’t been customized, you’re basically authenticating as the CRM, not as your domain.
24 Aug 2021 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
After migrating from an on-premise email system to a CRM, it's vital to monitor your sender reputation and ensure proper email authentication. Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS offer insights into spam rates, feedback loops, IP reputation, and complaint rates. Verify the correct setup and propagation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records using tools like `dig`, online checkers, or authentication checkers from SparkPost or Mail-Tester.com. Implementing DMARC reporting helps identify domain usage, potential spoofing, and unauthorized sending activities, enabling mailbox providers to send authentication reports.
Key findings
- Google Postmaster Tools: Google Postmaster Tools provides insights into sending reputation and authentication issues.
- Microsoft SNDS: Microsoft's SNDS offers information on IP reputation, complaint rates, and related data for Outlook.com.
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC Verification: Verify that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up and propagated after migration.
- Authentication Checkers: Tools like SparkPost authentication checker and Mail-Tester.com help verify email authentication records.
- DMARC Reporting: DMARC reporting offers insights into domain usage and potential spoofing or unauthorized activity.
Key considerations
- Regular Monitoring: Regularly check Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS for any negative trends.
- Record Propagation: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly propagated across DNS servers.
- Tool Utilization: Utilize available tools to thoroughly verify the setup of email authentication.
- Reporting Implementation: Implement DMARC reporting to proactively identify and address any security issues.
- Proactive Analysis: Perform ongoing analysis of reports from mailbox providers for proactive security measures.
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC.org explains to implement DMARC reporting to gain insight into how your domain is being used and identify any potential spoofing or unauthorized sending activity. This will also enable mailbox providers to send you reports on authentication results.
16 Feb 2024 - DMARC.org
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains that using a tool like the SparkPost authentication checker, or Mail-Tester.com, helps to verify the setup of email authentication records, like SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
21 May 2025 - SparkPost
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