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How to manage SFMC email delivery issues in Yahoo with delays and no bounces?

Summary

Managing SFMC email delivery issues in Yahoo with delays and no bounces requires a multi-faceted approach. Experts and marketers emphasize factors such as sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), content quality, and subscriber engagement. Yahoo's engagement-based filtering means subscriber interaction directly impacts deliverability. Troubleshooting involves checking SMTP settings, IP reputation (using tools like AboutMyEmail), reviewing Yahoo's postmaster resources, and verifying compliance with Yahoo's bulk email policies. Techniques like list segmentation, IP warming, compelling preview text, and participation in feedback loops can also improve deliverability. If emails are neither bouncing nor in the inbox or spam folder, SFMC may have declined to send them. RFC documentation highlights the importance of correct SPF configuration, while Salesforce documentation details bounce management, SAP implementation, and DMARC setup.

Key findings

  • Deliverability Factors: Email deliverability depends on sender reputation, authentication, content quality, and subscriber engagement.
  • Engagement Filtering: Yahoo uses engagement-based filtering, where subscriber interaction directly influences inbox placement.
  • Rejection Handling: If emails aren't in the inbox or spam folder and are not bouncing, Yahoo might have rejected the connection or SFMC might have declined to send.
  • IP Reputation: A poor IP reputation can cause delivery delays; utilize online tools and remediation as needed.
  • Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for authentication; incorrect configuration can lead to failures.

Key considerations

  • Yahoo Resources: Consult Yahoo's postmaster resources for specific requirements and troubleshooting steps.
  • Log Analysis: Check email logs and SMTP messages for more insights into rejection or delivery issues.
  • List Management: Practice list segmentation and suppression of inactive users to improve engagement.
  • SMTP Settings: Verify SMTP settings are correctly configured in SFMC.
  • SAP and DMARC: Implement SAP and set up correct DMARC policies to enhance security and brand reputation.
  • Warming IPs: Warm up new IPs/domains to establish a positive reputation.

What email marketers say

10 marketer opinions

Several factors contribute to SFMC email delivery issues in Yahoo, even without bounces. These include Yahoo's filtering mechanisms, which consider sender reputation, content quality, and subscriber engagement. Troubleshooting involves checking SMTP settings, IP reputation, and compliance with Yahoo's bulk email policies. Optimizing content, segmenting lists, warming up IPs, and participating in feedback loops can improve deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Filtering: Yahoo uses filtering mechanisms, including engagement-based filters, to determine inbox placement.
  • Rejection Handling: If emails are not in the inbox or spam folder, Yahoo may have rejected them, requiring review of SMTP logs.
  • IP Reputation: A poor IP reputation can cause delivery delays, necessitating checks and remediation if blacklisted.
  • Content Quality: Low-quality content can be flagged as spam, causing delays. Content needs to be tested on various devices.
  • Volume Spikes: Sudden volume spikes can trigger filters, recommending a gradual increase in sending volume.
  • SMTP Settings: Incorrect SMTP settings can cause connection issues and delays.

Key considerations

  • Postmaster Resources: Consult Yahoo's postmaster resources for specific requirements and troubleshooting steps.
  • Feedback Loops: Participate in Yahoo's feedback loop program to receive spam complaints and address reputation issues.
  • List Segmentation: Segment lists to send targeted content to engaged subscribers, reducing spam complaints.
  • IP Warm-up: Warm up new IPs gradually to build a positive reputation with Yahoo.
  • Preview Text: Use compelling preview text to encourage engagement and improve perceived email value.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Provider Community recommends warming up new IPs or domains by gradually increasing sending volume over time. Warming up allows you to build a positive reputation with ISPs and mailbox providers like Yahoo.

2 Oct 2022 - Email Provider Community

Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit suggests checking your IP reputation using online tools. They advise that a poor IP reputation can cause significant delivery delays, especially with larger providers like Yahoo. If your IP has been blacklisted, remediation steps may be necessary.

29 Dec 2024 - Reddit

What the experts say

5 expert opinions

Addressing SFMC email delivery delays to Yahoo, even without bounces, requires examining various factors. Key areas to investigate include Yahoo's handling of accepted mail (potential queueing), sender reputation (using tools like AboutMyEmail), compliance with Yahoo's bulk email policies, and subscriber engagement. If the bounce data view doesn't show bounces and the email isn't in the inbox or spam folder, SFMC may have declined to send the email. Addressing issues such as poor authentication, list management, or content relevance can improve deliverability. Yahoo's engagement-based filtering means subscriber interaction heavily influences inbox placement, encouraging targeted content and suppression of inactive users.

Key opinions

  • Yahoo Handling: If Yahoo accepts the email but delivery is delayed, the email is likely queued; check logs to verify.
  • Sender Reputation: If there are no bounces and delays impact sends and tests, Yahoo doesn't think highly of the email so you need to ensure everything is configured correctly.
  • SFMC Decline: If there are no bounces and the email is not present in the inbox/spam, SFMC may have declined sending the email.
  • Bulk Email Policies: Compliance with Yahoo's bulk email policies is crucial, focusing on authentication, list management, and engagement.
  • Engagement Filtering: Yahoo's engagement-based filtering requires focusing on relevant content and suppressing inactive users.

Key considerations

  • Log Analysis: Check email logs for transactions to understand what is happening with delayed emails.
  • AboutMyEmail Tool: Utilize AboutMyEmail to assess sender reputation and configuration issues.
  • Engagement Metrics: Monitor engagement metrics to identify areas for improvement and ensure relevant content.
  • Content Relevance: Focus on sending relevant content to active subscribers to increase inbox placement.
  • Authentication: Ensure correct setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate your email.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests using AboutMyEmail to see what's happening. He says that if there are no bounces and delays impact sends and tests, this suggests Yahoo doesn't think highly of the email so you need to ensure everything is configured correctly.

5 Jan 2024 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise advises to check Yahoo's bulk email policies and ensure compliance. Specifically, Yahoo emphasizes the importance of authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list management, and subscriber engagement. Non-compliance can lead to delays or filtering.

17 Aug 2021 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says

5 technical articles

Managing SFMC email delivery issues in Yahoo requires careful attention to several factors, primarily centered around authentication and sender reputation. Salesforce documentation emphasizes that deliverability relies on sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), content quality, and subscriber engagement. Proper implementation of Sender Authentication Packages (SAP) and DMARC enhances deliverability by branding emails and ensuring authentication. Regularly cleaning subscriber lists, monitoring bounce rates, and effectively managing bounce data are also important. RFC documentation highlights the technical specifications of SPF records, stressing the need for correct configuration to authorize sending IPs and domains.

Key findings

  • Deliverability Factors: Email deliverability depends on sender reputation, authentication, content quality, and subscriber engagement.
  • Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for authenticating email sends and improving security.
  • SAP Importance: Implementing Sender Authentication Packages (SAP) brands emails, enhances reputation, and ensures consistent authentication.
  • Bounce Management: Effective bounce management, including categorizing bounces and automating data handling, helps maintain list hygiene.
  • RFC SPF Specs: Correct SPF configuration is essential to authorize sending IPs and domains, avoiding authentication failures.
  • DMARC Policy: Correct DMARC polices are essential to improve security and show trustworthiness to receiving mail servers.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Reputation: Continuously monitor sender reputation through bounce rates and spam complaints.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean subscriber lists to remove inactive or invalid email addresses.
  • SPF Configuration: Ensure SPF records are correctly configured to authorize SFMC sending IPs and domains.
  • DMARC Setup: Properly set up DMARC policies to dictate handling of emails failing authentication checks.
  • Bounce Automation: Implement automation to manage bounce data effectively and maintain a clean subscriber list.

Technical article

Documentation from RFC explains the technical specifications of SPF records. It emphasizes ensuring the SPF record is correctly configured to authorize SFMC sending IP addresses and domains. Incorrect SPF records can lead to authentication failures, resulting in delays or rejection by receiving mail servers.

7 Sep 2024 - RFC-Editor

Technical article

Documentation from Salesforce Help explains about setting up DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). Correct DMARC policies dictate what happens when an email fails SPF or DKIM checks, improving security and indicating your trustworthiness to receiving mail servers like Yahoo.

16 Sep 2023 - Salesforce Help

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