Summary
While Google may own country-specific domains like gmail.com.br and these are valid ccTLDs in accordance with RFC and IANA, experts and email marketers largely agree that these are *not* valid email addresses for standard Gmail accounts. These domains often lack MX records, are used for website purposes, or are registered for branding/trademark protection. Google Workspace may support some country-specific domains for enterprise clients, but these are not typical Gmail accounts. Sending emails to these unusual country code domains is risky and can harm sender reputation. Implementing robust validation processes, maintaining excellent list hygiene (including TLD validation), and being wary of suspicious emails using these domains are crucial for email deliverability.
Key findings
- Gmail Domains: Standard Gmail addresses typically use gmail.com or googlemail.com; country-specific variations (e.g., gmail.com.br) are generally invalid.
- MX Records: Country-specific Gmail domains usually lack MX records, indicating they are not configured to receive email.
- Google's Usage: Google registers these domains primarily for branding/trademark protection or website purposes, not for email services.
- Enterprise Exceptions: Google Workspace may use country-specific domains for enterprise clients with specific compliance needs.
- Spam Risk: Regional TLDs, including country-specific Gmail variants, are often associated with spam.
Key considerations
- Email Validation: Always validate email addresses by checking for valid MX records and TLDs before sending.
- Suspicious Activity: Be wary of emails from Gmail variants, especially if they request sensitive information; check headers and geolocation data.
- List Hygiene: Maintain strict list hygiene by removing invalid email addresses, including those with unusual or suspicious TLDs.
- Regional validation: A robust process should be used to make sure the person that owns the email is in the specified region.
- Monitor deliverability: Monitor email deliverability rates and sender reputation closely; unusual bounce rates may indicate issues with email validation.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
While Google may own country-specific domains like gmail.com.br, these are generally not used for actual email addresses. They often redirect to the main gmail.com site and may be registered for branding or trademark protection. Sending emails to these unusual country code domains can be risky and negatively impact sender reputation. It is advised to validate that emails using country specific domains come from that region using header and geolocation database lookups. Utilizing email verification APIs to check domain syntax, existence, and MX records is also recommended.
Key opinions
- Domain Usage: Country-specific Gmail domains (e.g., gmail.com.br) are typically not used for actual email addresses.
- Domain Ownership: Google registers country-specific domains for branding and trademark protection.
- Email Validation: Validating email addresses should include checking for domain existence and valid MX records.
- Phishing Risk: Email addresses with country-specific Gmail domains may be used for phishing attempts.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Sending emails to unusual country code domains can harm sender reputation.
- Verification Methods: Use email verification APIs to validate domain syntax, existence, and MX records.
- Geolocation Checks: If you receive an email from a gmail variant and you are not sure about it, check the headers to find the originating IP address. Check this IP address against a geolocation database to verify its geographic origin.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Marketing Forum shares that Google often registers country-specific domains for branding and protecting their trademark, but not necessarily for providing email services under those domains.
8 Sep 2021 - Marketing Forum
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit user explains that while Google may own country-specific domains (like gmail.com.br), they typically redirect to the main gmail.com site and are not used for actual email addresses.
29 Nov 2023 - Reddit
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Experts generally agree that while Google may own country-specific domains like gmail.com.br, these are not valid for email addresses due to the absence of MX records. Google utilizes these domains primarily for website purposes. Furthermore, regional TLDs can be associated with spam, necessitating robust validation processes to ensure legitimate regional ownership. Maintaining excellent list hygiene, including TLD validation, is crucial for email deliverability.
Key opinions
- MX Record Absence: Country-specific Gmail domains (e.g., gmail.com.br) typically lack MX records, rendering them invalid for email.
- Website vs. Email: Google utilizes country-specific domains for website purposes, not for email addresses.
- Spam Association: Regional TLDs can be associated with spam activities.
- TLD Validation: Validating the TLD of email addresses is crucial for maintaining email list hygiene.
Key considerations
- Robust Validation: Implement robust processes to ensure legitimate regional ownership for email addresses using regional TLDs.
- List Hygiene: Maintain excellent email list hygiene to prevent emails from landing in spam folders.
- Googlemail's Origin: Google initially used the googlemail domain due to Gmail trademark issues in some regions.
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource advises it is important to maintain excellent list hygiene to prevent your emails ending up in the spam folder and to ensure your email deliverability is good. As part of this one of the validation methods that is helpful, is to validate the TLD of the email address. Most valid emails are .com, .org, .net. But not all .com, .org, and .net are valid. You should check the list against a TLD that is likely to be spam, such as country specific domains if you are only expecting people to sign up from US.
27 Feb 2023 - Spamresource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that Google has gmail.<all the gTLDs> too, but just for the website, not for email addresses.
17 Dec 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Documentation suggests that while country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) like .br are syntactically valid and listed by IANA, and Google Workspace supports some country-specific domains, these are generally not used for standard Gmail addresses. Google may introduce new regional domain endings for specific enterprise customers with compliancy issues, but these are not typical Gmail accounts. Suspicious emails should be carefully checked, as Gmail warns when the 'mailed-by' domain doesn't match the sender's domain, indicating potential authentication failure.
Key findings
- ccTLD Validity: Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are syntactically valid as per RFC standards and IANA listings.
- Workspace Support: Google Workspace supports various country-specific domains, but not necessarily for Gmail addresses.
- Enterprise Domains: Google may introduce new regional domain endings for specific enterprise customers with compliancy requirements, but they're not typical Gmail accounts.
- Authentication Warnings: Gmail warns users when the 'mailed-by' domain doesn't match the sender's domain, indicating potential authentication failure.
Key considerations
- Suspicious Emails: Carefully examine the sender's email address when receiving suspicious emails.
- Domain Matching: Ensure the 'mailed-by' domain matches the sender's domain to verify email authenticity.
- Enterprise vs. Standard: Differentiate between standard Gmail accounts and Google Workspace accounts with specific regional domain endings.
Technical article
Documentation from IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) lists all valid country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), confirming that .br, .uk, etc., are legitimate domains but doesn't dictate how Google uses them.
17 Oct 2023 - IANA
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor indicates that the syntax of domain names allows for country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) like .br, but doesn't specify whether Google chooses to use them for email services.
26 Oct 2022 - RFC 2068
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