Migrating to a new SMTP provider requires careful planning to avoid negatively impacting email deliverability. A key concern is maintaining a good sender reputation. Experts and documentation consistently advise a gradual IP warm-up process where sending volumes are slowly increased. Monitoring sender reputation, bounce rates, inbox placement, and blocklists are critical. Maintaining list hygiene by removing unengaged addresses and avoiding abrupt changes in sending habits are also essential to prevent triggering spam filters. Some mailbox providers may benefit from dedicated IPs. Initial identical traffic patterns during the warm-up phase are generally expected but should evolve as traffic increases. A high number of traffic sources is more concerning than a few. Deviation from recognized traffic patterns will impact reputation.
9 marketer opinions
Migrating to a new SMTP provider requires careful planning to avoid negative impacts on email deliverability. Experts consistently advise a gradual IP warm-up strategy, which involves slowly increasing sending volume to build trust with ISPs. Monitoring sender reputation, bounce rates, and inbox placement are essential for identifying and addressing any issues quickly. Maintaining list hygiene and avoiding sudden changes in sending patterns are also crucial to prevent being flagged as spam and ensure a smooth transition.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor answers that domain reputation can be affected, especially if there are inconsistencies in traffic patterns during an SMTP migration.
25 Sep 2021 - Campaign Monitor
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid mentions keeping track of your email volume. Drastic changes can affect your sender reputation.
11 Sep 2024 - Email On Acid
5 expert opinions
When migrating to a new SMTP provider, identical traffic patterns are a valid concern. Experts suggest that the level of concern depends on the number of sources of the new traffic; more sources are more concerning. Gradual IP warm-up is vital to avoid triggering spam filters due to sudden shifts in traffic. Maintaining good list hygiene by avoiding sending to unengaged addresses is also crucial. While shared IP pools might be sufficient in the future, some mailbox providers still benefit from dedicated IPs. Seeing similar patterns during warmup is considered normal.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource emphasizes a gradual IP warmup when migrating, highlighting that ISPs track traffic patterns closely. They explain that a sudden shift could trigger spam filters, so easing into the new SMTP with a slow increase is vital.
22 Dec 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that maintaining list hygiene is crucial during SMTP migrations. She mentions that sending to old or unengaged addresses on a new SMTP provider could lead to deliverability issues and trigger spam traps, resulting in negative consequences.
1 Nov 2024 - Word to the Wise
5 technical articles
Official documentation emphasizes the importance of consistent sending patterns and gradual increases in email volume when migrating to a new SMTP provider. Avoid sending large bursts of email from a new IP address, as this can negatively impact your reputation and trigger spam filters. Maintaining consistent sending habits, frequency, and content is crucial. Monitor your IP reputation and sending limits closely during the migration process, as deviations from established traffic patterns can affect your reputation with mailbox providers like Gmail and Microsoft.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC details standards around SMTP. It provides insight on expected patterns and how deviations could be viewed. While not explicit it does indicate an expectation of consistent and reliable traffic.
28 Jul 2022 - RFC 5321
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft details how they observe and learn traffic patterns to determine reputation. Any deviations from these patterns could impact reputation.
22 May 2025 - Microsoft
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