The overwhelming consensus from marketers, documentation, and experts is that segregating sending IPs by recipient domain is generally unnecessary and often detrimental for improving email deliverability. Modern email deliverability hinges on building and maintaining a strong sender reputation, which is achieved through consistent sending volume, engagement, quality content, proper authentication, and list hygiene. While IP segregation might have had limited applications in the past (e.g., circumventing throttling for specific regions or managing deliverability for extremely large senders), current best practices favor a unified approach. Attempting to segregate IPs by domain can appear suspicious to ISPs, potentially harming sender reputation. Most sources advocate focusing on holistic deliverability strategies rather than relying on outdated tactics like IP segregation.
12 marketer opinions
The general consensus is that segregating sending IPs by recipient domain is usually unnecessary and potentially harmful for most email senders. While it might have been a tactic used by spammers in the past, or a niche solution for circumventing throttling in specific geographic regions, modern email deliverability focuses on sender reputation, engagement, and good sending practices. For very large senders or those experiencing specific deliverability issues with certain domains, IP segregation may offer some benefit. However, for small to medium senders, it's generally considered complex, unnecessary, and a potential risk to sender reputation. Most experts recommend focusing on building a strong sender reputation, practicing good list hygiene, and creating engaging content instead.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Quora suggests that, for most email senders, IP segregation isn't required. It is better to focus on engaging the recipients with relevant emails.
3 Jul 2022 - Quora
Marketer view
Email marketer from StackOverflow shares that rotating IP by domain is generally a bad practice because it might look suspicious to receiver ISPs and harm the sender reputation.
3 Jul 2022 - StackOverflow
2 expert opinions
Experts generally advise against segregating sending IPs by recipient domain. Reputable ESPs typically don't allow this practice, as they focus on carefully managing sender reputations across shared IPs. Furthermore, mailbox providers consider factors beyond just the IP address when determining deliverability, making a strong sender reputation more important than IP segregation.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that reputable ESPs are extremely careful about whose mail they send and that they will not usually allow IP segregation. Dedicated IP addresses are sold with the intent of a user warming up their own IP and gaining a good reputation.
22 Jul 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that segregating sending IPs by recipient domain (like Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) might not improve deliverability because the receiving mailbox providers look at various factors beyond just the IP address. Focus on building a good sender reputation is more important.
20 Jul 2021 - Word to the Wise
4 technical articles
Technical documentation generally does not recommend segregating sending IPs by recipient domain for improved email deliverability. While IP pool segmentation is technically possible, managing sender reputation through content quality, engagement, and overall sending practices is considered more effective. Dedicated IPs are suited for high-volume senders managing their own reputation independently, but domain-based segregation is not endorsed. Sender reputation is often assessed domain-wide, making IP segregation unnecessary.
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains that while IP pools can be segmented, it's more effective to manage sender reputation through content and engagement rather than relying solely on IP segregation by domain.
18 Sep 2022 - SparkPost Documentation
Technical article
Documentation from AWS outlines dedicated IP addresses where they share that they are best suited for high-volume senders who want to manage their sender reputation independently. It doesn't directly endorse segregation by domain.
29 Oct 2022 - Amazon Web Services
Do ESPs charge for dedicated IPs and how much do dedicated IPs cost?
Do new domains on shared IPs need warming for transactional emails?
Does Gmail prioritize domain or IP reputation, and how does IP warming apply?
How do ESPs manage internal vs client deliverability responsibilities?
How do ESPs manage IP pools and how does it affect deliverability?
How do shared IP pools and sending domains impact email sender reputation for ESPs?