Summary
The overwhelming consensus from experts, email marketers, and documentation sources is that using a common email address after individual seller emails are blacklisted is a detrimental strategy. This approach fails to address the underlying problems causing the blacklisting, such as spamming, poor list hygiene, and authentication issues. It can concentrate negative feedback, damage the sender's reputation and overall domain deliverability, and create a single point of failure. Instead, focusing on identifying and resolving the root causes, implementing email authentication, maintaining list hygiene, separating mail streams, and setting up separate mailing infrastructures for outbound communications are recommended best practices.
Key findings
- Root Cause Not Addressed: Switching to a common address doesn't fix the underlying reasons for blacklisting (e.g., spam complaints, poor email content).
- Reputation Damage: Using a common address concentrates negative feedback, further harming sender reputation and domain deliverability.
- Single Point of Failure: A common address creates a single point of failure, making it easier for email providers to block all communications.
- Need for Separation: Separating different types of email traffic (e.g., transactional, marketing, outreach) is essential to protect healthy mail streams.
- Authentication Importance: Properly authenticating email domains is crucial for establishing trust and improving deliverability.
Key considerations
- Identify Blacklisting Reasons: Determine the specific factors causing emails to be blacklisted (e.g., spam traps, high bounce rates, lack of consent).
- Implement Email Authentication: Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify sender identity and improve deliverability.
- Maintain List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists by removing inactive, unsubscribed, or problematic addresses.
- Separate Mail Streams: Segregate different types of email traffic (e.g., transactional, marketing, outreach) to isolate and manage deliverability issues.
- Build Separate Infrastructure: If engaging in outbound outreach or potentially spammy activities, consider setting up a separate infrastructure with new domains and accounts.
- Wanted Email: Consider if your email is wanted by the recipent, if its not you should not send it.
What email marketers say
7 marketer opinions
The consensus from email marketing experts is that using a common email address after individual seller emails get blacklisted is generally a bad idea. It concentrates negative feedback, potentially damaging sender reputation and overall domain deliverability. Instead, focusing on fixing the underlying causes of blacklisting, such as spam complaints, poor list hygiene, and authentication issues, is recommended.
Key opinions
- Reputation Damage: Using a common email address concentrates negative feedback, damaging sender reputation more broadly.
- Masking, Not Fixing: Switching to a common address doesn't solve the underlying deliverability issues, such as poor list hygiene or spam practices.
- Domain Impact: A blacklisted common address can negatively impact the entire domain's reputation and deliverability.
- Single Point of Failure: Consolidating sending into a single address creates a single point of failure for deliverability problems.
Key considerations
- Identify Root Cause: Determine the specific reasons for individual blacklistings, such as spam complaints or low email engagement.
- Improve List Hygiene: Clean up email lists by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers.
- Authenticate Email: Implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify sender identity.
- Monitor Reputation: Monitor sender reputation and domain health to identify and address deliverability issues promptly.
- Follow Best Practices: Adhere to email sending best practices to avoid triggering spam filters and maintain a good sender reputation.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit explains that using a common email after blacklisting creates a single point of failure. Instead, it’s better to improve list hygiene and follow email best practices.
26 Sep 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that using a common email address after individual accounts get blacklisted can further damage your sender reputation as it concentrates negative feedback into one source.
5 Apr 2022 - Neil Patel
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Experts generally advise against using a common email address if individual seller emails are blacklisted. This approach doesn't address the root causes of blacklisting, such as spamming or unwanted email, and can further damage the sender's reputation and domain deliverability. A better strategy is to identify and fix the underlying issues, potentially separating mail streams and setting up a separate mailing infrastructure for outbound communications to protect the primary domain.
Key opinions
- Doesn't Solve the Problem: Using a common address doesn't fix the reason for blacklisting and can make it easier for email providers to block the sender.
- Damages Reputation: Consolidating sending activity into a single address can negatively impact the overall sender reputation and domain deliverability.
- Need for Separation: Separating mail streams, particularly toxic outbound ones, is a good strategy to protect healthy mail.
- Infrastructure Setup: Setting up a separate mailing infrastructure, including new domains and accounts, is recommended for outbound spam/outreach activities.
Key considerations
- Identify Underlying Issues: Determine what's causing emails to be blacklisted, such as spam complaints, unwanted emails, or poor list management.
- Separate Mail Streams: Segregate different types of email (e.g., transactional, marketing, outreach) to isolate and manage deliverability issues.
- Build a Firewall: Create a barrier around toxic outbound mail streams to constrain the impact on the healthy mail.
- Consider a Separate Infrastructure: If engaging in outbound spam or outreach activities, consider a completely separate mailing infrastructure to protect the main domain.
- Wanted Email: Consider if the email you are sending is wanted and if not you should not send it.
Expert view
Expert from WordtotheWise.com answers that moving all email to a single sender address may be a good idea or it may be a bad idea. You need to know what is going wrong and why addresses are blacklisted in the first place and if your email is wanted.
9 Sep 2024 - WordtotheWise.com
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks agrees that separating mailstreams is a good idea and that building a firewall around the toxic outbound mailstream helps constrain the impact and allows focus on the healthy mail.
21 Oct 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Email deliverability documentation from Google, Microsoft, RFC, SparkPost and AWS indicates that switching to a common email address to avoid blacklisting is not recommended. They state it's essential to address the root causes of deliverability issues, such as authentication problems, content quality, sending practices, and sender reputation. Implementing email authentication, using dedicated IP addresses, warming up IPs, monitoring sending reputation, and adhering to email standards are highlighted as more effective strategies.
Key findings
- Underlying Issues: Addressing the issues causing emails to be marked as spam is crucial rather than simply changing the sending address.
- Authentication Matters: Properly authenticating the email domain is more effective than switching to a generic email address.
- Consistency is Key: A valid and consistently used 'From:' address is important for email identification and filtering.
- IP Warmup and Reputation: A proper IP warmup strategy and monitoring sending reputation are essential for deliverability.
- System Limits: Sending from a new domain after the old one is blacklisted can trigger sending limits and cause further deliverability problems.
Key considerations
- Address Root Causes: Focus on fixing the underlying problems that lead to emails being marked as spam (e.g., content, sending practices).
- Implement Authentication: Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate the email domain.
- Maintain Consistency: Use a valid and consistent 'From:' address for all emails.
- Monitor Sending Reputation: Regularly monitor the sender's reputation to identify and address deliverability issues.
- Follow Email Standards: Adhere to email sending best practices to avoid being flagged as spam.
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft shares that using a dedicated IP address and properly authenticating your email domain are more effective strategies for improving deliverability than switching to a generic 'sales' or 'info' email address.
26 Dec 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article
Documentation from RFC dictates that a valid and consistently used 'From:' address is crucial for email identification and filtering. Switching to a different address to avoid blacklisting may be seen as inconsistent and trigger more filters.
27 Feb 2024 - RFC
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