Should I use a subdomain or separate domain for prospecting outreach emails to protect my sender reputation?

The overwhelming consensus from experts, marketers, and documentation is that using a separate domain, or at least a subdomain, for prospecting and outreach emails is crucial to protect the sender reputation of your primary domain. Outreach, especially cold outreach, is often viewed as spam, and can negatively impact deliverability. By isolating outreach activities to a separate domain, you prevent potential damage to your primary domain, which is critical for opt-in mail, corporate communications, and overall business operations. While both subdomains and separate domains offer protection, separate domains are generally recommended for maximum isolation. Furthermore, it is essential to 'warm up' any new domain or IP address used for sending before engaging in high-volume outreach. It is important to remember that a separate domain does not guarantee deliverability; the content, sending practices, and adherence to best practices are crucial to avoid spam filters.

The prevailing recommendation is to separate prospecting outreach emails from your primary domain to protect sender reputation. This separation can be achieved through subdomains or completely separate domains. While subdomains offer some level of protection, separate domains provide better isolation. Warming up any new domain or subdomain before large-scale sending is essential. It's also crucial to note that simply using a separate domain doesn't guarantee deliverability; the content and sending practices must still avoid being flagged as spam. Damaging your primary domain's reputation can have significant negative impacts on your overall email communication.

The consensus is that using a separate domain for prospecting outreach emails is crucial for protecting your primary domain's sender reputation. Outreach, especially cold outreach, is often viewed as spam and can lead to deliverability problems, potentially impacting opt-in emails and even corporate communications. Isolating outreach activities to a separate domain prevents negative impacts on your main domain. Starting slow and warming up new IPs or domains is also recommended to build a positive sender reputation.

Technical documentation from Google, Microsoft, RFC Editor, and Spamhaus all emphasize the importance of maintaining a positive sender reputation for email deliverability. A common recommendation is to segregate email streams by using different domains or subdomains for different types of email, especially bulk or marketing emails. This separation helps isolate potential reputation damage, minimizing the risk of negatively impacting other email streams, such as transactional or corporate communications. Utilizing subdomains or separate domains allows for easier sender identification and overall reputation management.