Summary
To avoid spam filters and improve email deliverability, it is important to maintain a consistent and recognizable sender address that recipients can whitelist. Avoid using 'no-reply' addresses to encourage engagement. Implement proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) to verify your identity and prevent spoofing. Monitor your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and participate in feedback loops. Segment your email lists and personalize your messages to increase engagement. Use valid email formatting per RFC 5322. Warm up new IP addresses gradually, maintain consistent sending volume, and ensure your sending server has a valid reverse DNS (rDNS) record. Regularly check if your IP or domain is on any email blocklists and maintain good list hygiene by removing unengaged subscribers. Perform A/B testing to improve deliverability.
Key findings
- Consistent & Recognizable Sender: Using a consistent and recognizable sender address builds trust and encourages whitelisting.
- Avoid No-Reply Addresses: Using no-reply addresses negatively impacts engagement and sender reputation.
- Email Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for verifying identity and preventing spoofing.
- Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation helps identify and address deliverability issues.
- Segmentation & Personalization: Segmenting lists and personalizing messages improve engagement and reduce spam complaints.
- Valid Email Format: Adhering to RFC 5322 ensures proper email formatting.
- IP Warm-up: Warming up new IPs gradually builds a positive sender reputation.
- Consistent Sending Volume: Maintaining a consistent sending volume prevents triggering spam filters.
- Valid rDNS Record: Ensuring a valid reverse DNS (rDNS) record verifies server identity.
- Blocklist Monitoring: Regularly checking for blocklistings allows for prompt resolution of issues.
- List Hygiene: Removing unengaged subscribers improves sender reputation and reduces spam complaints.
- A/B Testing: A/B testing various strategies improves the deliverability.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Sender reputation is paramount; all practices should aim to build and maintain a positive one.
- User Engagement: Engaging content and targeted messaging drive positive interactions and reduce spam complaints.
- Technical Setup: Properly configure and maintain SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for effective email authentication.
- Continuous Monitoring & Maintenance: Continuously monitor deliverability metrics, feedback loops, and list health to proactively address issues.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
To avoid spam filters and improve email deliverability, it's crucial to use a consistent and recognizable sender address. Engaging with replies boosts placement. Avoid 'no-reply' addresses. Segmenting lists and personalizing messages improves engagement. Warming up new IPs gradually and ensuring a valid reverse DNS (rDNS) record are important. Maintaining consistent sending volume and regularly checking for blocklistings are also essential. List hygiene, by regularly removing unengaged subscribers improves sender reputation. Lastly, A/B test to improve deliverability.
Key opinions
- Consistent Sender Address: Using a consistent 'from' address helps build sender reputation and ensures recipients can easily identify you.
- Engagement Matters: Engaging with replies helps improve sender reputation with ISPs.
- Avoid No-Reply: Avoid using 'no-reply@' addresses to encourage engagement and avoid negative impacts on your sender reputation.
- Segmentation & Personalization: Segmenting your email list and personalizing messages increases engagement and reduces spam complaints.
- IP Warm-up: Gradually warm up new IP addresses to build a positive sender reputation.
- Valid rDNS: Ensure your sending server has a valid reverse DNS (rDNS) record.
- Consistent Volume: Maintain a consistent sending volume to avoid triggering spam filters.
- Blocklist Monitoring: Regularly check if your IP or domain is on any email blocklists.
- List Hygiene: Regularly remove unengaged subscribers from your email list to improve sender reputation.
- A/B Testing: A/B testing for best performance of addresses and content should be performed to maintain deliverability.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Everything you do affects your sender reputation, so prioritize practices that build and maintain a positive one.
- Engagement: Focus on sending relevant and valuable content to encourage engagement and avoid being marked as spam.
- Authentication: Implement email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify your identity and prevent spoofing.
- Monitoring: Continuously monitor your email deliverability metrics, blocklist status, and sender reputation to identify and address issues proactively.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Stack Overflow answers that ensuring your sending server has a valid reverse DNS (rDNS) record is important. An rDNS record maps an IP address back to a domain name, helping to verify your server's identity and improve deliverability.
18 Feb 2023 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view
Email marketer from HubSpot responds that segmenting your email list and personalizing messages can significantly improve engagement. Sending relevant content to specific groups increases the chance of positive interactions and reduces spam complaints.
8 Oct 2024 - HubSpot
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
To avoid spam filters, it's essential to use a consistent 'From' address for email sending, as it builds sender reputation based on recipient whitelisting. Proper sender authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for verifying identity and preventing spoofing. Maintaining good list hygiene by removing inactive subscribers improves sender reputation and reduces spam complaints.
Key opinions
- Consistent From Address: Using a consistent 'From' address allows recipients to whitelist your address, improving deliverability.
- Sender Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps establish trust with mailbox providers and prevents spoofing.
- List Hygiene: Removing inactive subscribers improves sender reputation and reduces the risk of spam complaints.
Key considerations
- User Experience: Consider how recipients perceive your 'From' address and ensure it's trustworthy and recognizable.
- Technical Implementation: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to ensure email authentication is effective.
- Ongoing Maintenance: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers and maintain a healthy sender reputation.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that using a consistent From address is good because per-recipient whitelisting is based on it, so changing it throws away any previous advantage. Also to look at it as though you were a recipient and decide which email address you want mail from.
18 Nov 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that maintaining good list hygiene by regularly removing inactive or unengaged subscribers is a vital practice. Sending emails to only engaged recipients improves your sender reputation and reduces the risk of spam complaints.
5 Nov 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Email sender addresses should adhere to the specifications in RFC 5322 regarding valid formatting. Monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools is crucial, as high spam rates and low engagement negatively impact deliverability. Participating in Junk Email Reporting programs, such as Microsoft's, provides valuable feedback. Implementing DKIM adds a digital signature to verify sender identity and message integrity. Implementing DMARC specifies how receiving servers should handle emails failing authentication checks, preventing spoofing and phishing.
Key findings
- Email Format: Valid email formatting as per RFC 5322 is foundational.
- Reputation Monitoring: Consistently monitoring sender reputation is critical for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.
- Feedback Loops: Participating in Junk Email Reporting programs provides actionable feedback from users.
- DKIM Implementation: DKIM verifies sender identity and message integrity, enhancing deliverability.
- DMARC Implementation: DMARC prevents email spoofing and phishing attacks by specifying handling of authentication failures.
Key considerations
- RFC Compliance: Ensure email addresses and formats comply with RFC 5322 to avoid basic deliverability issues.
- Proactive Monitoring: Actively monitor sender reputation and feedback to address issues before they significantly impact deliverability.
- Authentication Protocols: Thoroughly implement and maintain DKIM and DMARC to establish trust and prevent malicious use of your domain.
- Holistic Approach: Combine technical implementations with user feedback and reputation monitoring for a comprehensive deliverability strategy.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that monitoring your sender reputation is crucial. High spam rates and low engagement can negatively impact your reputation, leading to deliverability issues.
10 Aug 2024 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article
Documentation from RFC 5322 specifies the Internet Message Format, including the syntax for email addresses. It defines which characters are allowed in the local-part (before the @ symbol) and domain part of an email address, ensuring valid formatting.
6 Oct 2021 - RFC 5322
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