Why are my emails going to the promotions tab in Gmail? - Knowledge Base

Summary

Sender rejection errors and low reputation bounces, particularly with Yahoo, are caused by a multitude of factors, including poor sender reputation, blocklisting, lack of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), high complaint rates, spam-like content, invalid email addresses, full inboxes, server issues, high bounce rates, and sending to spam traps. Solutions involve cleaning email lists, implementing email authentication, monitoring and addressing recipient complaints, warming up IP addresses, monitoring deliverability metrics, adhering to Yahoo's guidelines for bulk senders, analyzing rejection messages, contacting ESP support, avoiding spam traps, and whitelisting IPs where appropriate. Yahoo's practice of using 4xx deferrals, which might be mistaken for permanent rejections, adds complexity.

Key findings

Multifaceted Causes: Several factors contribute to sender rejection and low reputation bounces, necessitating a holistic approach to resolution.
Authentication Imperative: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is vital for establishing sender legitimacy and improving deliverability.
List Hygiene Critical: Regularly cleaning email lists to remove invalid addresses and inactive subscribers is essential.
Complaint Management: High spam complaint rates severely impact sender reputation, requiring proactive monitoring and engagement with recipients.
IP Reputation Management: Warming up IP addresses, monitoring blocklists, and addressing IP reputation issues are crucial for deliverability.
Yahoo-Specific Considerations: Yahoo's use of 4xx deferrals and specific guidelines for bulk senders require careful attention.

Key considerations

Holistic Approach: Address multiple contributing factors, including technical configurations, sending practices, and recipient engagement, for comprehensive improvement.
Rejection Message Analysis: Carefully analyze full rejection messages to pinpoint specific issues and guide remediation efforts.
ESP Collaboration: Collaborate with your ESP to gain insights into deliverability issues and leverage their expertise in resolving problems.
Proactive Monitoring: Establish proactive monitoring of deliverability metrics, blocklists, and recipient feedback to identify and address issues promptly.
Compliance and Best Practices: Adhere to email marketing best practices and comply with relevant regulations (e.g., CAN-SPAM) to maintain a positive sender reputation.

What email marketers say

10 marketer opinions

Sender rejection errors and low reputation bounces, particularly with Yahoo, are primarily caused by poor sender reputation, which stems from factors like low list hygiene, lack of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), high spam complaint rates, being listed on blocklists, and sending to invalid email addresses. Resolutions involve cleaning mailing lists, implementing email authentication protocols, monitoring and addressing recipient complaints, warming up IP addresses, monitoring deliverability metrics, and adhering to Yahoo's guidelines for bulk senders. Some answers mention being wary of SPF issues with Yahoo and whitelisting IPs.

Key opinions

Root Causes: Poor sender reputation, list quality issues, and lack of email authentication are the primary reasons for sender rejection errors and low reputation bounces.
Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for establishing email authenticity and improving deliverability, especially with Yahoo.
List Hygiene: Cleaning mailing lists to remove invalid addresses and inactive subscribers is essential for maintaining a good sender reputation.
Spam Complaints: High spam complaint rates significantly impact sender reputation, necessitating proactive monitoring and engagement with recipients.
IP Reputation: Warming up IP addresses before large-scale campaigns can help improve IP reputation and prevent bounces.

Key considerations

Yahoo Guidelines: Adhering to Yahoo's guidelines for bulk senders is crucial for ensuring deliverability to Yahoo mailboxes.
SPF Issues: Be aware of potential SPF issues with Yahoo and consider whitelisting IPs to improve deliverability.
Deliverability Metrics: Consistently monitor deliverability metrics, such as bounce rates and spam complaints, to identify and address issues promptly.
Feedback Loops: Utilize feedback loops to monitor sender reputation closely.
Proactive Monitoring: Actively monitor and address recipient complaints to improve sender reputation

Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that sender rejection often occurs due to poor sender reputation stemming from issues like high bounce rates, spam complaints, and being on blocklists. Solutions include improving list hygiene, implementing email authentication, monitoring deliverability metrics, and engaging with recipients to reduce spam complaints and improve sender reputation.

28 Dec 2023 - Sendinblue

Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit responds that you should review your IP/domain reputation and check with Yahoo guidelines for bulk senders. Also make sure authentication is setup properly, and list quality is high.

15 Feb 2023 - Reddit

What the experts say

5 expert opinions

Experts attribute sender rejection errors and low reputation bounces, particularly with Yahoo, to various factors including poor sender reputation, being blocked or filtered, invalid email addresses, full mailboxes, and temporary server unavailability. A significant spike in email volume or user complaints can also contribute to these issues. Yahoo's tendency to use 4xx deferrals (which get retried) for questionable mail adds complexity. Resolving these problems involves checking authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), avoiding spam traps, cleaning mailing lists, improving email content quality, analyzing rejection messages, and potentially contacting the ESP's support team.

Key opinions

Multiple Causes: Sender rejection and bounces can stem from technical issues (invalid addresses, full mailboxes), reputation problems (being blocked, spam complaints), and sending practices (volume spikes).
Yahoo's Behavior: Yahoo often uses 4xx deferrals, which can be misinterpreted as permanent rejections due to poor ESP reporting.
Rejection Analysis: Analyzing full rejection messages and breaking them down by domain can provide valuable insights into the causes of deliverability issues.
Proactive Measures: Checking authentication, avoiding spam traps, and maintaining clean mailing lists are essential for preventing deliverability problems.
Volume Spikes: Significant increases in email volume can negatively impact deliverability, especially if accompanied by user complaints.

Key considerations

Full Rejection Messages: Obtain and analyze full rejection messages to understand the specific reasons for bounces and rejections.
ESPs Support: Contact your ESP's support team for assistance in diagnosing and resolving deliverability issues.
Spam Traps: Be vigilant about avoiding spam traps, as they can significantly damage your sender reputation.
Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify your identity and improve deliverability.
Actionable Steps: Be sure to take actions on the findings in your rejections. Cleaning lists, removing bad emails, contacting your ESP, and fixing authentication issues are all steps you can take to address the problem.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that Yahoo tends to start 4xxing mail that's iffy before other providers do and that 4xx deferral at Yahoo (which will get retried) has the same level of apparent urgency as a 5xx rejection.

17 Sep 2022 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise answers that bounces happen because the email address is not valid, the mailbox is full, or the server is temporarily unavailable. You should also be wary of spam traps, which can cause significant deliverability problems. Spam traps are designed to identify senders who are not following best practices for email marketing.

3 Aug 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says

3 technical articles

According to documentation, sender rejection errors and low reputation bounces are caused by a combination of factors including IP blocklisting, lack of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), high complaint rates, spam-like content, invalid email addresses, full inboxes, server issues, and low sender reputation stemming from high bounce rates. Resolving these involves removing IPs from blocklists, implementing proper authentication, improving email content, reducing spam complaints, proper bounce handling (removing hard bounces, monitoring soft bounces), ensuring server configuration for bounce notifications, warming up IP addresses, monitoring deliverability metrics, and engaging with recipients to reduce complaints.

Key findings

Authentication is Key: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for preventing rejections and improving deliverability.
Sender Reputation Matters: Maintaining a good sender reputation is crucial, as low reputation leads to bounces and rejections.
Bounce Handling is Important: Effective bounce handling, including removing hard bounces and monitoring soft bounces, helps maintain list hygiene and deliverability.
Complaint Rates Impact Deliverability: High spam complaint rates negatively impact sender reputation and can lead to blocked or bounced emails.
Multiple Technical Issues: Invalid email addresses, full inboxes and server issues cause bounces and should be handled with proper systems.

Key considerations

Monitor Blocklists: Regularly check if your IP address is listed on any blocklists and take steps to remove it if necessary.
Improve Email Content: Ensure your email content is not spam-like and provides value to recipients to reduce complaint rates.
Warm Up IPs: If using new IP addresses, warm them up gradually to build a positive sender reputation.
Monitor Deliverability Metrics: Track key deliverability metrics like bounce rates and spam complaint rates to identify and address potential issues.
Engage with Recipients: Encourage recipients to whitelist your email address and provide easy ways to unsubscribe to reduce complaints.

Technical article

Documentation from Postmark explains that bounces can occur due to invalid email addresses, full inboxes, or server issues. To resolve bounce issues, it's crucial to implement proper bounce handling, which includes removing hard bounces from your mailing list, monitoring soft bounces, and ensuring your server is properly configured to receive bounce notifications. Reputation issues can also cause bounces.

20 Nov 2021 - Postmark

Technical article

Documentation from Yahoo Mail Help explains that emails can be blocked or bounced due to various reasons, including the sender's IP address being listed on blocklists, the sender's domain not having proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), high complaint rates, or sending spam-like content. Resolving these issues involves removing the IP from blocklists, implementing proper authentication, improving email content, and reducing spam complaints.

14 Sep 2024 - Yahoo Mail Help