Summary
When Apple blocks emails due to a 'local policy' issue, a comprehensive approach is required. Central to resolution is contacting Apple's postmaster with detailed information about your email practices and being prepared to address any concerns they raise. It's crucial to understand and adhere to Apple's email policies, especially regarding consent, list management, and authentication. Review your email content for potential spam triggers and ensure your sending infrastructure is properly configured. Proactive steps include checking bounce messages, verifying IP address status, maintaining a good sender reputation, practicing list hygiene, segmenting your list, and carefully increasing sending volume. Avoiding overly aggressive follow-up practices is also important.
Key findings
- Contact Apple Postmaster: Direct communication with Apple's postmaster is consistently recommended for resolution.
- Adhere to Apple's Policies: Understanding and adhering to Apple's specific email policies is vital, particularly regarding consent, list management, and authentication.
- Comprehensive Review: A comprehensive review of content, sending practices, and infrastructure is essential.
- Authentication and Infrastructure: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured and your sending infrastructure is correctly set up.
- List Quality: List hygiene, segmentation, and responsible sending volume are crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Bounce Messages: Check bounce messages for specific reasons for rejection.
- IP Reputation: Verify your IP address isn't on any blacklists.
- Sender Reputation: Maintain a good sender reputation by avoiding spam traps, practicing list hygiene, and sending engaging content.
- Email Content: Review email content for potentially problematic keywords or phrases.
- Sending Volume: Avoid sudden spikes in sending volume and gradually increase volume when sending to Apple domains.
- Follow-up Frequency: Ensure follow-ups are not too frequent or aggressive.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
When Apple blocks emails due to a 'local policy' issue, the primary recommendation is to proactively engage with Apple's postmaster for direct assistance. Ensure your email practices are aligned with Apple's policies, including proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene (removing inactive subscribers), and responsible sending volume. Review content for potentially problematic keywords, maintain a good sender reputation, and avoid aggressive follow-up practices.
Key opinions
- Contact Apple Postmaster: Engaging with Apple's postmaster is frequently cited as a direct and effective way to resolve blocking issues.
- Authentication is Key: Properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential for deliverability to Apple domains.
- List Hygiene Matters: Maintaining a clean and engaged subscriber list improves sender reputation and deliverability.
- Content Review: Carefully review email content for keywords or phrases that may trigger Apple's spam filters.
- Reputation: Ensure sender reputation is good, if not it will hinder all chances of email being delivered.
Key considerations
- Bounce Message: Always check the bounce message for specific reasons for rejection to guide your troubleshooting efforts.
- IP Blacklists: Verify your IP address is not on any blacklists, as this can significantly impact deliverability.
- Sending Volume: Maintain consistent and reasonable sending volumes, especially when sending to Apple domains, to avoid triggering security measures.
- Follow-up Frequency: Avoid overly frequent or aggressive follow-up practices that can lead to being blocked.
- Be Prompt: Contact the postmaster as soon as the block is identified.
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailGeek.org shares that it’s possible to be delisted and suggests checking the bounce string for a URL and contacting Apple's postmaster for help.
23 Feb 2022 - EmailGeek.org
Marketer view
Email marketer from emailonacid.com explains the need to check sender reputation is good and to maintain consistent sending volumes to avoid triggering security.
25 Nov 2024 - emailonacid.com
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
When Apple blocks emails due to a 'local policy' issue, experts recommend a multi-faceted approach. Contacting Apple's postmaster with detailed information about email practices is crucial for resolution. Understanding and adhering to Apple's email policies, particularly regarding consent and list management, is emphasized. Reviewing email content for spam triggers and ensuring proper authentication and sending infrastructure are also essential.
Key opinions
- Contact Apple Postmaster: Direct communication with Apple's postmaster, providing detailed information, is a key step for resolving the block.
- Adhere to Apple's Policies: Understanding and adhering to Apple's specific email policies, especially regarding consent and list management, is vital.
- Review Content and Infrastructure: Reviewing email content for spam triggers and ensuring proper authentication and sending infrastructure are important for preventing future blocks.
Key considerations
- Bounce String: Check the bounce string for specific error messages or URLs that may provide clues to the reason for the block.
- List Management: Ensure best practices for acquiring and maintaining subscriber lists, including explicit opt-in and easy unsubscribe mechanisms, are followed.
- Authentication: Ensure your sending infrastructure is properly configured and authenticated.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that it’s possible to be delisted and suggests checking the bounce string for a URL and contacting Apple's postmaster for help.
18 Jan 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares his experience of contacting Apple postmaster, explaining the error, email types, acquisition methods, and unsubscribe processes, which led to a resolution within a few hours.
3 Dec 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
When Apple blocks emails citing a 'local policy' issue, documentation suggests a three-pronged approach: first, examine the bounce message for specific error details. Second, ensure your sending practices align with Apple's guidelines, reviewing both content and infrastructure. Finally, be prepared to directly communicate with Apple's mail server administrator to clarify the exact cause, as 'local policy' errors can be implementation-specific.
Key findings
- Check Bounce Messages: Examine bounce messages for specific details regarding the reason for rejection.
- Review Sending Practices: Ensure your sending practices comply with Apple's guidelines, including content and infrastructure.
- Communicate with Apple: Direct communication with Apple's mail server administrator may be necessary for clarification, due to the implementation-specific nature of 'local policy' errors.
Key considerations
- Address Validity: Verify the recipient's email address is valid and active.
- Content Filtering: Understand that 'local policy' errors often indicate content filtering or policy violations.
- Implementation Specifics: Recognize that SMTP error codes related to 'local policy' can be implementation-specific, requiring direct inquiry.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC explains that SMTP error codes, including those related to 'local policy,' are often implementation-specific and require direct communication with the recipient's mail server administrator (Apple in this case) for clarification.
23 Mar 2024 - RFC-Editor
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains that 'Message rejected due to local policy' often indicates content filtering or policy violations on the recipient's (Apple's) side and advises reviewing your email content and sending practices.
29 Jul 2024 - SparkPost
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