Summary
Allowlisting domains for email sending should be approached with caution and primarily when other deliverability methods are insufficient. It's crucial to advise recipients to add senders to their address books or safe sender lists to signal trustworthiness to mailbox providers, typically after they have opted-in to receive emails. Enterprises might consider allowlisting for critical communications like invoices or order confirmations. Internal domains should also be considered for allowlisting to prevent internal communications from being flagged as spam. It’s crucial to set expectations with recipients and inform them of the sending email address. Authentication methods like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential, and domains should only be allowlisted if fully authenticated and verified to prevent spoofing. Allowlists may also be required in situations of aggressive spam filtering, but these should be reviewed regularly and done with caution.
Key findings
- Recipient Action: Encouraging recipients to add senders to their address books or safe sender lists significantly improves deliverability.
- Enterprise Needs: Allowlisting is sometimes necessary for business-critical communications in enterprises when other methods fail.
- Internal Communications: Whitelisting internal domains is crucial for organizations with strict security policies to prevent internal emails from being marked as spam.
- Authentication: Domains should only be whitelisted if they are fully authenticated and verified to avoid spoofing and maintain security.
- Aggressive Filtering: Allowlists may be needed where aggressive spam filtering is in place, however, should be reviewed regulary.
- Setting Expectations: It's important to set expectations with the recipient in order for them to add you to the address book or safe senders list.
Key considerations
- Authentication First: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured before considering allowlisting.
- Spoofing Risk: Allowlisting unauthenticated domains can lead to spoofing and security vulnerabilities.
- Alternatives: Explore other deliverability improvement methods before resorting to allowlisting.
- User Opt-in: Always get user consent and encourage them to add the sender to their contacts after they sign up.
- Caution: Implement allowlisting cautiously to prevent potential abuse.
- Regular Reviews: Regularly review existing allowlists to ensure that they're still valid.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
Allowlisting domains for email sending should be approached with caution and primarily when other deliverability methods are insufficient. It's crucial for recipients to add senders to their address books or safe sender lists to signal trustworthiness to mailbox providers. Enterprises might consider allowlisting for critical communications like invoices or order confirmations. Internal domains should also be considered for allowlisting to prevent internal communications from being flagged as spam. Authentication methods like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential, and domains should only be allowlisted if fully authenticated and verified to prevent spoofing.
Key opinions
- Recipient Action: Encouraging recipients to add senders to their address books or safe sender lists significantly improves deliverability.
- Enterprise Needs: Allowlisting is sometimes necessary for business-critical communications in enterprises when other methods fail.
- Internal Communications: Whitelisting internal domains is crucial for organizations with strict security policies to prevent internal emails from being marked as spam.
- Authentication: Domains should only be whitelisted if they are fully authenticated and verified to avoid spoofing and maintain security.
Key considerations
- Authentication First: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured before considering allowlisting.
- Spoofing Risk: Allowlisting unauthenticated domains can lead to spoofing and security vulnerabilities.
- Alternatives: Explore other deliverability improvement methods before resorting to allowlisting.
- User Opt-in: Always get user consent and encourage them to add the sender to their contacts after they sign up.
Marketer view
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign recommends that recipients add the sender's email address to their contacts. This simple step can significantly improve deliverability, as email providers tend to trust emails from known contacts more than those from unknown senders.
20 Sep 2024 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailOctopus suggests that recipients should add the sender's email address to their contacts. This can improve deliverability because many email providers prioritize emails from contacts.
19 Jan 2023 - EmailOctopus
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Allowlisting is sometimes necessary for legitimate emails, especially with aggressive spam filtering, but should be approached cautiously and with robust authentication. Setting expectations with recipients by informing them of the sending address and encouraging them to add it to their address book or watch their spam folder is also recommended.
Key opinions
- Allowlisting Necessity: Allowlisting might be needed to bypass aggressive spam filters.
- Cautious Approach: Allowlisting should be done cautiously due to potential abuse.
- Authentication Importance: Robust authentication methods are essential when using allowlists.
- Communication: Setting expectations with recipients is key to ensuring they receive your emails.
Key considerations
- Authentication: Implement strong authentication methods before relying on allowlists.
- Abuse Potential: Be aware of the potential for abuse when using allowlists.
- Recipient Awareness: Ensure recipients know which address to expect emails from and how to handle spam filters.
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource explains that allowlists (whitelists) are sometimes required to receive legitimate emails, especially when aggressive spam filtering is in place. This approach should be used cautiously and with robust authentication methods in place to avoid abuse.
21 Aug 2022 - Spamresource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains to set expectations with recipients. Tell them what address you will be sending from and encourage them to add it to their address book. If they don’t want to add the address, ask them to watch their spam folder for your mail.
12 Apr 2022 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Email platforms like Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Proofpoint, and Barracuda all recommend using allowlists to ensure emails from trusted senders, partners, or internal systems are delivered to the inbox without being marked as spam. This is particularly important for business-critical communications where reliable delivery is essential. Allowlisting can also involve bypassing certain security checks for known and trusted sources while maintaining a strong security posture.
Key findings
- Trusted Senders: Users should add trusted senders to their safe senders list to ensure reliable delivery.
- Business Requirements: Administrators should create allowlists for specific senders or domains when required by business needs.
- Bypass Spam Filters: Organizations can implement allowlists to bypass spam filters for partners or internal systems.
- Critical Communications: Allowlists guarantee delivery of critical emails from business partners, vendors, or internal systems.
- Exchange Environments: In Exchange Server environments, allowlisting helps bypass security checks for known and trusted sources.
Key considerations
- Trust: Only allowlist senders who are trusted to avoid potential security risks.
- Security: Maintain a strong security posture even when using allowlists.
- Business Justification: Ensure there is a valid business reason for creating and maintaining allowlists.
- Regular Review: Periodically review allowlists to remove any entries that are no longer needed.
Technical article
Documentation from Proofpoint answers that organizations use allow lists when they need to ensure that emails from crucial business partners, vendors, or internal systems are delivered reliably and without delay, bypassing standard spam filters.
28 Jan 2024 - Proofpoint Support
Technical article
Documentation from Cisco Email Security explains that organizations should implement allowlists to bypass spam filters for specific senders or domains, usually partners or internal systems. This helps guarantee delivery of critical emails.
23 Mar 2024 - Cisco Email Security
How can I convince an email network owner to whitelist my IPs to reduce bounces?
How do I contact Libero, Virgilio, and Iol admins for whitelisting?
How do I get my emails whitelisted by a recipient's email admin?
How do Mimecast and Proofpoint scrutinize senders, and what best practices can improve inbox placement beyond whitelisting?
