Why are SNDS trouble tickets not being resolved effectively?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 19 Jul 2025
Updated 15 Aug 2025
6 min read
Dealing with email deliverability issues can be incredibly frustrating, especially when your messages are not reaching the inbox. When you're facing blocks or significant deliverability drops, one of the first places many senders turn to for insight is Microsoft's Smart Network Data Services (SNDS). It's designed to provide data on your IP reputation and help diagnose issues, and it also offers a trouble ticket system for specific delisting requests or inquiries.
However, a common experience for many email professionals is the difficulty in getting these SNDS trouble tickets resolved effectively. We often find ourselves submitting numerous tickets, sometimes without even receiving a confirmation that the ticket was created, let alone a helpful response. This can leave senders feeling stuck, without clear guidance on how to improve their deliverability to Microsoft properties (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, etc.).
The inherent challenges with SNDS support
A primary challenge with SNDS tickets is the often generic or automated nature of the responses. While you might eventually get a reply, it frequently lacks the specific detail needed to understand the root cause of an issue or implement a precise fix. This can be particularly frustrating when you're dealing with a complex block or a persistent deliverability problem.
Even when the SNDS portal data indicates a green or normal status for your IPs, you might still experience significant deliverability issues. This discrepancy is a frequent point of confusion, as the available data doesn't always align with the actual inbox placement. It makes it hard to pinpoint what's going wrong, leading to more guesswork than targeted solutions.
Sometimes, the issue isn't even about the ticket response but whether the ticket gets registered at all. Senders have reported submitting tickets and receiving no confirmation email or acknowledgment for days, or even longer. This suggests potential backend issues with the SNDS system, possibly due to downtime or data processing delays. This can leave senders wondering if their request was ever received, adding to the frustration.
The disconnect between expectations and reality
Beyond the direct ticket system, Microsoft's overall approach to email deliverability can be inconsistent. Factors like the reliability of SNDS data itself, or the opaque nature of their filtering algorithms, can complicate effective troubleshooting. Even when a ticket response suggests a temporary fix, the problem often recurs shortly after, indicating that the underlying issue hasn't been truly resolved.
Sometimes, the lack of clear insights from Microsoft on *why* you're being flagged or blocked makes it nearly impossible to implement a lasting solution. This can lead to a cycle of submitting tickets, seeing a brief improvement, only for performance to decline again. It's a common struggle where the blacklist (or blocklist) removal doesn't address the behavioral patterns that caused the listing in the first place.
Typical sender expectations
When you submit a trouble ticket, you expect a clear, actionable response that helps you understand and resolve the underlying deliverability issue.
Clear guidance: Specific reasons for blockages (e.g., spam traps, excessive complaints).
Effective resolution: Delisting that leads to sustained deliverability improvement.
Timely communication: Prompt ticket confirmation and follow-up.
Proactive steps for better deliverability
Given these challenges, relying solely on SNDS trouble tickets for resolution is often insufficient. Senders need to adopt a proactive and multi-faceted approach to maintain good standing with Microsoft and other ISPs. This includes rigorous adherence to best practices, continuous monitoring, and quick action on any emerging issues.
One critical step is to ensure your email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) are correctly configured. These are foundational to establishing trust with ISPs. For example, ensuring your DMARC policy is robust can significantly influence how your emails are treated. Consistent authentication is key to long-term deliverability, reducing the need for reactive troubleshooting via tickets.
Maintaining a clean and engaged subscriber list is also paramount. Sending to invalid or unengaged addresses can quickly lead to high bounce rates and spam complaints, which are major reputation detractors. Regularly cleaning your lists and suppressing inactive users helps prevent these issues before they manifest as a block or a place on a blocklist.
Beyond the ticket: Comprehensive monitoring and troubleshooting
Monitoring your sender reputation across various metrics is crucial. This goes beyond just what SNDS shows. Pay attention to complaint rates, bounce rates, spam trap hits, and overall inbox placement for all major ISPs. Early detection of reputation declines allows you to take corrective action before a minor issue escalates into a full-blown block.
When deliverability issues arise, especially with Microsoft, it's essential to perform your own thorough troubleshooting before relying solely on tickets. This includes reviewing your sending patterns, content, and list hygiene practices. Sometimes, a subtle change in your sending behavior can trigger filters, and identifying this internally is often faster than waiting for a ticket response.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Maintain strong email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to build and protect sender reputation.
Regularly monitor your sending metrics and logs for bounces, complaints, and spam trap hits.
Segment your audience and tailor content to increase engagement and reduce complaint rates.
Keep your mailing lists clean by promptly removing invalid or unengaged email addresses.
Common pitfalls
Solely relying on SNDS trouble tickets for issue resolution without internal investigation.
Sending to outdated or unverified email lists, leading to high bounce and complaint rates.
Ignoring early warning signs from reputation monitoring tools or ISP postmaster sites.
Sending inconsistent email volumes or content that can trigger spam filters.
Expert tips
Prioritize sending high-value, transactional emails over marketing emails during reputation issues.
Actively manage unsubscriptions and promptly remove those who opt out to avoid complaints.
Analyze email campaign engagement metrics to identify and re-engage dormant subscribers.
Implement a feedback loop (FBL) system to receive spam complaints directly from ISPs.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they have also experienced zero responses to SNDS tickets, even without high volumes.
2020-05-14 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that the lack of ticket creation and email address redaction issues suggest Microsoft might be undergoing system upgrades.
2020-05-14 - Email Geeks
Navigating the complexities of Microsoft deliverability
While Microsoft SNDS trouble tickets can offer a direct line to Microsoft, their effectiveness is often hampered by generic responses, system inconsistencies, and a lack of granular insight into specific deliverability issues. This leaves many senders searching for alternative or supplementary strategies to maintain their email reputation and inbox placement.
Instead of relying solely on a reactive ticketing system, focus on proactive measures. Robust authentication, diligent list hygiene, content optimization, and continuous monitoring are essential. By building a strong, consistent sending reputation, you can minimize the instances where you might need to submit an SNDS trouble ticket in the first place, ensuring your emails consistently reach their intended recipients.
