Summary
Gmail deliverability issues on Klaviyo shared IPs arise primarily from the shared nature of the IP and domain reputation. Gmail focuses more on domain reputation and user engagement signals than IP. The sending behavior of all users on a shared IP affects everyone's deliverability. Poor practices, such as spam complaints and low engagement, impact the shared reputation. Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintaining clean lists, monitoring deliverability metrics, and ensuring low spam complaint rates are crucial. A switch to a CDN with a bad reputation and even a bad return-path also impact deliverability.
Key findings
- Shared IP/Domain Risk: Using shared IPs and domains inherently carries deliverability risks due to the shared reputation.
- Gmail Reputation Focus: Gmail prioritizes domain reputation, user engagement, and spam complaint rates when filtering emails.
- Authentication is Critical: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for establishing trust and avoiding spam filters.
- Engagement Impact: Low user engagement (opens, clicks) signals negative reputation to Gmail and hurts deliverability.
- Proactive Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of sender reputation, deliverability metrics, and spam complaint rates is crucial.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Actively manage and monitor your sender reputation; a poor reputation significantly impacts deliverability.
- Authentication Compliance: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured and validated for your sending domain.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email lists to remove unengaged, inactive, or invalid email addresses.
- Engagement Strategy: Focus on creating engaging and valuable email content that encourages opens, clicks, and positive user interactions.
- CDN and Domain Reputation: Carefully vet any third-party services or domains you link to in your emails, as their reputation can affect yours.
- Consider Dedicated IP: If you are sending large volumes of email, switching to a dedicated IP address may give you more control of your reputation
What email marketers say
7 marketer opinions
Klaviyo shared IP deliverability issues with Gmail often arise due to the shared nature of the IP, where the actions of other users can negatively impact your sender reputation. Gmail's filters prioritize sender reputation and user engagement, making authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), consistent list cleaning, and maintaining high engagement rates crucial. Monitoring your sender score and addressing any issues promptly is also recommended.
Key opinions
- Shared IP Risk: Shared IPs are vulnerable to deliverability problems due to the actions of other senders.
- Reputation Impact: Gmail heavily relies on IP and domain reputation, so a poor reputation affects deliverability.
- Authentication Importance: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is vital for establishing trust with Gmail.
- Engagement Signals: Gmail prioritizes user engagement; low engagement can lead to deliverability issues.
- Monitoring Required: Continuous monitoring of sender reputation and deliverability metrics is essential.
Key considerations
- User Actions: Be aware that the actions of other users on the shared IP can directly affect your deliverability.
- Authentication Setup: Ensure your email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is correctly configured.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or disengaged subscribers.
- Engagement Strategy: Focus on creating engaging email content to encourage opens, clicks, and positive user interactions.
- Monitoring Tools: Utilize tools like Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your sender reputation and identify potential issues.
Marketer view
Email marketer from SendGrid explains that IP address reputation is crucial for deliverability. A shared IP's reputation is affected by all its users, increasing the risk of deliverability issues. Monitor your reputation with tools such as Google Postmaster Tools.
29 Sep 2023 - SendGrid
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit explains that a sudden drop in Gmail deliverability on Klaviyo's shared IP could stem from a recent change in Gmail's spam filters, which are now prioritizing user engagement signals more heavily. It's also possible that the shared IP's reputation has been affected by other users' sending behavior.
30 Jul 2021 - Reddit
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Gmail deliverability issues with Klaviyo shared IPs stem primarily from shared reputation. Gmail prioritizes domain reputation over IP, and recipient actions significantly influence filtering. A shared IP or domain is affected by the sending practices of all users. Negative actions by some users (spam, complaints) impact deliverability for everyone on that IP/domain. Even domain links within the email body can influence reputation. It is possible shared return-path (SPF) domains are being abused by a few clients, affecting all others on that domain.
Key opinions
- Shared Reputation Risk: Shared IPs and domains inherently carry deliverability risks due to shared reputation.
- Gmail's Domain Focus: Gmail prioritizes domain reputation over IP address when filtering emails.
- Recipient Influence: Recipient engagement (or lack thereof) strongly impacts whether emails land in the inbox or spam folder.
- Link Reputation: Domains linked within the email can affect deliverability if those domains have a poor reputation.
- SPF Abuse: Abuse of shared return path (SPF) domains affects all on that domain.
Key considerations
- Monitor Shared Reputation: Constantly monitor the reputation of your sending IP and domain, as well as any shared domains you use for authentication or return paths.
- Audience Engagement: Focus on building a highly engaged audience to signal positive reputation to Gmail.
- Domain Reputation Checks: Regularly check the reputation of any domains you link to in your emails, including CDNs or other third-party services.
- Content Scrutiny: Scrutinize email content for anything that might trigger spam filters or lower engagement rates.
- Dedicated IP Option: Consider switching to a dedicated IP to gain more control over your sender reputation.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that Gmail doesn’t work on IP as much as it works on domain. It could be that the domain has been flagged by Gmail and that recipient actions are telling Google's machine learning engine that they don’t want the mail, causing it to be put in the bulk folder. Domains inside the body of the message also have a reputation, so a switch to a CDN with a bad reputation could cause deliverability issues.
8 Aug 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that shared IPs can present deliverability challenges because the reputation is shared among multiple users. If other users on the shared IP engage in practices that harm the IP's reputation (e.g., sending spam, having high complaint rates), it can negatively impact the deliverability of all users on that IP, including those with good sending practices. Gmail considers IP reputation as one factor and may filter email accordingly.
8 Mar 2022 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Gmail deliverability issues on a Klaviyo shared IP are often linked to other users' sending practices and the need to follow best practices for bulk email sending. Authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial to prevent spoofing and verify email legitimacy. Maintaining low spam complaint rates and providing easy unsubscribe options are also vital. Regularly clean your email list, monitor deliverability metrics, and ensure your sending domain is properly authenticated.
Key findings
- Shared IP Impact: Other users' sending practices on a shared IP can negatively impact deliverability.
- Authentication is Key: Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for reaching recipients' inboxes.
- Spam Complaints Matter: Maintaining low spam complaint rates is crucial for good deliverability.
- Unsubscribe Options: Providing easy unsubscribe options is a best practice that improves sender reputation.
- Monitoring Required: Actively monitor deliverability metrics to identify and address issues promptly.
Key considerations
- Authentication Setup: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured for your sending domain.
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove unengaged or inactive subscribers.
- Sending Practices: Follow best practices for bulk email sending to minimize spam complaints.
- Unsubscribe Process: Make the unsubscribe process easy and straightforward for recipients.
- Deliverability Monitoring: Continuously monitor your email deliverability metrics to identify and resolve issues quickly.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC explains that SPF records prevent spammers from sending messages with forged 'from' addresses at your domain. Recipients can refer to the SPF record to determine whether a message purporting to be from your domain comes from an authorized mail server.
25 Feb 2025 - RFC
Technical article
Documentation from Google outlines best practices for bulk email senders. It emphasizes the importance of authenticating emails (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), maintaining low spam complaint rates, and providing easy unsubscribe options to ensure emails reach recipients' inboxes, especially for Gmail users.
20 Sep 2024 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Can I use DMARC with shared IP addresses?
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How can I recover my Gmail IP reputation after a sudden drop and hitting spam traps?
How do I setup a subdomain for email sending with Klaviyo?
