Summary
When sending emails from new domains, especially those with less common top-level domains (TLDs) like .us, senders can encounter deliverability challenges, particularly with Gmail. While Gmail's filtering generally focuses on sender behavior and overall domain reputation rather than the TLD itself, newer domains, regardless of their extension, lack established sending history. This can lead to increased scrutiny from mailbox providers like Gmail, which are highly sensitive to sudden increases in volume from unproven sending identities. New domains within their first 90 days are often treated with caution, as they haven't built a consistent positive sending record. This caution can manifest as emails being routed to spam folders or outright blocked due to perceived low domain reputation.
Key findings
- New domain sensitivity: New domains, especially those registered within the last 90 days, are subject to higher scrutiny by mailbox providers like Gmail due to their lack of established sending history and reputation.
- TLD impact: While TLDs like .us are not inherently considered 'shady', some may carry a higher perceived risk if they are historically associated with abuse, leading to increased filtering by some providers.
- Gmail's approach: Gmail primarily relies on multifactorial identification, evaluating the sender's domain, IP, authentication setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and sending behavior rather than just the TLD itself.
- Warming challenges: New .us domains can experience significant difficulty during the warming process with Gmail, suggesting stricter initial evaluations for these specific domains.
Key considerations
- Sender behavior is paramount: Ultimately, your sending practices, list hygiene, and engagement metrics are more critical than your domain's TLD for long-term deliverability.
- Slow and steady warming: Adopt an extremely cautious warming strategy for any new domain, especially to sensitive mailbox providers like Gmail. Gradual increases in volume help build positive reputation.
- Authentication is essential: Ensure all email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) are correctly configured for your sending domain. This signals legitimacy to mailbox providers.
- Monitor actively: Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain's reputation, spam rate, and delivery errors, particularly for Gmail sends. This data is crucial for diagnosing and resolving issues promptly.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often observe varied experiences when using new .us domains for sending. While some do not believe the TLD itself is the primary cause of deliverability issues, anecdotal evidence suggests that certain newer or less common TLDs might face increased scrutiny from mailbox providers. Marketers frequently point to broader factors such as sender reputation, proper domain authentication, and content quality as more significant drivers of inbox placement, even though the TLD can be a contributing factor to initial trust scores.
Key opinions
- Sender reputation focus: Many marketers believe that the individual sender's practices and their established reputation are far more influential on deliverability than the specific TLD used.
- Skepticism for non-traditional TLDs: Some report that certain providers may treat less traditional TLDs with initial skepticism, leading to harder filtering. However, .us is often not considered a new-fangled or overtly suspicious TLD.
- New domain challenges: A common observation is that new domains, regardless of TLD, struggle more with Gmail until they build a positive sending history.
- Transactional email struggles: Even low-volume transactional emails from new .us domains can face blocking by Gmail, citing low sending domain reputation.
Key considerations
- Domain warming: Implement a rigorous warming schedule for new domains, particularly for Gmail, to gradually build trust and reputation.
- Content and user expectations: Ensure signup processes clearly inform recipients about the mail they will receive and from which domain, managing expectations.
- Web presence: A sending domain with an established, reputable web presence can positively influence its email reputation.
- Monitor bounce errors: Pay close attention to bounce messages, as these provide direct feedback from mailbox providers regarding blocking or spam placement reasons.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks indicates that it is unusual to observe consistent Gmail issues specifically with .us domains across different clients, especially when using the same content on a different sending domain yields no problems and the IPs are properly warmed. This suggests that the issue might be specific to the .us TLD, possibly due to algorithmic changes at Gmail.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Quora comments that the chosen domain extension, such as .com versus .biz, can indeed impact email deliverability, though perhaps not as directly as other factors. This highlights that while sender behavior is key, the TLD can still play a role.
What the experts say
Industry experts generally concur that Gmail's filtering mechanisms are sophisticated and multifactorial, moving beyond simplistic rules like blocking an entire TLD. While some country-code TLDs (.ccTLDs) might have higher spam rates according to blocklists like Spamhaus, Gmail evaluates the specific sender's behavior, domain history, and authentication setup. New domains, regardless of their TLD, inherently lack a positive reputation, making their warming phase critical. Experts advise a cautious, data-driven approach, emphasizing that rapid sending from an unproven domain is a red flag for most mailbox providers.
Key opinions
- Sophisticated filtering: Gmail uses complex algorithms that consider multiple factors (domain, IP, authentication) rather than broadly blocking based solely on TLD.
- New domain challenge: New domains lack a track record and are scrutinized more heavily, which is a common deliverability issue for any new sending identity, not just .us.
- Volume sensitivity: Gmail is particularly sensitive to senders attempting to send too much mail too quickly, especially from new or low-reputation domains.
- Data feedback limitations: For very low volumes or complete blocking, tools like Google Postmaster Tools may not provide enough data to be immediately useful for troubleshooting.
Key considerations
- Gradual sending: Ramp up sending volume very slowly, breaking down sends into small batches, especially to Gmail addresses.
- List quality: Ensure your list is clean and highly engaged. High bounce rates or spam complaints from a new domain will immediately damage reputation.
- Monitor beyond delivery: Even if emails are delivered to other mailbox providers, check inbox placement (not just delivery) to ensure they are not going to spam.
- Proactive monitoring: Continuously monitor domain reputation using available tools and ESP metrics like opens and clicks. For new domains, a sudden block can prevent data from appearing in tools like GPT, necessitating close observation of domain reputation.
Expert view
Deliverability expert from Email Geeks explains that .us is a long-standing TLD, similar in age to .com, .net, and .org, and therefore shouldn't be broadly treated as a 'less traditional' or suspicious domain by major mailbox providers like Gmail.
Expert view
Deliverability expert from Word to the Wise suggests that an IP's reputation is built over time through consistent, good sending practices. A new IP, regardless of the domain, will inherently have a neutral or low reputation, requiring a careful warming period.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and research often indicate that mailbox providers like Google prioritize sender reputation built on consistent, legitimate sending behavior over static attributes like the domain's TLD. However, they also acknowledge that new domains or those with a history of abuse (even if the current sender is legitimate) may face initial hurdles. Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is consistently highlighted as fundamental, along with maintaining low spam complaint rates and high engagement. While statistics from entities like Spamhaus might show certain TLDs having higher 'badness' rates, major email providers typically use more granular, dynamic reputation systems.
Key findings
- Reputation is dynamic: Gmail's filtering is based on a dynamic sender reputation that develops over time, encompassing IP, domain, and content factors.
- Authentication requirements: New sender requirements from Google and Yahoo emphasize proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment, which are critical for domain legitimacy.
- New domain caution: New domains are generally treated with more caution until they establish a positive sending history. This includes domains of all TLDs.
- Spamhaus statistics: Spamhaus data can indicate a higher percentage of 'bad' domains for certain TLDs like .us, potentially influencing overall perception, though direct filtering based on this alone by large ISPs is unlikely.
Key considerations
- Gmail Postmaster Tools: Google Postmaster Tools is the primary resource for senders to monitor their reputation and diagnose delivery issues with Gmail addresses.
- Domain reputation over TLD type: Focus on building a strong domain reputation through good sending practices rather than assuming the TLD is the sole cause of issues.
- Bounce messages: Gmail's block messages, such as 550 5.7.1, explicitly state that messages are blocked due to very low reputation of the sending domain, not the TLD itself.
- Consistent sending patterns: Maintain consistent sending volumes and positive engagement to avoid triggers that can flag new domains as suspicious.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Support explains that if your emails are blocked by Gmail, it is often due to Gmail's system detecting suspicious activity related to the sending domain or IP address, rather than the specific TLD. The recommendation is to review sender guidelines and use Postmaster Tools.
Technical article
Documentation from Klaviyo Help Center states that Google and Yahoo have introduced new sender requirements focusing on authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and spam rates, which are key to deliverability regardless of the domain extension. Compliance with these is paramount.
Related resources
6 resources
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