How does linking to external sites in an industry news roundup impact email deliverability?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 5 May 2025
Updated 19 Aug 2025
7 min read
Sending out an industry news roundup email can be an excellent way to provide value to your audience and position your brand as a thought leader. The format typically involves curating links to articles and reports published on other domains, not your own.
However, a common concern that arises is the impact of these external links on your email deliverability. Will directing recipients to other websites raise red flags with spam filters or hurt your sender reputation? I often hear this question from marketers and it's a valid concern.
Understanding link reputation
When you include links in your email, whether they point to your own domain or an external one, mailbox providers (like Gmail and Outlook) scrutinize them. Each link carries its own reputation, and if a linked domain has a poor standing, it can reflect negatively on your email's overall trustworthiness. This is true whether the link is directly visible or hidden behind anchor text, a key consideration for how hyperlinks in an email affect deliverability.
Spam filters are designed to protect users from malicious content, and bad links are a common indicator of spam. If you link to a domain that is known for spamming, hosting malware, or engaging in phishing, your email is more likely to be flagged or sent to the junk folder. This is why even a seemingly innocent link to a compromised website could harm your reputation.
The good news is that most reputable news sources maintain high domain reputations, making them relatively safe to link to. However, the risk increases if you're curating content from lesser-known sites or sources with questionable practices.
The role of wrapped links
Many email service providers (ESPs) automatically wrap your links with their own tracking domains. This means that instead of the direct external URL, the link initially points to a domain controlled by your ESP. When a recipient clicks, they are first redirected through this tracking domain before reaching the final external destination. This wrapping mechanism is beneficial for your deliverability.
When links are wrapped, the primary reputation assessment for the link typically falls on your ESP's tracking domain (or your custom tracking domain, if configured). This shifts much of the risk away from the external domain's reputation directly impacting your sender score. While the ultimate destination still plays a role, the initial click-through domain is what mailbox providers primarily evaluate. You can learn more about how link redirects affect email reputation in general.
For B2B sending, where deliverability and trust are paramount, wrapped links provide an essential layer of protection. This doesn't mean you can link to anything, but it certainly reduces the direct impact of the third-party domain's reputation on yours. It's generally okay to link to external sites, especially if those links are wrapped.
Potential pitfalls and best practices
Even with wrapped links, there are still best practices to follow to ensure your news roundup emails maintain strong deliverability. The key is to be thoughtful about the content you curate and how you present it.
Always use descriptive anchor text, such as the article title, rather than the raw domain name. This improves user experience and signals legitimacy to spam filters. For example, use "Latest Industry Trends Report" instead of "example.com".
Ensure that the content you link to is high-quality and relevant to your audience. This helps maintain subscriber engagement and signals to mailbox providers that your emails are valuable, not just link farms.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Avoid typing out bare domain names in the email body, especially if those domains have a questionable reputation. Even if the actual link is wrapped, the visible text can still trigger spam filters.
Do not use deceptive practices where the visible link text differs significantly or deceptively from the actual destination URL. This can be interpreted as phishing or a spam tactic.
Steer clear of generic URL shorteners. They are often associated with spam and can increase the likelihood of your emails being blocked. If you must shorten, use branded shorteners.
Ultimately, the content you link to and the way you present it are paramount. Focus on providing genuine value to your subscribers by curating high-quality industry news. Mailbox providers value legitimate content that engages users.
Monitoring and maintaining reputation
Regularly assessing your own sender reputation is crucial when sending emails with external links. This includes monitoring your IP and domain reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools. A strong, consistent sender reputation can provide a buffer against minor issues caused by external links, as mailbox providers are more likely to trust emails from established senders.
You can determine if third-party links are affecting deliverability by closely monitoring your email deliverability metrics, such as inbox placement rates, open rates, and bounce rates. Pay attention to any sudden drops or increases in spam complaints after sending news roundups. You can also review Google's email sender guidelines for additional advice on maintaining a good reputation.
Views from the trenches
Wrapped links: Expert from Email Geeks says wrapped links mean your sending domain carries most of the reputation responsibility, making it mostly okay.
Content curation: Expert from Email Geeks notes that successful newsletters often curate content from other sites, confirming that external linking is not inherently a problem.
Bare links: Expert from Email Geeks warns that if bare links in your email lead to domains with bad reputations, it can negatively impact your email delivery.
Visible domain names: Expert from Email Geeks indicates that even just typing out a domain name in the text with a bad reputation can cause issues.
Link shorteners: Expert from Email Geeks advises avoiding typing out domain names whenever possible, especially link shorteners, due to their potential negative impact.
Trust issues: Marketer from Email Geeks mentions being overly cautious with a relatively new IP address, highlighting common concerns about sender reputation.
Anchor text: Expert from Email Geeks suggests using the article's title as the visible link text instead of the direct domain name for better results.
Sporadic issues: Expert from Email Geeks acknowledges that occasionally mentioning a domain with a bad reputation can cause unexpected deliverability issues, even for reputable senders.
Key takeaways for deliverability
Sending an industry news roundup email with external links does not inherently hurt your email deliverability, especially if those links are wrapped by your email service provider. The key is to exercise caution and adhere to best practices to mitigate potential risks.
Focus on curating high-quality, reputable content, use descriptive anchor text, and avoid suspicious or generic URL shorteners. By maintaining a strong sender reputation and consistently monitoring your performance, you can confidently deliver valuable news roundups to your audience without compromising your inbox placement.
Gmail and 
Outlook) scrutinize them. Each link carries its own reputation, and if a linked domain has a poor standing, it can reflect negatively on your email's overall trustworthiness. This is true whether the link is directly visible or hidden behind anchor text, a key consideration for how hyperlinks in an email affect deliverability.
