Summary
Validity Certification is a paid service offered by Validity, formerly Return Path, designed to help legitimate email senders achieve higher inbox placement rates. It aims to reduce the filtering of wanted emails into spam folders by providing a trusted status to certified senders. This program is particularly relevant for high-volume senders and businesses for whom consistent inbox delivery is critical.
Key findings
- Improved deliverability: Certification can lead to better inbox placement, particularly with major mailbox providers that recognize the program. This is a primary driver for senders considering the investment.
- Enhanced trust: Being certified signifies adherence to strict sending standards, building trust with ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and potentially allowing mail to bypass some filtering checks. Learn more about how important IP certification is.
- Data insights: The program often provides comprehensive data and metrics, offering deeper insights into how your email is being treated by various mailbox providers, which can be more detailed than standard postmaster tools.
- Consistent performance: For senders who maintain good practices, certification can help stabilize deliverability, providing a buffer during minor reputation fluctuations.
Key considerations
- Prerequisites: To qualify for certification, senders must already adhere to a high standard of email sending best practices, including low complaint rates and proper authentication. Read about whether Validity IP Certification is worth the cost.
- Cost factor: Certification is a paid service, and its cost needs to be weighed against the potential ROI (return on investment) for your email program. For some, the benefits may not justify the expense.
- Not a silver bullet: It does not guarantee 100% inbox placement, and poor sending practices will still lead to issues, regardless of certification status. Mailbox providers retain ultimate control. As Badsender points out, it is one solution among others to boost deliverability, not a magic bullet.
- Maintenance: Certified status must be maintained by continuously adhering to program requirements. Failure to do so can result in suspension from the program.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often discuss Validity Certification in terms of its practical benefits and the investment it requires. Opinions vary based on individual experiences, existing deliverability performance, and the specific needs of their email programs. Many see it as a valuable tool for optimizing inbox placement, especially for large-scale operations.
Key opinions
- Tangible results: Many marketers report experiencing measurable improvements in inbox placement rates, particularly with major mailbox providers like AOL, Yahoo, and Microsoft (Hotmail), after achieving certification.
- Valuable data: The rich, daily data provided by Validity Certification is frequently cited as a significant benefit, offering insights into email treatment that are not available through other means. This enhances understanding of deliverability issues.
- Consistency and stability: For senders who maintain good practices, certification can provide a level of consistency and stability in deliverability, offering a degree of leniency when minor issues arise. This is especially useful for email deliverability issues.
- ROI potential: Some marketers have seen substantial financial returns due to increased inbox placement, outweighing the initial investment in certification.
Key considerations
- Not universal: While beneficial, certification isn't always necessary for senders who already have exceptional deliverability due to strict adherence to best practices. Mailbox providers often recognize good behavior independently.
- Requires discipline: Certification programs demand continuous adherence to high standards. Failure to maintain compliance, such as high spam complaint rates, can lead to suspension from the program. Consider alternatives to Validity Certification if maintaining strict compliance is a concern.
- Cost-benefit analysis: Marketers frequently emphasize the need for a thorough cost-benefit analysis. The certification fee should be justifiable by the expected improvements in deliverability and subsequent revenue increases.
- ISP footprint: Some marketers point out that the benefits are not guaranteed across all ISPs and that even certified senders can experience filtering if specific ISP policies are triggered.
Marketer from Email Geeks observes: Validity Certification aims to improve inbox placement. Preliminary metrics shared in webinars suggest a positive impact on consumer inbox rates, prompting further investigation into its effectiveness.
Marketer from Email Geeks notes: While I am exploring Validity Certification, the initial presentations indicate that it can enhance email deliverability. This aligns with our goal of optimizing bounce rates and inbox placement, which we currently track via domain postmasters.
What the experts say
Experts in email deliverability often provide a nuanced perspective on Validity Certification. While acknowledging its historical benefits and current advantages, they also highlight critical considerations regarding its necessity, cost, and the foundational importance of adhering to core best practices.
Key opinions
- Historical impact: Certification programs like Validity (and its predecessor, Return Path) historically provided significant help with deliverability to major ISPs, especially for issues with providers like AOL, Yahoo, and Microsoft.
- Best practices first: Many experts argue that the perceived uplift from certification is largely a result of the program's requirement for senders to adhere to stringent best practices. If a sender already follows these, the additional mechanical lift from certification might be marginal. This aligns with advice on technical solutions for deliverability.
- Trust for gray areas: While not a complete shield, certification can provide a shadow of the doubt benefit, helping maintain deliverability when minor, unexpected issues arise.
- Data value: The rich data provided by certification programs is consistently praised as highly valuable for understanding and diagnosing email delivery performance.
Key considerations
- ISP discretion: Experts caution that certification does not override ISP policies. Mailbox providers retain the right to filter mail regardless of certified status if they detect problematic sending patterns.
- Compliance risk: Failing to meet ongoing program requirements can lead to suspension, negating the investment. Senders must be prepared for continuous monitoring and adherence. This is also covered in the benefits and costs of other email certifications.
- Cost vs. benefit: The financial cost of certification is a key consideration. Experts advise a thorough evaluation to ensure the benefits truly justify the expense for a specific sending operation.
- Existing performance: If a sender already achieves excellent deliverability without certification, the incremental benefits may be minimal. The program is often most impactful for senders in the good to normal range needing a boost. For example, some discuss whether Return Path certification is worth it.
Expert from Email Geeks (steve589) opines: Validity Certification has a long history, having been particularly helpful with issues at AOL, Yahoo, and Microsoft. However, for senders already following best practices and monitoring their deliverability, its necessity might be reduced.
Expert from Email Geeks (steve589) advises: While certification programs often demonstrate improved results, some argue that these improvements stem more from the mandatory adherence to best practices rather than any inherent mechanical lift from the certification status itself.
What the documentation says
Official documentation from Validity outlines the core principles and expected benefits of its certification program. These documents serve as the primary source for understanding the program's mechanics, requirements, and the value proposition it offers to email senders aiming for optimal deliverability.
Key findings
- Core purpose: Validity Certification is designed to improve the placement of legitimate email into the inbox by establishing trust between senders and mailbox providers. It aims to bypass spam filters that might otherwise block or defer compliant mail.
- Adherence to standards: The program requires senders to meet and maintain specific, rigorous standards for email sending hygiene, list management, and authentication protocols (e.g., SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Preferred treatment: Certified senders typically receive preferred treatment from participating mailbox providers, leading to higher inbox placement rates and reduced filtering. This is a core benefit stated by Validity. For example, Return Path documentation discusses measurable increases in inbox placement at top mailbox providers.
- Data feedback: Participants gain access to detailed performance data and reporting, allowing them to monitor their deliverability and identify areas for improvement.
Key considerations
- Eligibility and application: The certification process involves an application, review, and ongoing monitoring to ensure continued compliance with program rules. Not all senders will qualify.
- Maintaining status: Certification is not a one-time achievement. Senders must consistently adhere to best practices to retain their certified status, and failure to do so can lead to suspension or removal from the program.
- Participating ISPs: The benefits are primarily realized with mailbox providers that actively participate in and recognize the Validity Certification program. Understanding which email inbox providers participate is important.
- Program evolution: Documentation also points to the evolving nature of email deliverability and certification programs, indicating continuous adaptation to new threats and industry standards. Validity's own knowledge base explains what Validity Certification is.
Documentation from Validity explains: Validity Certification is a service designed for legitimate senders to achieve optimal inbox placement by establishing a high level of trust with mailbox providers. This enables mail to bypass many traditional filtering processes.
Return Path's documentation (Validity's predecessor) indicates: Certification participants see a measurable increase in inbox placement at major mailbox providers, including Microsoft, AOL, and Yahoo. This direct improvement in delivery ensures more messages reach the intended recipients.
