What are the current best practices for email 'From' addresses to ensure deliverability and sender reputation?

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that consistency is the most important factor for From addresses and advises against using 'cousin domains.' He clarifies that while separating transactional and marketing email streams is often recommended, this primarily pertains to authentication and IP addresses, not the 822.From header. He stresses that using subdomains is crucial for proper email authentication, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and overall deliverability, stating that the inability to set up subdomains due to organizational issues is not a valid excuse as it's foundational for serious email marketing. He adds that DMARC alignment requires a common base domain for From, DKIM, and return path, and while shared envelope domain reputation can be a concern, it's less so with a custom return path and an aligned DKIM signature, especially on shared IPs.

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that previous advice, including his own, on From addresses is now largely outdated due to advancements in spam filtering, reputation systems, preference centers, and technologies like DKIM and DMARC. He advises that current best practice involves sending from the same parent domain as your website, ensuring DKIM is set up, and plugging into an ESP. He recommends using appropriate and relevant prefixes, avoiding generic role-based names like 'info@' or 'offers@' due to historical abuse. He notes that DMARC often requires the same domain for DKIM and SPF alignment, frequently necessitating a subdomain for the ESP setup, and suggests keeping a consistent subdomain across the board with varied prefixes per stream. He also acknowledges organizational resistance to DNS changes but reiterates the importance of a brand's domain at the root for trust and warns that Dmarcian-like tools can misinterpret DMARC alignment for less technical users.

Expert from Email Geeks states that Mailbox Providers (MBPs) strongly recommend separating email streams and references the M3AAWG Best Current Practice (BCP) documentation. He emphasizes that if a company can set up www.domain.com, they can set up subdomains, suggesting that difficulties often stem from a lack of DNS understanding or unfounded security concerns rather than technical impossibility.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that for optimal deliverability and sender reputation, the 'From' name should be recognizable and consistent (e.g., your company name or your own name). The 'From' address itself must be professional and consistent, associated with your own domain (e.g., newsletter@yourcompany.com). It is crucial to avoid using personal email addresses or generic ones like gmail.com for bulk sending, as consistency builds trust and helps recipients recognize your emails.

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that for optimal deliverability, bulk senders should ensure the 'From' domain aligns with the authenticated domains (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). It is crucial to use a consistent 'From' address and a clear, recognizable sender name, avoiding generic 'noreply' addresses to build trust and sender reputation.

Documentation from Microsoft Learn highlights the importance of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for email authentication. It implies that for a strong sender reputation and improved deliverability, the domain used in the 'From' address must be properly authenticated and aligned with these protocols to prevent spoofing and ensure messages are trusted by recipient servers.