Summary
Return Path certification rejections and low acceptance rates largely stem from a sender's poor reputation, which is often evidenced by high spam complaints, excessive bounce rates, and frequent spam trap hits. Inadequate email authentication, such as improper SPF, DKIM, or DMARC implementation, also plays a significant role. Furthermore, issues like low-quality email content, poor list hygiene leading to unengaged or invalid subscribers, and technical aspects like using shared IPs can lead to a program being deemed unsuitable for certification. Meeting stringent best practice compliance and maintaining consistently high sender performance are crucial for acceptance.
Key findings
- Poor Sender Reputation: A primary reason for rejection is a poor sender reputation, characterized by high spam complaint rates, excessive bounce rates, frequent hits on spam traps, and generally low subscriber engagement.
- Inadequate Authentication: Lack of robust or inconsistent implementation of email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC significantly lowers email acceptance rates and leads to certification rejection.
- Low List Quality: Sending to invalid or unengaged email addresses, poor list hygiene, and a history of hitting spam traps indicate a low-quality list, which is a major barrier to certification.
- Operational & Content Issues: Using shared IPs, operating an opt-out email program, sending low-quality or irrelevant content, and using misleading subject lines can all contribute to rejections or low acceptance rates.
- Failure to Meet Metrics: Applicants are rejected if they fail to meet Return Path's specific reputation metrics and best practice compliance, as the certification process involves an automated assessment of applicant domains and IPs.
Key considerations
- Prioritize Sender Reputation: Focus on consistently maintaining a strong sending reputation by minimizing spam complaints, bounce rates, and spam trap hits. Cultivate high subscriber engagement through relevant content and effective list segmentation.
- Ensure Authentication Robustness: Properly implement and consistently use email authentication protocols, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, to prove sender legitimacy and improve deliverability.
- Maintain Strict List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists to remove invalid, unengaged, or unknown user addresses. Avoid sending to purchased or old, unverified lists to prevent high bounce rates and spam trap hits.
- Adhere to Best Practices: Ensure your email program is based on opt-in consent, provides clear unsubscribe options, and features high-quality, relevant content that avoids spam triggers. Consider having dedicated IPs if your sending volume warrants it.
- Evaluate Program Suitability: Before applying for Return Path certification, honestly assess whether your sending metrics and practices align with their stringent requirements. If metrics are out of line, consider seeking expert consultation to improve them.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Certification rejections from Return Path, along with generally low email acceptance rates, largely stem from a sender's diminished reputation. This poor standing often results from elevated spam complaints, high bounce rates, and frequent encounters with spam traps. Critical issues also include inadequate email authentication, such as the improper configuration of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Furthermore, low-quality content, ineffective list hygiene leading to inactive or invalid subscriber data, and technical factors like sending from shared IPs or running an opt-out program significantly contribute to a program being deemed unsuitable for certification. Success hinges on adhering to strict email best practices and consistently demonstrating strong sender performance metrics.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation Degradation: Frequent spam complaints, high bounce rates, and encounters with spam traps are primary indicators of a poor sender reputation, leading to certification denial.
- Suboptimal List Management: Issues like sending to invalid or unengaged email addresses, combined with overall poor list hygiene, severely undermine a sender's eligibility and acceptance rates.
- Authentication Protocol Failures: The absence or inconsistent application of email authentication standards like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC significantly compromises deliverability and trust, hindering certification.
- Content and Campaign Weaknesses: Irrelevant or low-quality email content, misleading subject lines, and a lack of proper list segmentation can reduce engagement and trigger spam filters, impacting acceptance.
- Inadequate Infrastructure and Practices: Operating an opt-out email program, utilizing shared IPs when dedicated ones are necessary, and generally failing to align with stringent industry best practices can result in outright rejection.
Key considerations
- Prioritize Reputation Building: Implement strategies to minimize spam complaints, reduce bounce rates, and avoid spam traps by engaging subscribers with relevant content.
- Maintain Exemplary List Hygiene: Regularly clean and validate email lists, ensuring all subscribers are truly opted-in and engaged, to improve deliverability and certification prospects.
- Strengthen Email Authentication: Meticulously set up and maintain SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate your sending domain and build trust with Internet Service Providers.
- Optimize Content Strategy: Develop highly engaging and relevant content, craft clear and honest subject lines, and effectively segment your audience to enhance subscriber interaction.
- Review Program Compliance: Thoroughly assess your email sending infrastructure and practices, ensuring they meet the highest industry standards, including consent acquisition, to align with certification requirements.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that reasons for not getting Return Path certified can include not having dedicated IPs, being listed on a relevant blacklist, or applying when the sender simply shouldn't be certified at all.
26 Feb 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that the 4% acceptance rate for Return Path certification is essentially a conversion rate from their sales funnel, based on an automated assessment of applicant domains and IPs. Most rejections occur due to the sender being on a shared IP or the applicant's program being opt-out. If an applicant has metrics out of line with requirements, such as high complaints, Return Path would typically offer a consulting engagement to help bring those metrics in line.
17 Jun 2025 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
1 expert opinions
A sender's reputation is the paramount factor governing Return Path certification acceptance, as highlighted by industry experts. Poor sending metrics, notably elevated spam complaint rates, a history of hitting spam traps, and insufficient subscriber engagement, directly indicate a weak sender reputation and are key contributors to rejections or low acceptance rates.
Key opinions
- Reputation as Gateway: Return Path certification is fundamentally governed by a sender's established reputation, which acts as the primary gatekeeper for acceptance.
- Core Metric Deficiencies: Low acceptance rates and outright rejections are commonly driven by poor performance in key sending metrics such as high spam complaint rates, frequent spam trap encounters, and weak subscriber engagement.
- Reputation Indicators: These specific poor metrics serve as definitive indicators of a compromised sender reputation, directly influencing Return Path's decision to deny certification.
Key considerations
- Reputation Building Focus: Concentrate efforts on meticulously building and maintaining a strong sender reputation, as it is the most critical element for Return Path certification.
- Optimize Core Metrics: Actively work to improve essential sending metrics by reducing spam complaints, implementing strategies to avoid spam traps, and enhancing overall subscriber engagement.
- Consistent Performance: Understand that consistent positive performance across reputation-defining metrics is essential for gaining and retaining Return Path certification.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Return Path certification acceptance is highly dependent on a sender's reputation. Key reasons for rejection or a low acceptance rate include poor sending metrics such as high spam complaint rates, hitting spam traps, and low subscriber engagement, as these factors indicate a poor sender reputation.
2 Jul 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Return Path certification rejection and low email acceptance rates are predominantly caused by a sender's failure to meet stringent deliverability standards and maintain a robust sender reputation. Key factors include poor sending hygiene, evidenced by high complaint and bounce rates, and frequent spam trap encounters. Crucially, a lack of comprehensive email authentication-specifically proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC implementation-along with inadequate list management practices and an overall poor standing with mailbox providers, significantly hinders acceptance into such trusted sender programs.
Key findings
- Reputation & Hygiene Failure: Sendability issues like high complaint rates, elevated bounce rates, and frequent spam trap hits directly lead to certification rejection and signal poor sending hygiene.
- Authentication Deficiencies: Insufficient or improperly configured email authentication protocols-SPF, DKIM, and DMARC-are significant barriers to program acceptance and reduce overall email deliverability.
- Suboptimal List Quality: Poor list hygiene, characterized by a high percentage of unknown user addresses or unengaged subscribers, contributes to low acceptance rates and indicates a failure to adhere to best practices.
- Best Practice Non-Compliance: A general failure to follow industry best practices, including responsible list management and providing clear unsubscribe options, negatively impacts deliverability and certification eligibility.
Key considerations
- Uphold Sending Hygiene: Diligent monitoring and management of complaint rates, bounce rates, and spam trap hits are essential to maintain a strong sender reputation and meet certification criteria.
- Fortify Authentication: Implement and consistently manage robust SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to enhance email trust and improve acceptance by mailbox providers.
- Prioritize List Health: Regularly clean and validate email lists, ensuring only permission-based and engaged subscribers receive mail, thereby avoiding unknown users and reducing bounces.
- Adhere to Industry Best Practices: Systematically apply email best practices, such as proper consent, transparent unsubscribe options, and effective content strategies, to foster a positive sending environment.
Technical article
Documentation from Validity explains that Return Path certification rejections occur if senders fail to meet specific reputation metrics and best practice compliance, including hitting spam traps, maintaining high bounce rates, excessive complaint rates, or a high percentage of unknown user email addresses.
16 Jun 2023 - Validity
Technical article
Documentation from Validity states that Return Path Certification rejection occurs when senders fail to meet stringent standards for email sending hygiene, specifically highlighting high complaint rates, bounce rates, and spam trap hits, or an overall poor reputation with mailbox providers.
4 May 2022 - Validity Official Website
How should I interpret sender rejection data from ReturnPath compared to my ESP?
Is Return Path certification worth it for email deliverability?
Is Return Path certification worth it for improving email deliverability at Gmail?
Is ReturnPath Certification worth the investment for email deliverability?
What are the alternatives to Return Path for deliverability certification?
Why am I seeing RoadRunner deferrals and rejections for reputable senders?
