What are the risks of using newer TLDs like .clinic or .vet for email sending domains?

Key findings

• Lower initial reputation: Newer TLDs often start with a lower or neutral reputation, requiring a much higher threshold to achieve good delivery compared to traditional domains. This is partly because they lack the historical sending data that older, established TLDs possess, making it harder for ISPs to trust them automatically. For more information, read about why you should avoid sending from new domains.
• Spam association: Many new gTLDs have become 'pits of spam' according to some filter operators and deliverability experts. These domains are frequently used by spammers due to their low cost and ease of registration, leading to aggressive filtering by ISPs and commercial anti-spam filters.
• Increased filtering: Mailbox providers and security systems are more likely to flag or block emails from new or less common TLDs, even legitimate ones, simply based on the domain extension. This is a common practice to mitigate emerging spam trends.
• Brand perception: Recipients themselves may perceive emails from unusual TLDs as less trustworthy or potentially spammy, leading to lower engagement, increased spam complaints, and negative sender reputation feedback. This is a common concern as discussed in how TLDs affect deliverability.

Key considerations

• Audience location: The impact of a new TLD can vary depending on your audience's geographic location and the ISPs they use. Some regional ISPs might have stricter policies or different filtering algorithms than global providers.
• Reputation building: Building a positive sending reputation with a new gTLD will be significantly more challenging and time-consuming. It requires meticulous list hygiene, highly engaged subscribers, and consistent monitoring to overcome initial skepticism from filters. You should carefully consider what to keep in mind when choosing new TLDs.
• Industry standards: For critical communications, it is almost always safer to stick to established TLDs. They are widely recognized, have a long history of legitimate use, and are less likely to trigger automated spam filters.
• Monitoring: If you choose to use a newer TLD, comprehensive deliverability monitoring will be crucial to identify and address any potential blocklisting or filtering issues promptly.

Key opinions

• Appearance of spamminess: Many marketers instinctively feel that newer, less common TLDs like .clinic or .vet appear spammy, making it difficult to convince clients to use them for email. This gut feeling is often rooted in observed deliverability issues.
• ISP filter perception: There's a strong belief that mid-size ISPs and commercial filters often view these newer TLDs as 'pits of spam' due to their frequent misuse by malicious senders. This leads to them being automatically treated with suspicion, even if the sender is legitimate.
• Reputation hurdle: Marketers anticipate that new TLDs will start with a lower reputation, requiring significantly more effort and time to build a positive sending history and achieve good delivery rates. This is a common challenge for understanding your email domain reputation.
• Data-backed concerns: Some data indicates a high percentage of spam from specific new gTLDs, reinforcing the marketing community's reservations. For example, some sources show that over 80% of emails from .clinic or .vet domains can be classified as spam.

Key considerations

• Audience-specific risk: The risk associated with newer TLDs can depend heavily on the target audience and their predominant email providers. Different ISPs have varying filtering aggressiveness towards new domain extensions.
• Avoiding vanity domains: Many marketers generally advise avoiding 'vanity style' domains for email sending due to the inherent deliverability challenges they present, regardless of their branding appeal. This is often the case with TLDs that should be avoided.
• Sales impact: The acquisition patterns of new gTLDs (e.g., promotional sales) can influence their reputation. Domains that have recently been on sale might attract more spammers, further impacting deliverability across the TLD.
• Data-driven decisions: Leveraging available data, such as TLD spam statistics from reputable sources, can be highly effective in demonstrating the risks to clients and stakeholders. Spamhaus provides statistics on new gTLDs and spam.

Key opinions

• Reputational baggage: Experts confirm that new gTLDs can quickly accumulate negative reputation due to spam activity, even if legitimate senders use them. This inherent reputational baggage means they are viewed with suspicion from the outset. This aligns with expert opinions on domain reputation.
• Filtering by default: Many major email providers and anti-spam services (like Spamhaus) often have specific internal rules or algorithms that treat new or niche TLDs more stringently, often directing their mail to the spam folder by default until a positive reputation is explicitly earned.
• High spam rates: Data consistently shows that a disproportionately high percentage of spam originates from certain new gTLDs. This statistical reality heavily influences how filtering systems perceive these domains. For a practical guide on this, check out how TLDs impact deliverability.
• Abuse patterns: Experts monitor how domain registrations are used. TLDs that frequently offer deep discounts or allow anonymous registrations tend to attract spammers, quickly becoming blacklisted or blocklisted. This influences future deliverability for all users of that TLD.

Key considerations

• Long warm-up period: If a new gTLD must be used, experts advise an exceptionally cautious and extended warm-up period. This involves sending very small volumes of email to highly engaged recipients and gradually increasing volume only after consistent positive engagement.
• Proactive monitoring: Continuous blocklist monitoring and DMARC reporting are even more critical for new TLDs. Immediate action is needed at the first sign of any deliverability issues or blocklisting.
• Domain separation: For businesses that require a new TLD for specific marketing purposes, experts might suggest separating the email sending domain from the main website domain to mitigate potential reputation bleed-over if deliverability issues arise.
• Prioritize established TLDs: The overarching recommendation from experts is to prioritize using long-standing, well-regarded TLDs for email sending whenever possible, as they offer the most stable foundation for deliverability.

Key findings

• High abuse rates: Statistical reports from anti-spam organizations frequently show that a significant percentage of domains within newer gTLDs are associated with spam, malware, phishing, and other forms of abuse. This widespread abuse leads to their inclusion on various blacklists and blocklists, impacting legitimate senders. Learn more about email blocklists.
• Security implications: The ease of registering new gTLDs has increased opportunities for domain impersonation and phishing. This poses a heightened security risk for brands and organizations, which in turn leads to stricter filtering by security-conscious mail providers.
• Trademark complexities: With hundreds of new gTLDs, brand protection has become a complex issue. It's difficult to manually register and monitor trademarked names across all new extensions, leading to potential abuse and reputation damage that can extend to email sending.
• Perceived spamminess by users: Research indicates that users may associate poor experiences with sites using certain less common or newer TLDs. This user perception can contribute to higher complaint rates for legitimate emails from such domains, negatively impacting sender reputation.

Key considerations

• Registry policies: While some registries for new gTLDs implement robust abuse mitigation, others may have less stringent policies, directly influencing the TLD's overall reputation within the email ecosystem. Senders should research these policies.
• Evolving landscape: The landscape of TLDs is continuously evolving, with new extensions being introduced regularly. What might be an acceptable TLD today could quickly become problematic if it is adopted by spammers. This continuous change impacts email deliverability.
• Due diligence: Documentation suggests that businesses engaging with new gTLDs should conduct thorough due diligence, not only for branding and website purposes but also specifically for their implications on email deliverability and sender reputation.
• Industry recommendations: Leading industry bodies and security firms often advise caution with new or less common TLDs, particularly for high-value email communications, due to the increased risk of filtering and negative perception.