What open rate can be expected with low domain reputation in Gmail?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 31 May 2025
Updated 16 Aug 2025
9 min read
It can be perplexing to see a low domain reputation rating in Gmail's Postmaster Tools, yet your open rates remain relatively stable, perhaps around 25%. This scenario often raises questions, as conventional wisdom suggests a poor reputation should severely tank your email performance. I've encountered this situation with many clients, and it's less contradictory than it appears at first glance.
The common assumption is that a low domain reputation (or bad reputation) immediately equates to zero inbox placement. While a low reputation is indeed a serious red flag that requires immediate attention, its impact on reported open rates isn't always instant or as drastic as one might expect. There are several underlying factors that can contribute to this seemingly stable open rate, even when your domain's standing is compromised.
My goal is to shed light on why you might observe this disconnect and what it truly means for your email program. Understanding these nuances is crucial for accurate assessment and taking effective corrective actions to improve your domain reputation with Gmail and overall email deliverability.
What does a low domain reputation mean?
A low domain reputation is essentially a poor trust score assigned to your sending domain by email service providers (ESPs), including Google. This score is based on various sending metrics, such as spam complaint rates, bounce rates, and user engagement. When your reputation is low, ESPs become highly suspicious of your email practices, often routing your messages to the spam folder or outright blocking them before they even reach the recipient's mailbox.
For Gmail specifically, a low reputation in their Postmaster Tools can indicate that a significant portion of your emails are not reaching the primary inbox. It's a clear signal that the system perceives your sending practices as potentially harmful or unwanted. You can monitor this crucial metric within the Gmail Postmaster Tools dashboards, which provide insights into your domain's standing.
The primary impact is indeed on deliverability, meaning how many of your emails actually land in the inbox versus the spam folder. When your domain reputation is bad, it's very likely your emails are being filtered. This filtering can vary, sometimes resulting in direct blocking, other times in placement to the spam folder, or even the 'promotions' tab in Gmail. You can often check your domain reputation using various tools to get a clearer picture.
Understanding this foundational aspect is the first step in addressing any perceived discrepancies between your reputation status and observed open rates. It's not about whether emails are getting opened, but how many are actually making it to the intended inbox, which is the key determinant of true engagement and conversion potential. Even a low reputation might still allow a fraction of emails through, which can sometimes skew your perspective on overall performance.
Best practices for reputation
Monitor actively: Regularly check Google Postmaster Tools for your domain and IP reputation.
Maintain list hygiene: Regularly remove unengaged subscribers and invalid email addresses to reduce bounces and complaints.
Send relevant content: Deliver valuable emails to your audience to foster engagement and reduce spam reports.
Why open rates can seem stable despite low reputation
The most significant factor artificially inflating open rates, even with a low domain reputation, is Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP). Launched in late 2021, MPP pre-fetches (downloads) all images in an email, regardless of whether the user actually opens or views the email. Since most open tracking relies on a tiny, invisible pixel image within the email, MPP causes these tracking pixels to fire, recording an open. This means that for users who open Gmail emails through the Apple Mail app on iOS devices, an open will be reported even if the email goes directly to spam or is never genuinely viewed. This phenomenon significantly skews reported email open rate accuracy.
I've also observed a delay in how Google Postmaster Tools reports reputation changes. It's not uncommon to see a 1-2 week lag between an actual shift in your sending reputation and when it's reflected in the Postmaster Tools dashboards. This means that by the time you see a low reputation warning, your open rates might still be showing the residual effect of a period when your reputation was better. For more details on this, I recommend checking out our ultimate guide to Google Postmaster Tools V2.
Furthermore, Gmail can sometimes be more forgiving than we assume, particularly for senders who aren't engaging in blatant spam or phishing activities. There might be a short grace period after a reputation drop where a significant portion of your mail can still reach the inbox. However, this portion will steadily decrease over time if the reputation remains poor, eventually leading to a noticeable decline in true engagement. This temporary allowance should not be misinterpreted as a sign that everything is fine.
Before apple MPP
I often saw unique open rates around 17% for Gmail customers with a low IP reputation. This was a truer reflection of inbox placement.
After apple MPP
Post-MPP, opens are often inflated, even when reputation is low. A 25% reported open rate, for example, is not surprising given Apple's pre-fetching behavior.
The true impact on deliverability
While your open rates might appear stable on paper due to factors like MPP or delayed reporting, it's crucial not to be complacent. A low domain reputation, whether it's on a public or private blocklist (or blacklist), ultimately means your emails are not reaching the desired audience effectively. The conversions you're seeing might be from the small percentage of highly engaged users who manage to find your emails, or from other marketing channels masking the true decline in email performance. My analysis shows that even a small drop in domain reputation has a significant impact.
For Gmail recipients, a bad domain reputation often means a majority of your emails are either blocked entirely or directed straight to the spam folder. As Sidemail explains, the difference in inbox placement between a good and bad reputation can be dramatic, with the latter resulting in nearly all emails being blocked or sent to spam. This directly impacts your reach and the effectiveness of your email campaigns.
Over time, if your reputation remains low, you will inevitably see a true decline in your Gmail open rates and conversion rates. The grace period will end, and Gmail's filters will become increasingly stringent. Therefore, any current stability in open rates should be viewed as a signal that you have a small window to address the underlying reputation issue before it escalates into a severe deliverability crisis. Proactive intervention is key to preventing long-term damage.
Example of DMARC report insights for low reputation
Recovering from a low domain reputation, or a blocklist (or blacklist) listing, requires a strategic and consistent effort. I recommend starting by identifying the root cause of the reputation drop. This usually involves auditing your email sending practices, including list acquisition, content relevance, and sending frequency. Our guide on how to recover from a bad domain reputation provides comprehensive steps.
A critical step is to drastically improve engagement from your recipients. This means segmenting your list to focus on your most active subscribers and temporarily suspending sends to unengaged segments. Cleaning your email list regularly to remove invalid or inactive addresses is paramount, as high bounce rates and spam trap hits are major contributors to poor reputation. Aim to improve low Gmail email open rates through quality content and segmentation.
Implementing and correctly configuring email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is non-negotiable. These protocols verify your sender identity and help prevent spoofing, which in turn builds trust with Gmail and other ESPs. The recovery process can take time, often weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the reputation hit. How long it takes to recover varies, but consistent application of best practices is essential.
Action
Impact on reputation
Example
List cleaning
Reduces bounces and spam traps, improves engagement signals.
Removing inactive users (e.g., those who haven't opened in 6-12 months).
Engagement segmentation
Focuses sending on active recipients, sending positive signals to ESPs.
Sending only to recipients who have opened an email in the last 90 days.
Authentication standards
Establishes sender legitimacy, crucial for inbox placement.
Actively monitor your domain's reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools.
Regularly clean your email lists by removing unengaged subscribers and invalid addresses.
Ensure strong email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is properly implemented.
Segment your audience and send highly relevant content to boost engagement.
Common pitfalls
Ignoring early warning signs of reputation decline, such as subtle drops in deliverability.
Relying solely on reported open rates as an indicator of inbox placement due to MPP.
Continuing to send to unengaged segments or purchased lists.
Neglecting to implement or correctly configure DMARC policies.
Expert tips
Focus on true engagement metrics, like clicks and conversions, rather than just opens.
Gradually re-engage cold subscribers with re-permission campaigns.
Implement a feedback loop to quickly identify and address spam complaints.
Understand that reputation recovery is a gradual process that requires patience and consistent effort.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that pre-Apple MPP data showed IPs with low Gmail reputation still achieved an average 17% unique open rate, highlighting that 'low' isn't always as dire as expected. However, any indication of declining reputation should prompt immediate corrective action.
March 30, 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that even with a 'Bad' reputation, some campaigns still experienced up to 10% open rates for a week, even when excluding iOS 15 opens. This indicates some variance between expectation and the reality of Google's filtering.
March 30, 2022 - Email Geeks
The path forward
While encountering a low domain reputation with Gmail might not instantly tank your reported open rates to zero, it's a clear warning that your email deliverability is compromised. Factors like Apple Mail Privacy Protection and delays in reputation reporting can mask the true impact, but this temporary stability is fleeting.
The reality is that a low reputation will lead to a significant portion of your emails being blocked or landing in the spam folder, regardless of what your open rates temporarily suggest. Over time, this will translate into genuinely lower engagement and conversion rates. Proactive monitoring, rigorous list hygiene, strong authentication, and a focus on sending relevant content to engaged subscribers are essential for resolving a low Gmail domain reputation.
Don't wait for your open rates to plummet before taking action. Use the initial warning signs as an opportunity to implement effective strategies and restore your domain's health, ensuring your emails consistently reach the inbox and achieve their intended purpose.
Gmail's Postmaster Tools, yet your open rates remain relatively stable, perhaps around 25%. This scenario often raises questions, as conventional wisdom suggests a poor reputation should severely tank your email performance. I've encountered this situation with many clients, and it's less contradictory than it appears at first glance.
Google. This score is based on various sending metrics, such as spam complaint rates, bounce rates, and user engagement. When your reputation is low, ESPs become highly suspicious of your email practices, often routing your messages to the spam folder or outright blocking them before they even reach the recipient's mailbox.
Google Postmaster Tools for your domain and IP reputation.
Apple Mail app on iOS devices, an open will be reported even if the email goes directly to spam or is never genuinely viewed. This phenomenon significantly skews reported email open rate accuracy.
