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Summary

When third-party emails linking to your website are rejected by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), it signals a potential issue with how your domain is perceived within those specific email contexts, even if your in-house emails perform well. This problem often arises due to discrepancies in link handling or reputation assessment tied to the sending domain versus the linked domain.

What email marketers say

Email marketers grappling with third-party email rejections often highlight the distinction between internal sending practices and those of partners. They tend to focus on the immediate, observable symptoms like bounce messages and the visual presentation of links, suggesting that even minor inconsistencies can trigger ISP filters designed to detect deceptive practices.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks observes that even when Corporation A's internal, high-volume email sends are successful, emails sent by their legitimate partners linking to Corporation A's website are frequently rejected. This indicates a specific issue with how third-party-linked content is being evaluated.

07 Nov 2018 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

An email marketer from Email Geeks explains that the postmaster's rejection note explicitly stated the filter was for 'website.com', not due to a spoofing attempt. This specificity, they note, makes the situation more puzzling, suggesting the linked domain itself is the problem.

07 Nov 2018 - Email Geeks

What the experts say

Email deliverability experts often delve into the technical underpinnings of why third-party emails linking to your domain might be rejected. Their insights typically focus on the nuances of email authentication, domain reputation, and how ISPs perceive the relationship between the sender's domain and any linked domains within the email content.

Expert view

An email deliverability expert from Email Geeks suggests that Comcast might be perceiving third-party emails with links to Corporation A's site as a spoofing attempt. This highlights how ISP filters can interpret legitimate linking as suspicious activity.

07 Nov 2018 - Email Geeks

Expert view

An expert from Email Geeks questions whether a CNAME is being used with link tracking by the third-party sender. This implies that CNAME configurations can play a role in how ISPs evaluate the legitimacy of links within emails.

07 Nov 2018 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

Official documentation and technical guides from email service providers and anti-spam organizations often outline the criteria for email rejection, including factors related to linked content. These resources typically emphasize sender reputation, authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and adherence to content policies to prevent emails from being flagged as malicious or spam.

Technical article

Documentation from Twilio advises that if your IP address or domain is blocklisted by email service providers or anti-spam organizations, your emails may be rejected or filtered out. This underscores the fundamental impact of blocklist status on email delivery, even when linking to reputable sites.

04 May 2022 - Twilio

Technical article

Abusix documentation on email bounces often attributes them to the sender's IP being blocklisted. This means that if the third-party sending the email is on a blocklist, all emails from them, including those with legitimate links, are likely to bounce.

09 Sep 2021 - Abusix

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