Summary
Using a newly registered domain for email sending can significantly hamper your deliverability rates. This is primarily because new domains lack established sender reputation and are often flagged by spam filters and blocklists as potential sources of malicious activity.
Key findings
- Lack of reputation: New domains have no sending history, which means no established reputation with internet service providers (ISPs) or email providers. This lack of history often leads to higher spam placement.
- Blocklist risk: Many public and private blocklists (also called blacklists) actively monitor and list newly registered domains, especially if they begin sending email at volume immediately after registration. This is because such behavior is a classic indicator of spamming operations. For more information, see our guide on whether blacklists exist for new domains.
- Spam and phishing association: Cybercriminals frequently use newly registered domains for phishing, malware distribution, and spam campaigns, exploiting the short window before reputation systems catch up. This historical abuse makes ISPs inherently suspicious of new domains, as highlighted by Palo Alto Networks Cyberpedia.
- Warming up requirement: New email domains, like new IP addresses, require a warming up phase to build a positive sending history and reputation. Sending high volumes too soon can trigger spam filters.
Key considerations
- Time needed: While there is no fixed rule, a domain generally needs time (e.g., 30 to 60 days) to age and establish some credibility before being used for significant email volumes.
- Gradual sending: Implement a proper domain warming strategy to gradually increase sending volume. This helps build a positive sender reputation and trust with ISPs. Learn more about how to warm up a new email sender address.
- Authentication: Ensure all email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured from day one to signal legitimacy and protect your domain.
- Content quality: Even with warming, ensure your email content is high-quality, relevant, and avoids spam trigger words to help build a positive reputation.
What email marketers say
Email marketers frequently encounter deliverability challenges when sending from newly registered domains. Their experiences highlight the immediate impact on inbox placement and the necessity of carefully building sender reputation. Many are surprised by how quickly a new domain can be flagged, underscoring the importance of proper warming techniques and adherence to best practices from the outset.
Key opinions
- Reputation is earned: Marketers generally agree that domains must earn their reputation over time. Sending at full speed on a new domain is strongly advised against.
- Immediate spam flagging: Many experience new domains landing in the spam folder almost immediately, even with low sending volumes, confirming that lack of history is a significant factor. This is often the case for why Gmail marks emails from new domains as spam.
- RBL risks: There's an awareness that dedicated public and private real-time blocklists (RBLs) specifically target brand new domains that exhibit suspicious sending patterns.
- Domain aging: Some marketers operate with the understanding that domains should be at least 60 days old before being used for significant email outreach, though this isn't a universally strict rule.
Key considerations
- Warm-up is crucial: Warming up a new email domain is seen as essential for any sending volume, similar to how new IP addresses are warmed. You can read more about how to warm up a new sending domain.
- DNS configuration: Beyond aging, ensuring accurate DNS and rDNS records is vital for a new domain's credibility.
- Avoid cousin domains: Marketers are advised to also avoid 'cousin domains' (domains very similar to well-known ones) as these are often used in phishing attempts and will face similar scrutiny.
- Build strong reputation: A new domain needs to quickly establish a strong, positive reputation to achieve good inbox placement, especially if immediate sending is necessary.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks indicates that domains need to earn their reputation before they can be used for full-speed mailing. They also mention that some providers might look at the origin dates of domains in their algorithms, though concrete statistics are scarce. What matters most is accurate DNS/rDNS setup and proper warming.
Marketer view
Marketer from Quora notes that new email domains absolutely need warming up, similar to new IP addresses, before large volumes of emails can be sent. A brand new domain can go straight to spam even with just one email if this warm-up phase is skipped.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts consistently advise against immediately sending from newly registered domains. Their opinions are rooted in a deep understanding of anti-spam mechanisms, reputation algorithms, and the historical use of new domains by malicious actors. They emphasize that while some protections for new domains may have evolved, the underlying principle of caution remains.
Key opinions
- Zero reputation: Experts agree that new domains start with zero reputation, making them highly susceptible to filtering by default. This is a primary reason why emails from new domains go to spam.
- Automated blacklisting: Certain blocklists (blacklists) automatically list domains that are too new and begin sending traffic, specifically to combat automated spamming operations. Spamhaus DBL FAQ highlights this point regarding newness.
- Abuse patterns: Historically, new domains have been a cornerstone of spam and phishing attacks due to their low cost and quick turnaround, leading to inherent suspicion from email service providers.
- Domain aging: The concept of 'domain aging' (waiting a period of time before aggressive sending) is a recognized part of establishing trust.
Key considerations
- Implement warming: A structured domain warming plan is non-negotiable for new domains to gradually build a positive reputation. This includes low volume, high engagement sending initially. Explore how long to wait before using a new domain.
- Authentication from day one: Correctly configuring SPF, DKIM, and DMARC immediately is critical for demonstrating legitimacy and protecting your domain's sending identity. A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM can assist.
- Understand abuse tactics: Familiarity with tactics like 'domain tasting' and 'fast flux spam' helps explain why robust defenses against new domains remain in place.
- Monitor blocklists: Actively monitor major blocklists for your domain, especially during the initial sending phase, to identify and address any listing issues promptly.
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource asserts that reputation is paramount in email deliverability, and new domains simply do not have any yet. Building a positive sending history with ISPs takes time and consistent good sending behavior, emphasizing why immediate high-volume sending is problematic.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that anti-spam systems are designed to be highly suspicious of domains that appear suddenly and start sending large amounts of email. This behavior profile is typical of spammers, and legitimate senders must overcome this initial skepticism through careful warming.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and research consistently outline the risks associated with newly registered domains. These sources detail how such domains are exploited by cybercriminals and how anti-abuse organizations and mailbox providers implement measures to mitigate these threats. The consensus is that immediate, high-volume sending from a fresh domain is a red flag.
Key findings
- Exploitation by criminals: Malicious actors extensively use newly registered domains for activities like phishing, malware distribution, and command-and-control servers, making them a primary target for security monitoring. WhoAPI Inc. details why new domains matter for cybersecurity.
- Zero Reputation Domains (ZRD): Some services, like Spamhaus's ZRD, are specifically designed to thwart criminals who use new domains before a reputation can be analyzed, automatically blocking them. This means legitimate senders are caught in the crossfire if not careful.
- Industry best practices: Organizations like M3AAWG (Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group) provide guidelines on responsible sending practices, which implicitly discourage aggressive sending from new domains to avoid suspicion.
- Anti-spoofing measures: Setting up a custom sending domain helps prevent email spoofing and phishing attacks, protecting user data. Mailjet explains how setting up a custom domain provides security.
Key considerations
- Reputation building: Legitimate organizations should not activate a domain and immediately send large volumes of mail. Instead, they must proactively build a positive sending reputation over time.
- DNS records: Proper DNS records, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, are essential prerequisites for any domain, new or old, to signal legitimacy to mail servers.
- Compliance: Adhering to industry best current practices for sending domains, such as those outlined by M3AAWG, is crucial for long-term deliverability.
- Monitoring: Continuously monitor domain reputation and deliverability, especially for new domains, to quickly identify and resolve any issues.
Technical article
Documentation from Spamhaus Technologies indicates that their Zero Reputation Domain (ZRD) service was developed from research to combat cybercriminals using newly registered domains for spam and driving traffic to harmful websites. This service aims to block these domains before they can establish any reputation, highlighting the inherent risk of new domains.
Technical article
Documentation from ActiveCampaign Help Center states that some blocklists may automatically block a domain if they detect emails being sent within the first 24 hours of its registration. This emphasizes the immediate and severe consequences of not allowing a domain to age or warm up.
Related resources
6 resources
Related pages
Why do emails from new domains go to spam with low sending volumes?
How do you warm up a new email sender address?
Do blacklists exist for newly registered domain names?
Why does Gmail mark emails from new domains as spam?
How long should I wait before using a newly registered domain for email marketing?
Why your emails are going to spam in 2024 and how to fix it
An in-depth guide to email blocklists
A practical guide to understanding your email domain reputation
A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
How to improve domain reputation using Google Postmaster Tools [2025 guide]
