Summary
SenderScore, a widely used email reputation metric, sometimes appears to provide data that seems inconsistent with actual sending performance. Instances include low SenderScores despite minimal bounce rates, or IPs being incorrectly categorized regarding volume. These discrepancies can lead to confusion and challenges for senders aiming to maintain optimal deliverability.
Key findings
- Data discrepancies: Senders have observed SenderScores dropping to the 60s and 70s for 'Sender Rejected' reasons, even with bounce rates below 1%.
- Volume misclassification: Low-volume IPs (e.g., averaging below 100k emails per week) are sometimes incorrectly classified as high-volume by SenderScore.
- Influence of specific ISPs: The scores can be heavily influenced by data feeds from major internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast, with backfill processes sometimes causing temporary inaccuracies or fluctuations.
- Dynamic scoring: Sender scores are dynamic, meaning they consider a wide range of variables, including bounce rates, spam complaints, and spam trap hits.
- Underlying issues: A low sender score can signal deeper issues within an email program, such as misconfigured authentication protocols or blocklisting by smaller providers.
Key considerations
- Holistic view: While SenderScore is a valuable metric, it's crucial to consider it alongside other deliverability indicators. Understand what factors influence email deliverability and how SenderScore works by checking out our related article.
- Monitoring multiple sources: Different reputation tools use varying data sources and algorithms, which is why they may show different scores. For more information, Twilio's blog explains why different tools show different reputation scores, highlighting their unique data sets.
- Troubleshooting methodology: If you observe anomalous scores, investigate potential issues like unexpected email volumes or data backfill processes from specific ISPs.
- Proactive reputation management: Consistently review your sending practices to maintain a good sender reputation, as a consistently low score impacts inbox placement.
- Interpreting results: A score in the 60s or 70s typically indicates room for improvement, while anything below 50 is considered problematic. Understanding how relevant sender score is to email deliverability can help you interpret your results.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often rely on SenderScore as a quick gauge of their email reputation. However, when the scores don't align with their internal metrics, it can cause confusion and concern. They frequently question the accuracy of the data, especially when their direct observations, such as low bounce rates, contradict a reported low score or a misclassification of their sending volume. Marketers seek clarification on whether these anomalies are transient or indicative of deeper, unaddressed issues.
Key opinions
- Reported inaccuracies: Marketers frequently note that SenderScore can appear spectacularly broken, showing low scores for IPs with excellent bounce rates.
- Volume miscategorization: Concerns arise when low-volume IPs are incorrectly labeled as high-volume, impacting perceived reputation without a clear reason.
- Dependence on external factors: Some marketers link these score fluctuations to external factors, like catch-up feeds from major ISPs such as Comcast.
- Unexplained drops: Marketers are puzzled when their SenderScore drops without any clear changes in their sending metrics.
- Impact on campaigns: A low score means a high chance of poor email campaign performance, including high bounce rates and low open rates.
Key considerations
- Cross-verification: It is important for marketers to cross-reference SenderScore data with their own internal metrics, like engagement and bounce rates, to understand true deliverability.
- Understanding data sources: Investigate what data sources contribute to SenderScore and how reliable it is for deliverability, as different tools might focus on different aspects.
- Proactive engagement: If scores remain inaccurate, consider reaching out to the SenderScore provider directly to review specific IPs and their associated metrics.
- Reputation repair: Focus on improving your sender score by addressing core issues like high bounce rates, spam complaints, and sending to spam traps. Our guide on how to troubleshoot and address a dropping email sender score can help.
- Long-term strategy: Protect your sender reputation by continuously monitoring engagement, cleaning lists, and maintaining proper email authentication.
Email marketer from Email Geeks reports SenderScore is currently displaying spectacular inaccuracies, noting that IPs with bounce rates under 1% are showing scores in the 60s and 70s for 'Sender Rejected' messages. This inconsistency is a major concern when trying to gauge reputation.
Marketer from Campaign Monitor explains that a poor sender score can be attributed to negative customer feedback from emails or the use of spam-sensitive language within the content. Addressing these issues is key to reputation repair.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts often analyze reputation data from various sources, including SenderScore, to diagnose and troubleshoot sending issues. They understand the complexities of reputation algorithms and the external factors that can influence scores. Experts look beyond a single metric, considering the entire email ecosystem, including ISP feedback loops, blocklist listings, and overall sending patterns. They provide guidance on interpreting anomalous scores and offer strategies for remediation.
Key opinions
- Data integration impact: Expert from Email Geeks at Return Path confirms that SenderScore should be functioning correctly, but offers to investigate specific IP addresses that show unusual bouncing patterns, implying that individual cases might need deeper analysis.
- Algorithm variations: Expert from Word to the Wise notes that different reputation tools employ distinct algorithms and data sets, which inherently leads to variations in reported scores. Reliance on a single metric is often misleading.
- Real-time reputation: Expert from SpamResource highlights that while tools provide a snapshot, true reputation is a continuously evolving perception by mailbox providers based on billions of data points. Any single score is just one indicator.
- Importance of authentication: Expert from Email Geeks emphasizes that common reasons for low scores include poor email campaign performance or incorrectly configured authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These technical foundations are crucial.
- Beyond the score: Expert from Word to the Wise suggests that an IP's reputation is not solely defined by its SenderScore. Engagement metrics, complaint rates, and direct feedback loops with major ISPs often provide a more accurate picture.
Key considerations
- Investigate underlying factors: When scores appear inaccurate, thoroughly examine internal sending logs, abuse reports, and blocklist listings. This helps identify the root causes.
- Understand data weighting: Be aware that certain data sources, such as major ISP feedback, can significantly influence overall scores. This is why Comcast's data is heavily weighted in SenderScore.
- Maintain robust infrastructure: Ensure proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations are in place. These authentication methods are critical for establishing trust with mailbox providers and preventing blocklisting (or blacklisting). We have a simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM available.
- Monitor blocklists: Regularly check major blocklists (or blacklists) using a blocklist checker to identify if your IPs or domains have been listed, as this directly impacts deliverability.
- Proactive outreach: If you suspect an issue with the scoring system, engage with the reputation provider directly. This can help clarify discrepancies and potentially expedite resolution.
Expert from Email Geeks at Return Path confirms that SenderScore should generally be working as expected but offers to check specific IPs with reported bouncing issues. This indicates that while the system is robust, individual edge cases can arise and require direct investigation.
Expert from SpamResource explains that low sender scores are often a symptom of underlying deliverability problems that require a deep dive into sending practices. Relying solely on the score without understanding its components can lead to misdiagnosis.
What the documentation says
Documentation for reputation services like SenderScore typically outlines the methodology behind their scoring, including data sources and the factors that influence scores. While they aim for accuracy, they also acknowledge that data collection and processing can have inherent complexities or delays, which might lead to temporary discrepancies. Understanding these documented aspects helps users interpret the scores more effectively and identify potential reasons for perceived inaccuracies.
Key findings
- Scoring methodology: SenderScore is a number between 0 and 100 that quantifies the quality of your sender reputation, reflecting how mailbox providers view your IP address. It is calculated using data from over 70 million mailboxes.
- Data collection: The score incorporates various metrics, including spam complaints, industry blacklist or blocklist listings, and unknown user rates.
- Influencing factors: Key factors influencing the score include bounce rates, spam complaints, and hits on spam traps. These elements directly reflect list quality and sending practices.
- Blocklist implications: Being listed on the Return Path Blocklist, which SenderScore is related to, signifies underlying issues with an email program, often correlating with a lower score.
- Reputation scale: Scores are generally interpreted as: 80-100 is good, 70-80 indicates room for improvement, and below 70 suggests a poor reputation requiring immediate action.
Key considerations
- Data latency: While data is collected continuously, its processing and integration into the score might involve a slight delay, which can explain short-term inaccuracies.
- Comprehensive data: SenderScore utilizes a vast network of data, including mailbox providers and ISPs. This means a single ISP's data anomaly can impact the overall score temporarily.
- Interpreting changes: Sudden score drops without obvious changes in sending behavior might indicate an increase in spam trap hits or changes in how specific mailbox providers weigh reputation signals.
- Mitigation steps: If a low score is persistent, review your email program for issues such as sending to invalid addresses, high complaint rates, or lack of proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Monitoring tools: Utilize services like SenderScore to monitor your reputation, but also consult other tools and your internal analytics for a complete picture. A low score despite a high delivery rate could be due to other factors affecting your sender reputation.
Documentation from SenderScore.org outlines that each SenderScore is a numerical value between 0 and 100, representing the quality of your sender reputation and how mailbox providers perceive your IP address. This score is a key indicator of deliverability health.
Documentation from SenderScore.org further states that if you find yourself on the Return Path Blocklist, it strongly indicates underlying issues within your email program that need immediate attention. Such a listing will negatively impact your SenderScore.
