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How do email service providers manage deliverability during a Yahoo or AOL service outage?

Summary

Email Service Providers (ESPs) face significant challenges during service outages at major mailbox providers like Yahoo and AOL. These incidents, often characterized by DNS failures and SMTP transaction errors, can severely disrupt email flow. Effective management requires a combination of technical adjustments and proactive communication to mitigate impact on senders and recipients.

What email marketers say

Email marketers are on the front lines, experiencing the immediate effects of outages through slowed or failed deliveries. Their primary concerns revolve around campaign performance, customer communication, and minimizing negative impacts on their sender reputation.

Marketer view

A marketer from Email Geeks observes that the Yahoo and AOL DNS issues are finally resolved, expressing relief that the outage did not last too long, noting it was around 40 minutes.

05 Sep 2019 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

A marketer from Email Geeks confirms observing the StatusDnsQueryFailed message during the outage, which indicated a clear technical problem.

05 Sep 2019 - Email Geeks

What the experts say

Experts in email deliverability emphasize strategic responses during outages, focusing on network stability, reputation management, and systematic recovery. Their insights often involve a deep understanding of SMTP protocols, DNS, and server-side behavior.

Expert view

An expert from Email Geeks confirms that the Yahoo/AOL outage was not limited to DNS issues, suggesting broader systemic problems were at play.

05 Sep 2019 - Email Geeks

Expert view

An expert from Email Geeks notes that half of SMTP transactions were still failing even after DNS issues were resolved, pointing to internal timeouts at Yahoo and AOL.

05 Sep 2019 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

Official documentation from mailbox providers and industry standards bodies provides critical guidelines for handling email delivery, including best practices during periods of service instability. Adhering to these recommendations is crucial for maintaining sender reputation and optimizing deliverability.

Technical article

Documentation from MailChannels Blog suggests that deploying an email delivery solution can significantly help maximize email deliverability by effectively managing reputation and ensuring proper list hygiene.

10 Apr 2024 - MailChannels Blog

Technical article

Documentation from EmailLabs advises that maintaining a verified database is the most crucial element for optimizing email deliverability to both Yahoo and AOL mailboxes.

05 Mar 2024 - EmailLabs

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