Has Return Path changed since its acquisition?

Return Path was acquired by Validity, and its offerings are now part of their larger suite of email solutions. While the brand name is still recognized, the services and focus have evolved under the new ownership. It's important to evaluate their current offerings, as they may differ from their historical standalone services.

Is Sender Score the only metric that matters for deliverability?

While Return Path's Sender Score is a widely recognized reputation metric, it's just one factor among many that ISPs consider. Relying solely on a single score isn't comprehensive enough. A holistic approach to email deliverability includes managing engagement, maintaining clean lists, and implementing proper email authentication like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. You can understand more about why deliverability rates might be wrong .

Are Return Path's certification programs still effective?

The value of certification programs has diminished over time as ISPs have shifted towards more dynamic, real-time reputation assessment based on sending behavior. While some niche benefits may still exist, most email professionals find that robust internal practices and excellent sender reputation are more impactful than a certification alone. More information on this topic can be found in our article on whether Return Path certification is worth the investment .

Can I achieve good deliverability without Return Path?

Many companies achieve excellent deliverability without using Return Path or similar paid services. Success depends on adhering to email best practices, such as maintaining clean lists, sending relevant content, monitoring bounce rates and spam complaints, and correctly configuring email authentication records . Free tools like Google Postmaster Tools also provide valuable insights into your domain's reputation and deliverability.

What are the considerations for choosing ReturnPath for email deliverability? - Tools - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

When considering a platform for email deliverability, the name Return Path (now part of

Validity) often comes up. For years, they were a dominant player in the space, known for their insights into inbox placement and sender reputation. However, the landscape of email deliverability evolves constantly, and what was once a clear choice might now require a more nuanced evaluation. My experience tells me that simply choosing a well-known name isn't enough, especially when your email program is critical to your business.

The decision to integrate any deliverability tool, including Return Path, into your operations should be a strategic one. It requires a deep dive into your specific needs, the platform's current capabilities, and how it aligns with your overall email strategy. It's not just about getting emails delivered, but about optimizing every aspect of your sending reputation and ensuring your messages consistently reach the inbox, not the spam folder.

I've seen many companies jump into partnerships without fully understanding the implications, only to find that the promised benefits don't materialize as expected. This guide will walk through the critical considerations I believe are essential when you're evaluating a solution like Return Path (or any similar vendor) for your email deliverability needs.

Evaluating their market position and evolution

Return Path has a long history in email deliverability, establishing itself as a leader particularly with its Sender Score and its role in various certification programs. Sender Score, for example, is a widely recognized metric that assesses the reputation of an outbound mail server's IP address on a scale of 0 to 100, indicating its trustworthiness. A higher Sender Score generally correlates with better email deliverability, though it's important to remember it's one of many factors. You can learn more about how Sender Score works through their resources.

The acquisition by Validity brought Return Path into a larger ecosystem, which some users have noted led to shifts in service focus and account management. While integration into a broader suite of tools can offer comprehensive solutions, it's vital to assess if the core offerings that made Return Path appealing in the first place still meet your expectations. I often hear discussions about whether Return Path certification is still worthwhile given these changes.

Before committing, understanding the current state of their tools and how they integrate with your existing infrastructure, especially if you're already a Validity customer, is paramount. My advice is to approach this with a clear understanding of what aspects of deliverability you need to improve most, whether it's inbox placement, blocklist monitoring (or blacklist monitoring), or reputation management.

Assessing the shift in services

After the acquisition, some users reported changes in the focus and scope of Return Path’s offerings. It’s important to understand if their current suite of tools still aligns with your specific deliverability needs, particularly concerning detailed inbox placement data across various ISPs.

Service focus: Have their core strengths in inbox monitoring or certification changed since being acquired?
Customer support: Evaluate if the level of support meets your operational demands and expectations.

Core offerings and their value

Return Path traditionally offered a range of tools, including Sender Score, blocklist monitoring, and a certification program aimed at enhancing deliverability. Their blocklist (or blacklist) services were a key aspect, helping senders identify and remediate issues that could lead to emails being blocked. However, the efficacy of specific certification programs has been a topic of debate in the deliverability community.

Many email professionals, myself included, have found that while certifications can offer some benefits, they are not a substitute for maintaining strong foundational email practices. This includes consistent list hygiene, managing sender reputation proactively, and implementing proper authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These fundamentals are often what truly move the needle on inbox placement, as emphasized in guides on return-path customization for tracking bounces and improving deliverability.

The value of their inbox placement data also warrants scrutiny. While aggregated data can provide general trends, truly actionable insights often come from granular reporting tied directly to your sending infrastructure. When evaluating their current offerings, I'd recommend digging into the specifics of their data granularity and how it compares to other solutions. Some guides highlight the importance of Return Path in email marketing for deliverability rates.

Certification and whitelisting

Historically, a key draw was the promise of improved deliverability through their certification program, which offered whitelisting with certain ISPs.

Perceived benefit: Direct access to the inbox, bypassing some spam filters.
Process: Adherence to strict sending guidelines and passing audits.

Current relevance and alternatives

Today, the industry increasingly values organic sender reputation and proper email authentication over pay-to-play whitelists.

Actual impact: While some benefits may exist for specific niche destinations, the broader impact on major ISPs is often minimal compared to sound sending practices.
Long-term strategy: Focus on sustained engagement, valid recipient lists, and robust authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) for consistent deliverability.

Considering the value proposition

When deciding whether to use Return Path, especially if you're already a Validity customer, it boils down to assessing the real-world value proposition. Are you seeking comprehensive insights into your sending reputation, or do you need actionable data to troubleshoot specific issues like getting caught on a blocklist (or blacklist)? Some sources suggest that custom return paths can also aid deliverability and sending reputation.

It’s important to weigh the cost against the benefits. If you're a high-volume sender with complex deliverability challenges, a robust suite of tools might be justifiable. However, for many organizations, focusing on fundamental email best practices and leveraging free tools (like

Google Postmaster Tools

and Outlook Postmaster) combined with focused internal efforts, can yield significant improvements. The Return-Path header is a crucial component that identifies where bounce messages are sent, impacting deliverability.

Another consideration is how Return Path integrates with your existing workflow and other tools. If it streamlines your monitoring and reporting, it could be a valuable asset. However, if it adds complexity or duplicates functionality you already have, the benefits might be outweighed by the overhead. Ultimately, the choice should support your goal of maintaining a healthy sender reputation and achieving optimal email deliverability.

Consideration	Description	Why it matters
Data granularity	Does the tool provide detailed, actionable insights or just high-level overviews?	Granular data helps pinpoint issues and optimize campaigns.
Integration with existing stack	How well does it connect with your email service provider and other tools?	Seamless integration reduces manual work and improves efficiency.
Cost-benefit analysis	Does the price justify the features and the actual impact on your deliverability?	Ensure ROI matches your budget and expected improvements.
Support and expertise	Are their deliverability experts available to provide guidance and troubleshooting?	Access to expertise can be invaluable for complex issues.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Regularly audit your email sending practices to align with current ISP requirements and best practices for DMARC, SPF, and DKIM authentication.

Prioritize list hygiene by regularly removing inactive or bounced addresses to prevent hitting spam traps and maintain a high sender reputation.

Focus on engaging your subscribers with relevant content, as high engagement metrics (opens, clicks) signal positive sender behavior to ISPs.

Implement custom return paths and subdomains for different email streams, ensuring proper domain alignment for optimal deliverability.

Monitor your domain and IP reputation using various tools, not relying on a single vendor's score or certification for a complete picture.

Common pitfalls

Over-relying on a single deliverability certification or whitelist to guarantee inbox placement, as ISP algorithms are dynamic and multi-faceted.

Neglecting foundational email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) in favor of external tools, which can undermine overall deliverability efforts.

Failing to adapt to changes in the email ecosystem, such as new sender requirements from major mailbox providers like Google and Yahoo.

Signing long-term contracts with a deliverability vendor based solely on historical reputation without thoroughly evaluating their current offerings.

Ignoring bounce messages and feedback loops, which provide critical insights into deliverability issues and opportunities for improvement.

Expert tips

Diversify your deliverability monitoring strategy by using a combination of free postmaster tools, internal analytics, and specialized platforms.

Actively participate in the email community to stay informed about evolving deliverability trends and share insights with peers.

Build relationships with your Email Service Provider's deliverability team for personalized advice and support.

Treat deliverability as an ongoing process of optimization, not a one-time setup, continuously testing and refining your approach.

Understand the nuances of different email headers, such as the return-path, as they play a critical role in how email systems process your mail.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks says when evaluating Return Path, it's essential to specify which of their many products or services is being considered, as they offer a diverse range of solutions for email deliverability.

2019-07-09 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks says when comparing email deliverability tools like Return Path and 250ok, it's highly recommended to conduct a thorough evaluation, as both platforms have distinct features and approaches.

2019-07-09 - Email Geeks

Making an informed deliverability decision

Choosing a deliverability partner like Return Path (or any other provider) is a significant decision that impacts your entire email program. It's not a one-size-fits-all solution, and what works best for one company might not be ideal for another. My recommendation is to always start by thoroughly assessing your own needs and existing email infrastructure.

From there, conduct a rigorous evaluation of potential solutions, scrutinizing their features, data quality, support, and integration capabilities. Don't be swayed by historical reputation alone, but instead focus on current performance and how it aligns with your strategic goals. Remember that robust internal practices around list management, content quality, and authentication (including DMARC implementation) remain the cornerstone of excellent email deliverability.

By taking a comprehensive and critical approach, you can make an informed decision that truly empowers your email campaigns to reach their intended audience consistently and effectively.