Summary
When facing SendGrid shared IP blacklisting with low email volume, a multi-faceted approach is recommended. Experts and marketers suggest considering alternative email service providers (ESPs) like Postmark, Mailjet, or Amazon SES, or using Google's outbound SMTP for very low volumes. While Postmark has a good reputation, be aware of their strict policies regarding deliverability issues. Upgrading to a paid SendGrid plan could potentially improve IP reputation by placing senders in a better IP pool. For very low sending volumes, dedicated IPs are generally not advised. Consistent sending practices are essential, including gradually warming up the IP address, even with small volumes. Technical implementation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is vital for verifying sender authenticity and building trust with ISPs. Employing good list hygiene practices is crucial: segment email lists, remove unsubscribed or bounced addresses, and use double opt-in subscription processes. Regularly monitoring IP and domain reputation with tools like Google Postmaster Tools is also highly recommended. Finally, boosting email engagement through list cleaning, re-engagement campaigns, and targeted content can improve inbox placement. If a specific domain is consistently blocking your emails, consider contacting recipients to request an alternative email address.
Key findings
- Alternative ESPs: Postmark, Mailjet, Amazon SES, and Google's SMTP offer alternative solutions, but Postmark has strict policies.
- Paid SendGrid: Upgrading to a paid SendGrid plan might improve IP reputation.
- No Dedicated IP: Dedicated IPs are not recommended for low sending volumes.
- Consistent Sending: Consistent sending practices and IP warmup are crucial.
- Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are necessary for verifying sender identity.
- List Management: List segmentation, cleaning, and double opt-in improve deliverability.
- Reputation Monitoring: Regular monitoring of IP and domain reputation is essential.
- Engagement Matters: Good email engagement increases inbox placement.
Key considerations
- Provider Choice: Thoroughly evaluate alternative ESPs based on specific needs, budget, and potential limitations.
- Plan Upgrade: Assess the cost-benefit of upgrading to a paid SendGrid plan.
- Technical Expertise: Ensure the technical expertise to implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC correctly.
- Data Privacy Compliance: Implement list management practices that adhere to data privacy regulations.
- Monitoring Tools and Processes: Select and implement appropriate monitoring tools and processes.
- Engagement Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive email engagement strategy.
- Recipient Communication: Have a process for contacting recipients at blocking domains to get alternative addresses.
What email marketers say
8 marketer opinions
When facing shared IP blacklisting with low email volume on SendGrid, various strategies can be employed. Alternative transactional email services like Postmark or Mailjet are often recommended due to better IP reputation management, though it's important to remember that Postmark may terminate accounts causing deliverability issues. Upgrading to a paid SendGrid plan could improve IP reputation by placing you in a better IP pool. Regardless of the platform, consistent sending practices, including warming up the IP address gradually, are vital. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication is crucial for verifying sender authenticity. Additionally, carefully segmenting email lists, removing unsubscribed or bounced addresses, and using double opt-in subscription processes enhance deliverability. Regularly monitoring IP and domain reputation with tools like Google Postmaster Tools and blacklist checkers is also highly recommended.
Key opinions
- Alternative Services: Postmark and Mailjet are recommended for better IP reputation management, but Postmark may terminate accounts with deliverability problems.
- Paid Plans: Upgrading to a paid SendGrid plan may improve IP reputation by providing access to better IP pools.
- IP Warmup: Gradually warming up an IP address, even with low volume, improves its reputation.
- Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication is essential for verifying sender authenticity and improving deliverability.
- List Segmentation: Segmenting email lists and removing unsubscribed or bounced addresses prevents harm to shared IP reputation.
- Double Opt-In: Using double opt-in subscription processes reduces the risk of sending to invalid or spam-trap addresses.
- Reputation Monitoring: Regularly monitoring IP and domain reputation helps identify and address deliverability issues.
Key considerations
- Service Choice: Evaluate alternative services like Postmark or Mailjet based on specific deliverability needs and potential limitations.
- Cost vs. Benefit: Weigh the cost of upgrading to a paid SendGrid plan against the potential improvement in IP reputation and deliverability.
- Implementation Effort: Assess the technical effort required to implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication correctly.
- List Maintenance: Establish a process for regularly cleaning and segmenting email lists to maintain high data quality.
- Monitoring Tools: Select appropriate monitoring tools to track IP and domain reputation effectively.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email on Acid details best practice for 'warming up' an IP address. Even with small numbers of emails, warming up an IP address improves your IP address reputation. You should start by sending to small numbers of addresses who are actively opening your emails, and then gradually increasing the volume and sending to less engaged addresses over time.
14 Jun 2025 - Email on Acid
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailtrap advises users to monitor their sending reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools. This shows your sender reputation with Gmail, which is a large proportion of email users. Also use tools to check whether your IP address is on any blacklists. This is crucial to keeping your sender reputation high.
16 May 2024 - Mailtrap
What the experts say
7 expert opinions
When facing SendGrid shared IP blacklisting with low email volume, experts suggest several approaches. Switching to a different provider is a primary recommendation, with options ranging from alternatives like Amazon SES (due to its lower cost and better abuse handling) or Google's outbound SMTP (for very low volumes) to more reputable services. For low sending volumes, a dedicated IP is generally not recommended. Paying for a SendGrid account might also place you in a less problematic IP pool. Monitoring IP and domain reputation regularly is crucial to identifying and addressing deliverability issues. Additionally, improving email engagement through list cleaning, re-engagement campaigns, and targeted content can positively impact inbox placement. If deliverability to a specific domain is problematic, consider contacting recipients to request an alternative email address.
Key opinions
- Alternative Providers: Switching to providers like Amazon SES or using Google's outbound SMTP may offer better deliverability for low volume senders.
- Dedicated IPs Not Ideal: Dedicated IPs are generally not recommended for very low email volumes.
- Paid SendGrid Option: Paying for a SendGrid account potentially places senders in a better IP pool.
- Reputation Monitoring: Regularly monitoring IP and domain reputation is essential for identifying and addressing deliverability problems.
- Engagement Matters: Improving email engagement through list hygiene and targeted content increases inbox placement.
- Alternative Addresses: Consider requesting alternative email addresses from recipients at domains known to block SendGrid IPs.
Key considerations
- Provider Evaluation: Thoroughly evaluate alternative providers based on cost, reputation, and abuse handling policies.
- Volume Thresholds: Understand the minimum sending volume required to benefit from a dedicated IP address.
- Cost Justification: Determine if the cost of a paid SendGrid account is justified by the potential improvement in deliverability.
- Monitoring Tools: Select appropriate tools and establish a process for regularly monitoring IP and domain reputation.
- Content Strategy: Develop a content strategy focused on improving email engagement metrics.
- Recipient Communication: Communicate effectively with recipients at problematic domains to request alternative email addresses.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests using Amazon SES due to its lower cost and better abuse handling compared to SendGrid.
29 Aug 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that if the issue is solely due to SendGrid's shared IPs, the options are to move to a different provider, either better or worse. They mention Google and Microsoft's network space as examples of sources that don't typically get blocked at the IP level.
20 Mar 2023 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for improving email deliverability and handling issues like SendGrid shared IP blacklisting, especially with low email volume. SPF ensures that emails are sent from authorized IP addresses, preventing spoofing. DKIM adds a digital signature to verify the sender and message content, aiding ISPs in identifying legitimate emails. DMARC allows domain owners to specify how receiving servers should handle emails that fail SPF and DKIM, protecting against phishing and enhancing deliverability by building trust with ISPs.
Key findings
- SPF Verification: SPF records enable receiving mail servers to verify emails are sent from authorized IPs, reducing spoofing.
- DKIM Authentication: DKIM signing provides a digital signature, ensuring the authenticity of the sender and message content.
- DMARC Policy Enforcement: DMARC allows domain owners to define how receiving servers should handle emails failing SPF and DKIM, preventing phishing.
Key considerations
- Implementation Accuracy: Ensuring SPF records are correctly configured and up-to-date with all authorized sending IPs.
- Key Management: Properly managing DKIM keys and ensuring secure storage to prevent unauthorized access.
- Policy Definition: Defining an appropriate DMARC policy (e.g., quarantine or reject) based on organizational risk tolerance and monitoring reports.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC documentation explains that implementing SPF records correctly ensures receiving mail servers can verify that emails are sent from authorized IP addresses for your domain. This helps prevent spoofing and improves deliverability by building trust with ISPs.
29 Oct 2021 - RFC
Technical article
Documentation from DKIM standards explains that using DKIM signing adds a digital signature to your emails that verifies the authenticity of the sender and message content. This helps ISPs identify legitimate emails and avoid filtering them as spam.
22 Nov 2021 - DKIM
Are Sendgrid MTA retries damaging my sender reputation?
Do I need an IP warm-up when moving to a new ESP with shared IPs?
How can I improve email deliverability on a shared IP for marketing automation emails like abandoned carts?
How can I recover my Gmail IP reputation after a sudden drop and hitting spam traps?
How do ESPs manage IP pools and how does it affect deliverability?
How do I warm up a new IP address for transactional emails?
