How to resolve Verizon Media email blocking and TSS04 errors?

Key findings

1. TSS04 error: This error code from Verizon Media is a strong indicator of complaint-related issues, suggesting recipients are actively marking your emails as spam or otherwise indicating they do not want them. Even a few such errors can be a significant warning sign. More details on Yahoo TS-04 email delivery errors can be found in our comprehensive guide.
2. Reputation decline: If your emails are consistently going to the spam folder, direct complaints may decrease, but this does not mean the problem is solved. It indicates a severe reputation issue that needs immediate attention. Sustained low engagement or spam folder placement can lead to hard blocks like 'bad connection'.
3. Volume and subsidiary impact: Sending from a shared dedicated IP with multiple subsidiaries complicates troubleshooting. Even low volume sends to engaged users or automation flows can trigger issues if the overall IP reputation is low due to other senders or past practices. This can also cause severe email rate limiting at Oath (Yahoo).
4. Postmaster limitations: Postmaster feedback from Verizon Media may not always provide actionable insights, often giving generic responses that do not pinpoint the exact cause of blocking.

Key considerations

1. Audience wantedness: The primary driver for TSS04 errors is that recipients do not want your email. This can stem from poor list acquisition, irrelevant content, or sending too frequently. Reviewing list hygiene and consent practices is crucial.
2. Targeting refinement: Even with a small subset of engaged users, if the larger sending behavior or IP reputation is problematic, deliverability will suffer. Consider segmenting further and only sending to the most active subscribers on Verizon Media domains.
3. Reputation recovery: A period of reduced sending or a 'rest' for the IP might be necessary to allow reputation metrics to reset before attempting to re-engage recipients with more targeted campaigns.
4. Comprehensive audit: With multiple entities sending from a single IP, a thorough audit of all sending streams, data sources, and list acquisition methods for each subsidiary is essential to identify problematic areas. You can also review Yahoo's temporary deferral policies.

Key opinions

1. Escalating issues: Marketers often see initial TSS04 errors lead to full blocks if not addressed promptly, even if the errors are intermittent or low in number.
2. Frustration with postmasters: Many express dissatisfaction with the generic or unhelpful responses from Verizon Media's postmaster team, making root cause analysis difficult.
3. Shared IP complexity: Managing deliverability on a dedicated IP shared by multiple brands or subsidiaries is a common pain point, as one entity's poor practices can negatively impact all others.
4. Volume vs. engagement: Despite reducing sending volume to only highly engaged recipients, some marketers still face blocks, suggesting that historical reputation or issues from other streams are at play. Understanding why Yahoo emails are bouncing is critical.

Key considerations

1. Hidden data sources: It is crucial to investigate all possible data sources feeding the email database, especially with multiple subsidiaries, as problematic acquisition practices might be hidden.
2. Automation impacts: Even low-volume automated sends (like welcome or birthday emails) to Verizon Media addresses can contribute to negative reputation if the overall list quality or engagement is poor.
3. Reputation rebuilding: Acknowledge that recovering from a 'bad connection' block or persistent TSS04 errors requires patience and a strategic approach, often involving a temporary halt or drastic reduction in sending.
4. Preventive measures: Regularly monitoring for signs of deliverability issues and being proactive in list hygiene and targeting can prevent escalation to hard blocks. Consider using blocklist monitoring tools.

Key opinions

1. Complaint-driven blocks: Experts affirm that TSS04 is fundamentally a complaints-related block, indicating that recipients are actively dissatisfied with the mail received. This is a critical signal that subscriber engagement and consent practices need review.
2. Escalation indicator: TSS04 errors signify an escalation stage in deliverability issues; by the time these errors appear, a significant portion of mail may have already been consistently diverted to the spam or bulk folder for a considerable period. Read more about email deliverability issues.
3. Root cause: unwanted mail: The underlying problem, according to experts, is that the recipients simply do not want the mail, regardless of whether they are still actively complaining after it moves to spam.
4. Proactive tightening: Even if only a few TSS04 errors are observed, they serve as a major warning. It is crucial to tighten targeting immediately to prevent further deterioration and complete blocks.

Key considerations

1. Reputation reset: To recover, it is often necessary to temporarily halt or significantly reduce sending to allow the sender's reputation to 'cool off' and improve over time. This can aid in how to recover domain reputation.
2. Permission focus: The core strategy for long-term resolution is to significantly improve permission and the 'wantedness' of the mail. This involves re-evaluating acquisition methods and ensuring content relevance.
3. Targeting engaged segments: After a reputation reset, begin sending only to the most highly engaged subscribers who demonstrably want the mail, gradually expanding as positive engagement signals are observed.
4. Holistic review: Given the complexity, particularly with multiple sending entities, a thorough investigation into all data sources and sending practices is required to identify and rectify underlying issues.

Key findings

1. Reputation is paramount: Verizon Media (Yahoo/AOL) documentation stresses that sender reputation, built on consistent positive engagement and low abuse rates, is the primary determinant for email acceptance. This includes overall sending volume and patterns.
2. Complaint feedback: While TSS04 is a specific error code, general documentation indicates that ISPs heavily penalize senders with high complaint rates, leading to throttling, filtering to spam, or outright blocks. Understanding what happens when your IP gets blocklisted is important.
3. Content and engagement: Documentation often advises that content relevance and recipient engagement (opens, clicks) are crucial. Lack of engagement or negative signals (deletes, spam complaints) degrade sender reputation, leading to deliverability issues.
4. Authentication standards: Adherence to email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is a baseline requirement. While not a cure-all, failing these can exacerbate reputation problems and contribute to blocks. Learn about a simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.

Key considerations

1. List hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists of inactive or problematic addresses is essential to maintain a healthy sender reputation and avoid triggering complaint-based blocks.
2. Consent management: Ensuring clear and verifiable consent from all subscribers minimizes the likelihood of complaints. Double opt-in is often recommended as a best practice.
3. Monitoring metrics: Senders should diligently monitor their bounce rates, complaint rates, and engagement metrics via postmaster tools or ESP reports to identify and address issues early. For instance, Postfix logs can provide valuable insights into mail flow.
4. Segmenting strategies: Adapting sending strategies based on recipient engagement, sending less frequently to less engaged users, and pruning unengaged subscribers can prevent issues.