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What are Sender Score's Sending IPs and how to troubleshoot sudden email open rate declines?

Summary

Understanding Sender Score's sending IPs and diagnosing sudden drops in email open rates involves a multifaceted approach to email deliverability. Sender Score, a reputation rating by Validity, assesses the trustworthiness of IP addresses sending emails on behalf of a domain. A low score on any of these IPs can indicate underlying issues affecting inbox placement, ultimately leading to a decline in open rates.

What email marketers say

Email marketers often turn to tools like Sender Score when confronted with unexplained dips in engagement metrics, particularly open rates. While some initially focus on external factors, seasoned marketers understand that changes in sending IP reputation or sending practices are more frequently the root cause. They emphasize a detailed review of sending data and the broader context of email program changes.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that the sending IPs listed in Sender Score reports can indeed include those of relaying or forwarding services. They suggest that if a mailbox provider forwards all emails to another provider, the IP shown in the Sender Score overview will be from the originating provider, which might not be immediately obvious to the sender.

07 Nov 2019 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Bento.com points out that Sender Score is an algorithm that assigns a reputation rating between 0 and 100 to the IP address of every outgoing email server. This score is a key indicator of how mailbox providers will treat a sender's emails.

15 Aug 2024 - Bento.com

What the experts say

Email deliverability experts highlight that Sender Score provides a valuable starting point for diagnosing issues, but it's just one piece of a larger puzzle. They emphasize a systematic approach to troubleshooting open rate declines, focusing on core deliverability metrics and leveraging tools provided directly by internet service providers (ISPs) and mailbox providers (MBPs) for the most accurate insights.

Expert view

Deliverability expert from Email Geeks explains that Sender Score compiles a list of IP addresses that are actively sending email on behalf of a specific domain. They clarify that the platform rates the reputation of these IPs by analyzing the quality of email observed by their proprietary sensors.

07 Nov 2019 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Deliverability Expert from SpamResource.com states that a sudden and significant drop in an IP's reputation, as reflected by tools like Sender Score, is a clear indication that something has changed in the sender's email program or infrastructure. This signals the need for immediate investigation.

20 Feb 2025 - SpamResource.com

What the documentation says

Official documentation from email reputation services and major mailbox providers provides the definitive perspective on how Sender Score and IP reputation are calculated and impact deliverability. These sources emphasize a range of factors from technical configurations (like authentication protocols) to sender behavior (like complaint rates and engagement). They also offer specific tools and guidelines for monitoring and improving reputation.

Technical article

Documentation from Validity's Sender Score website explains that their tool rates the IP address from which emails are sent on a scale of 0 to 100. This score acts as a benchmark for monitoring overall email reputation and predicting inbox placement.

10 Apr 2024 - Validity.com

Technical article

Mailchimp's documentation on IP reputation clarifies that it measures the authenticity of a sender's emails. They state that this measure is determined by the collective behavior of both the sender's sending practices and the recipients' engagement with those emails.

05 Aug 2024 - Mailchimp.com

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