What are the recent issues and fixes related to SNDS?

Key findings

• Temporary outage: SNDS experienced a period of data delays, specifically affecting updates and the processing of re-authorization requests for registered IPs.
• Impact on monitoring: The interruption prevented senders from accessing up-to-date data for monitoring their IP reputation, making it difficult to assess email performance.
• Resolution confirmed: After a few days, Microsoft confirmed the issues were resolved, with both data updates and re-authorization processes returning to normal functionality.
• Active support: Microsoft's SNDS/JMRP Support Team actively worked to address and resolve the reported problems, indicating their commitment to service stability.

Key considerations

• Proactive monitoring: While SNDS is reliable, deliverability professionals should maintain diversified monitoring strategies to quickly detect issues, even when primary tools are experiencing delays.
• SNDS's role: SNDS remains a critical component for understanding and improving Microsoft email deliverability, offering insights into complaint rates and SmartScreen filtering.
• System status awareness: When issues arise, it's important to check community forums or direct Microsoft communications for status updates, as seen with SNDS understanding sender reputation.
• Troubleshooting access: Persistent issues with SNDS data not displaying or delays should prompt engagement with Microsoft support.

Key opinions

• Data stagnation: Marketers reported that their SNDS data stopped updating for several days, leading to a lack of current insights into their IP performance.
• Authorization hurdles: Some users faced difficulties receiving re-authorization emails, which are essential for maintaining access to SNDS for existing or new IPs.
• Operational disruption: The absence of real-time SNDS data hindered marketers' ability to respond quickly to potential deliverability issues or adjust sending strategies.
• Community validation: Many marketers turned to community forums to confirm if others were experiencing similar problems, validating the widespread nature of the issue.

Key considerations

• Collaborative insights: Platforms for email professionals (like Email Geeks) are invaluable for sharing real-time status updates and troubleshooting tips when tools like SNDS act up.
• Impact on deliverability: Unforeseen SNDS discrepancies can lead to delays in identifying and resolving critical deliverability issues with Microsoft inboxes.
• Authorization process: Delays in SNDS confirmation emails can halt the process of gaining access or regaining access to crucial data for IP management, as Twilio notes what SNDS is and how to use it.
• Redundancy planning: Having alternative methods for basic deliverability checks or relying on aggregated data from other sources can mitigate the impact of SNDS outages.

Key opinions

• Active troubleshooting: Experts were directly involved in troubleshooting with the SNDS/JMRP Support Team, providing a conduit for official information.
• Phased recovery: Initial reports from experts indicated that new SNDS data requests began flowing correctly, followed by confirmation of re-authorization emails working.
• Full restoration: Ultimately, experts confirmed that SNDS was fully functional again, alleviating concerns about a prolonged outage.
• System integrity: The resolution demonstrated the underlying robustness of the SNDS system, despite a temporary glitch.

Key considerations

• Direct support engagement: For critical deliverability tools, direct engagement with the provider's support (e.g., Microsoft's SNDS/JMRP team) is paramount for swift resolution.
• Reliability of SNDS: Despite occasional hiccups, SNDS data remains a reliable indicator for Microsoft deliverability and sender reputation, as supported by expert consensus.
• Impact on inboxes: While SNDS was down, Outlook inboxing rates could have been affected, though the tool's data delay doesn't necessarily mean a direct drop in deliverability, as covered by troubleshooting email sender reputation.
• Crisis communication: For high-volume senders, having established communication channels with ESPs and Microsoft is vital during such service disruptions.

Key findings

• Core purpose: SNDS provides senders with aggregated data on their IP reputation, including insights into spam complaints, spam trap hits, and SmartScreen filter assessments.
• Access requirements: To gain access to SNDS data, email senders must register and verify ownership of their sending IP addresses.
• Proactive management: The tool is designed for proactive monitoring, allowing senders to identify and mitigate potential deliverability problems before they escalate.
• Data interpretation: Documentation often includes guidance on how to interpret the various metrics and filter results presented in the SNDS dashboard.

Key considerations

• IP registration: It's crucial that all sending IPs are correctly registered in SNDS to ensure complete visibility into Microsoft deliverability, as noted by Microsoft's Smart Network Data Services overview.
• Metrics understanding: A thorough understanding of what each SNDS metric signifies (e.g., green, yellow, red filters) is essential for effective deliverability management.
• Office 365 domains: Documentation clarifies whether SNDS monitors reputation for Office 365 hosted domains, which is a common point of confusion for senders.
• Support contact: In cases of persistent issues or complex scenarios, official documentation directs users to the appropriate Microsoft support channels for assistance.