Summary
Gmail deliverability issues for bulk senders using Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) can be complex, involving factors ranging from sender reputation to platform configuration. Many bulk senders have observed fluctuations, with significant drops in inbox placement, despite implementing standard best practices like throttling and segmentation. This often leads to questions about whether the issue lies with Gmail's algorithms, the sender's practices, or the ESP (Salesforce Marketing Cloud) itself. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for effective troubleshooting and maintaining a healthy sending program. For more on general Gmail issues, consider reading about what causes a sudden drop in Gmail deliverability.
Key findings
- Sender reputation fluctuations: IP reputation, as seen in Google Postmaster Tools, can worsen even after implementing corrective actions, indicating a delay in reputation recovery or deeper underlying issues.
- SFMC specific challenges: For SFMC users, issues can stem from shared IP/domain reputations if a Sender Authentication Package (SAP) is not fully implemented. Dedicated IPs, while offering more control, are still susceptible to reputation damage from sender behavior.
- Bounce management: High bounce rates, particularly soft bounces, suggest potential list quality problems or strict recipient server policies. SFMC's default bounce management (three soft bounces equal one hard bounce) might not always be effective enough.
- List hygiene importance: Poor data quality and inactive subscribers can significantly harm deliverability. Regular list cleaning and re-engagement campaigns are vital for maintaining good sender reputation.
- Gmail's role: While isolated Gmail glitches can occur, persistent issues typically point to sender-side problems or accumulated negative sender signals rather than a global Gmail malfunction. Learn more about Salesforce's deliverability insights.
Key considerations
- Comprehensive auditing: Conduct a thorough audit of all SFMC business units to ensure SAP is correctly assigned and that bounce (return path) domains are custom, not default ExactTarget domains. This is a critical step for diagnosing and fixing deliverability issues.
- Segmented sending strategy: Splitting large lists into smaller, more engaged segments and distributing sends over several days can help mitigate reputation damage and allow for better monitoring.
- Volume and frequency reduction: Temporarily reducing overall volume and throttling sends can aid in reputation recovery, treating the situation like an IP warming project for Gmail.
- Proactive list management: Focus on ensuring active opt-ins and regularly cleaning lists to remove inactive or problematic addresses. High bounce rates indicate an immediate need for list hygiene.
- Separating email types: Using separate sub-domains and dedicated IPs for transactional versus marketing sends can help silo reputation, preventing marketing issues from impacting critical transactional emails. This also affects transactional email delays.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often face the challenging task of diagnosing Gmail deliverability issues, especially when using platforms like Salesforce Marketing Cloud for bulk sends. Their experiences highlight common pain points, including sudden drops in reputation, unhelpful generic advice from ESPs, and the frustration of implementing corrective actions without immediate success. There's a shared sentiment that understanding Gmail's algorithms and treating sending like a continuous warming process is key, even for established programs.
Key opinions
- Frustration with ESP advice: Many marketers report that basic advice from ESP representatives (like slowing down sends) often isn't enough to resolve deep-seated deliverability problems.
- Impact of client sending habits: A client's desire to send daily, without proper segmentation or list hygiene, can quickly deteriorate IP and domain reputation.
- Shared vs. dedicated IPs: While shared IPs can expose senders to others' poor practices, even dedicated IPs require careful management to maintain good standing.
- Importance of authentication: Proper Sender Authentication Package (SAP) implementation in SFMC is frequently cited as a foundational element for good deliverability, ensuring emails are properly signed and attributed. This affects shared IP issues.
- Gmail as a unique challenge: Many perceive Gmail as having particularly sensitive filtering, often requiring a more nuanced approach compared to other mailbox providers. Learn about Marketing Cloud email deliverability.
Key considerations
- Detailed log review: Digging into bounce logs and suppression reasons within SFMC is crucial to identify specific issues, rather than relying on general observations.
- ISP-specific behavior: Marketers should monitor deliverability by ISP, as a single domain experiencing issues (e.g., Gmail) can drag down overall reputation, even if others perform well.
- Collaboration with ESP: Even if initial advice is basic, pushing ESPs to investigate deeper and log potential bugs in their bounce handling or platform can be beneficial.
- List segmentation for engagement: Beyond just segmenting for volume, segmenting by engagement levels (e.g., active vs. inactive) can help target emails effectively and avoid spam traps. This aligns with increasing email click-through rates.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that the issues started late January, recovered slightly, then worsened significantly in early February. They began taking actions like turning off sends, slowing down volume, and further segmenting their lists by mid-February.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks highlights that their IP reputation, according to Google Postmaster Tools, worsened around February 18th despite their efforts to mitigate issues. They continued to slow down sends and further segment their audience.
What the experts say
Deliverability experts provide a deeper understanding of the technical and strategic considerations behind Gmail deliverability issues for bulk senders on SFMC. They emphasize the importance of proper authentication, strategic IP usage, and the often-overlooked nuances of ISP feedback loops. Experts advise a methodical approach to troubleshooting, focusing on data-driven insights from tools like Google Postmaster Tools and ensuring foundational configurations are robust. Recovering from a blocklist or blacklist incident can be a long process.
Key opinions
- Authentication is paramount: Experts consistently stress the necessity of correctly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, especially when sending from a platform like SFMC. Any misalignment can trigger filters.
- IP reputation dynamics: Even with dedicated IPs, a sudden change in sending behavior or audience engagement can rapidly degrade reputation, requiring a cautious re-warming approach.
- Feedback loop analysis: Monitoring spam complaint rates through Gmail's feedback loops (via Postmaster Tools) is a direct indicator of recipient engagement and potential issues.
- Avoiding spam traps: Sending to unengaged or very old lists increases the risk of hitting spam traps, which can immediately blacklist an IP or domain. Understanding what spam traps are is crucial.
- Content quality: Beyond technical setup, the content itself (e.g., promotional vs. transactional, link shorteners, specific keywords) can influence Gmail's filtering decisions.
Key considerations
- Consistent monitoring: Regularly checking Postmaster Tools for IP and domain reputation, spam rate, and authentication errors is vital for early detection of issues. A guide to Google Postmaster Tools V2 is available.
- Gradual changes: Implement changes incrementally (e.g., list segmentation, volume reductions) and monitor their impact before making further adjustments. Drastic changes can sometimes worsen the situation.
- Understand bounce reasons: Distinguish between temporary soft bounces and permanent hard bounces, and ensure SFMC is correctly suppressing hard bounces to protect reputation.
- DMARC enforcement: For bulk senders, having a DMARC policy (even at p=none initially) is becoming increasingly important for visibility into authentication failures and potential spoofing. Learn about simple DMARC examples.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks, Steve589, advises that while a recent Gmail bounce glitch was a one-off, persistent deliverability issues often point to shared reputation or platform configurations within SFMC. He suggests confirming full Sender Authentication Package implementation.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource highlights that mailbox providers look for consistent positive engagement signals. A sudden drop in deliverability often correlates with a sharp increase in spam complaints or bounces, indicating a change in sending content or list quality.
What the documentation says
Official documentation from Salesforce and other authoritative sources provides guidelines and best practices for achieving optimal email deliverability within Salesforce Marketing Cloud. These resources highlight the importance of adhering to industry standards for authentication, managing sender reputation, and implementing robust list management strategies. They also clarify the capabilities and limitations of the platform regarding email sending and troubleshooting. Understanding these documented principles is crucial for preventing deliverability issues before they escalate.
Key findings
- Sender authentication package (SAP): Salesforce documentation outlines SAP as a comprehensive branding and authentication solution that whitelabels IP addresses and domains, improving sender trust.
- Reputation management: Documentation often emphasizes that sender reputation is dynamic and influenced by factors like spam complaints, bounces, and engagement rates. Consistent monitoring is key.
- Gmail/Yahoo requirements: Recent guidelines from major mailbox providers like Google and Yahoo mandate DMARC alignment, easy unsubscribe options, and low spam rates for bulk senders.
- List hygiene protocols: Best practices include regularly validating email addresses, removing inactive subscribers, and promptly suppressing hard bounces to prevent deliverability degradation. This helps with fixing emails going to spam.
Key considerations
- Email relay configuration: Salesforce documentation advises configuring Email Relay to avoid deliverability issues, especially when sending emails from Salesforce through Gmail or other external services.
- Sub-domain usage: Using dedicated sub-domains for different email types (e.g., transactional, marketing) is a recommended practice to segment and protect sender reputation. This is key for understanding email domain reputation.
- Compliance with new sender requirements: Marketers must stay updated with evolving requirements from mailbox providers to ensure ongoing compliance and optimal deliverability.
- Utilizing Postmaster Tools: Google's Postmaster Tools is frequently referenced as the primary resource for monitoring Gmail-specific deliverability metrics and diagnosing issues.
Technical article
Salesforce documentation on email deliverability emphasizes that proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup is foundational for email authentication, which directly impacts inbox placement. Misconfigurations can lead to emails being marked as spam.
Technical article
Salesforce Trailblazer Community documentation indicates that high bounce rates, especially from purchased lists, are a major contributor to poor deliverability. They stress the importance of actively opted-in contacts.
Related resources
13 resources
Related pages
Why are emails to Gmail experiencing delivery delays and spam placement issues?
What causes a sudden drop in Gmail email deliverability to spam?
How to troubleshoot and improve low Gmail email deliverability rates?
Why is Gmail deliverability down despite good reputation?
How can I diagnose and fix deliverability issues in Salesforce Marketing Cloud?
Ultimate guide to Google Postmaster Tools V2
Why your emails are going to spam in 2024 and how to fix it
How your email address ends up on a blacklist
A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
A practical guide to understanding your email domain reputation
