What to do when blocked on Verizon and receiving canned responses?

Key findings

• Widespread blocks: Being blocked across several Verizon servers suggests a broad blacklisting or reputation issue affecting your IP or domain, rather than isolated recipient blocks.
• Canned responses: Postmaster teams (like the Verizon Media Postmaster team) frequently send automated or templated replies. This does not preclude a human review of your submission.
• Partial delivery: If some emails are still getting through, it indicates the block may not be absolute or might be affecting specific parts of their network more severely.
• Error message specifics: The exact error message (e.g., a 554 delivery error or a TSS04 error) provides critical clues about the root cause of the block.

Key considerations

• Identify the exact error: Determine the specific bounce message to understand why emails are being blocked. This can point to reputation issues, content filtering, or other policy violations.
• Proactive communication: While responses may be canned, submitting tickets to Verizon Media's postmaster team is the official channel for requesting delisting or resolving issues. Be persistent and provide all necessary details.
• Review sending practices: Investigate your email program for potential causes of reputation damage, such as high spam complaint rates, sending to old or unengaged lists, or content that triggers spam filters.
• Monitor blocklists: Regularly check if your IP address or domain is listed on any public or private blocklists (blacklists). This can provide insights into the scope of the problem.

Key opinions

• Broad blockage implication: If an sender is blocked on multiple Verizon servers, it's highly probable they are experiencing a widespread block across the entire domain, not just a few isolated servers, even if the error message specifies a limited number.
• Canned responses are the norm: Many marketers have come to expect templated replies from ISP postmaster teams, acknowledging that direct, personalized communication can be rare.
• Persistence is key: Despite the automated nature of responses, continuing to submit tickets and provide information is seen as the only viable path to potential resolution. This is particularly true if postmasters are unresponsive.
• Importance of bounce codes: Getting the specific error message or bounce code is crucial for diagnosis, as it can indicate if the issue is a major ISP block despite passing authentication.

Key considerations

• Verify the scope: Even if a few emails are getting through, consider the overall impact. A block on a few servers could signify a wider reputation issue that will eventually affect all mail.
• Expect limited human interaction: While postmaster teams may have humans reading submissions, direct engagement or in-depth explanations are often not provided due to the sheer volume of inquiries.
• Maintain proper hygiene: Focus on improving internal email hygiene and best practices, as this is ultimately what will lead to a better sending reputation and blocklist removal.
• Understand private blocklists: Recognize that ISPs primarily use internal, private blocklists (blacklists) that are not publicly viewable, meaning public blocklist checks might not show the full picture.

Key opinions

• Holistic reputation assessment: ISPs like Verizon Media assess sender reputation holistically, considering factors beyond just bounce rates, such as spam complaints, engagement, and authentication compliance.
• Beyond server count: The mention of a specific number of blocked servers usually points to a block that has been propagated across their distributed infrastructure, rather than the total number of servers they operate.
• Canned responses as gateways: Expert opinion suggests that canned responses are a form of triage. Submitting a clear, concise ticket with all technical details (like accurate bounce messages) is essential to get the issue in front of the right human analyst.
• Authentication is foundational: While not a guarantee against blocks, robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is a fundamental requirement for building trust with ISPs and should always be correctly configured.

Key considerations

• Postmaster portal usage: Leverage ISP-specific postmaster tools and services, as they often provide data and submission forms that are more effective than general email inquiries for resolving blocks.
• Reputation rebuilding: Focus on long-term reputation rebuilding strategies, including list cleaning, segmentation, and sending only desired content to engaged users.
• Content and infrastructure review: Conduct a thorough review of email content for potential spam triggers and ensure your sending infrastructure (IPs, domains) is not compromised or misconfigured.
• Error code interpretation: Pay close attention to the specific SMTP error codes and messages returned, as they are crucial for diagnosing the exact nature of the block (e.g., content, IP, or domain reputation related).

Key findings

• Reputation is paramount: ISPs explicitly state that sender reputation, built on historical sending behavior, is the primary factor in determining email acceptance.
• Proprietary filtering: Each ISP employs its own proprietary filtering rules and internal blocklists, which are not transparent or publicly accessible.
• Authentication requirements: Documentation consistently highlights the necessity of properly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for successful email delivery.
• Engagement metrics: ISPs monitor recipient engagement (e.g., opens, clicks, deletions, spam reports) as a key signal of message legitimacy and desirability.

Key considerations

• Follow best practices: Adhering to generally accepted email sending best practices, such as permission-based sending and list hygiene, is fundamental for all ISPs.
• Utilize postmaster services: ISPs provide dedicated postmaster sites (like Verizon Media's) as the official point of contact for deliverability issues, even if initial responses are automated.
• Understand bounce codes: Documented SMTP bounce codes offer specific insights into the reason for delivery failure, which are critical for diagnosing and communicating issues to ISPs.
• Continuous monitoring: Proactive monitoring of your sending reputation and IP/domain status is recommended to detect and mitigate issues before they lead to severe blockages.