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Summary

There has been a notable and widespread increase in email block bounces targeting AT&T domains, affecting numerous senders. This surge isn't isolated to specific platforms or senders with poor reputations; even those with a strong history of good deliverability are experiencing significant rejections.

What email marketers say

Email marketers across different platforms are reporting a distinct pattern of increased block bounces to AT&T email addresses. This indicates a broader issue affecting the ecosystem rather than isolated incidents.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks inquires whether other users of Salesforce Marketing Cloud are observing a recent increase in block bounces for AT&T email domains. This highlights a concern about potential widespread issues affecting deliverability to a major ISP.

11 Jul 2024 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

A marketer on the Constant Contact Community forum details that persistent blockages might indicate that a sender has been placed on a specific blocklist. They suggest that examining bounce messages is often the primary method to determine if a listing has occurred, especially for internal or provider-specific blocklists. This approach is crucial for diagnosis when standard checks fail.

15 Feb 2024 - Constant Contact Community

What the experts say

Email deliverability experts confirm the recent spike in block bounces to AT&T domains, noting that it impacts even highly reputable senders. They emphasize the need to thoroughly investigate bounce messages for clues regarding the specific blocklists involved.

Expert view

An expert from Email Geeks mentions that the issue of high bounces and blocks is not exclusive to SFMC. This expert reports consulting with a client who is a highly reputable sender, yet is experiencing a significant number of rejections despite having already attempted to throttle their email volume at the MTA level. This suggests the problem is more fundamental than simple volume management.

17 Jul 2024 - Email Geeks

Expert view

An expert from SpamResource often highlights that sudden spikes in rejections by a major ISP like AT&T can indicate a shift in their filtering policies or an increased sensitivity to certain sending patterns. They suggest that even slight deviations from expected norms can trigger new block triggers, requiring senders to adapt their practices.

10 Apr 2024 - SpamResource

What the documentation says

Official documentation from AT&T and general email deliverability guidelines shed light on common reasons for email rejections and the mechanisms they employ to filter unwanted mail.

Technical article

AT&T Support Community documentation confirms that email servers can be blocked by AT&T's mail servers, with bounce messages often citing 'DNSBL:RBL 521' as a reason for rejection. This indicates that the sending IP or domain has been identified on a blocklist used by AT&T's systems.

25 Jan 2024 - AT&T Support Community

Technical article

MailMonitor, in its overview of AT&T's email service, specifies that AT&T maintains a blocklist for preventing unwanted emails. This documentation implies that senders should take responsibility for identifying the cause of any blocklisting and promptly resolve the underlying issue to regain deliverability. Active management of sender reputation is key.

10 Mar 2024 - MailMonitor

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