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Why are emails to Cox domains bouncing, and what are the updates on Cox email services?

Summary

Emails to Cox domains are experiencing increased bounce rates primarily due to Cox Communications discontinuing their direct email hosting services. As of October 2024, Cox transitioned its email service to Yahoo Mail, meaning @cox.net mailboxes are now handled by Yahoo. This significant change has broad implications for email deliverability, requiring senders to adapt their practices to ensure messages reach the inbox.

What email marketers say

Email marketers have observed significant changes and challenges related to sending emails to Cox domains, primarily stemming from the company's shift away from direct email hosting. Discussions often revolve around the impact on existing subscriber lists and the need to adjust strategies for maintaining deliverability.

Marketer view

An email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that Cox was primarily based in the US South where they grew up, highlighting its regional focus. This geographical concentration meant that the deliverability impacts of changes to Cox's email service would be particularly felt by senders with a subscriber base in those areas.

27 Aug 2019 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

A marketer from Moosend states that if Charter or Cox retires legacy domains like @cox.net, affected emails will bounce, and ESPs should automatically suppress them. This emphasizes the importance of understanding the hard bounce implications when ISPs discontinue email services and the role of ESPs in managing list hygiene.

01 May 2025 - Moosend

What the experts say

Email deliverability experts highlight that major ISP shifts, like Cox’s transition, significantly impact sending practices. Their insights often focus on the technical implications, sender reputation management, and strategies to navigate changes in how mail is routed and filtered.

Expert view

An expert from Spamresource advises that senders must immediately address any increase in hard bounces following an ISP service change. Ignoring these bounces can quickly deteriorate sender reputation and lead to broader deliverability issues across other domains, emphasizing the need for prompt list cleaning.

22 Jan 2024 - Spamresource

Expert view

EmailKarma from Email Geeks emphasizes that any major ISP transition means a change in filtering logic, even if the domain name remains the same. Senders need to adapt their content and sending practices to align with the new provider's (Yahoo's) spam filters to avoid spam folder placement or rejections.

15 Feb 2024 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

Official documentation and industry reports provide critical details regarding Cox's email service changes and the resulting implications for email deliverability. These sources confirm the transition to Yahoo and outline policies relevant to email senders and users.

Technical article

Cox.com's Email Creation Policy states that new Cox email accounts cannot be created. This official policy directly impacts list acquisition strategies for marketers, confirming that the pool of new @cox.net subscribers has ceased to exist and emphasizing the need to focus on other domains.

15 Sep 2024 - Cox.com

Technical article

Emailexpert's documentation confirms that Cox transitioned its email service to Yahoo Mail in October 2024, making Yahoo the sole handler of @cox.net mailboxes. This definitive statement clarifies the new infrastructure behind these domains and directs senders to align with Yahoo's deliverability standards.

01 May 2025 - emailexpert.com

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