Why are my email open and click rates decreasing, and what can I do to fix low engagement from Microsoft Outlook/Hotmail?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 26 Apr 2025
Updated 17 Aug 2025
7 min read
Seeing your email open and click rates drop can be disheartening, especially when a significant portion of your audience uses Microsoft Outlook or Hotmail. It’s a common challenge, and I've observed this pattern frequently. There are many reasons why this might be happening, ranging from seasonal shifts in recipient behavior to more critical issues like poor sender reputation or even blocklisting.
Sometimes, a decline in engagement isn't due to a technical fault on your end. Factors such as holiday seasons or major events can naturally lead to lower engagement as people focus on other activities. However, if the drop is significant and sustained, particularly for specific providers like Outlook or Hotmail, it often points to deliverability issues where your emails aren't even reaching the inbox.
This article will guide you through the potential causes of decreasing email open and click rates, with a specific focus on Microsoft email services. We’ll explore common pitfalls and provide actionable steps to diagnose and remedy these issues, helping you improve your engagement and ensure your messages land where they belong: in the inbox.
Understanding the decline in engagement
One of the primary culprits behind declining email engagement rates, especially with Microsoft domains like Outlook and Hotmail, is your sender reputation. If your sender reputation takes a hit, it signals to ISPs (internet service providers) that your emails might not be trustworthy, leading them to filter your messages into spam folders or even block them entirely. Low engagement, combined with other factors, can exacerbate this issue.
Several factors contribute to a poor sender reputation. Sending emails to inactive or invalid addresses, having high bounce rates, or receiving frequent spam complaints can all negatively impact your standing. Microsoft, like other major email providers, closely monitors these metrics to protect its users from unwanted mail. For more on what contributes to this, read our article on why emails experience low deliverability and open rates.
Another crucial aspect is how Microsoft's spam filters interact with your sending practices. Even if your emails aren't explicitly spam, certain content, subject lines, or sending patterns can trigger these filters. Keeping your list clean and ensuring consistent engagement are vital for avoiding these traps.
Typical problems with deliverability
Low open rates: Indicates emails are not reaching the inbox or are being ignored.
High bounce rates: Too many invalid or non-existent email addresses.
Spam complaints: Recipients marking your emails as spam.
Blocklisting: Your sending IP or domain is listed on an email blocklist (or blacklist).
The role of sender reputation and authentication
A strong sender reputation is built on consistent positive engagement and adherence to best practices. This includes robust email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These protocols verify that your emails are legitimately from your domain, preventing spoofing and phishing, which ultimately helps improve your standing with ISPs.
For Microsoft, it’s particularly important to ensure these are correctly configured. A misconfigured DMARC or DKIM record can lead to emails being marked as suspicious or outright rejected. If you're encountering low deliverability, especially with Microsoft's domains, checking your authentication records is a crucial first step. You can learn more about these protocols in our simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
Beyond authentication, actively monitoring your sender reputation using tools like Microsoft's Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) is essential. This portal provides insights into how Microsoft views your sending IP and domain, including any potential issues like blocklistings or unusual traffic. Addressing these issues proactively can prevent larger deliverability problems. Understanding how to comply with Outlook's new sender requirements is also key.
Positive reputation
High engagement: Consistent opens and clicks.
Low spam complaints: Few recipients marking emails as junk.
Proper authentication: SPF, DKIM, DMARC correctly set up.
Negative reputation
Low engagement: Poor open and click rates.
High bounce rates: Many emails sent to invalid addresses.
Practical steps to improve Outlook and Hotmail deliverability
To combat low engagement and deliverability issues with Microsoft Outlook/Hotmail, several practical steps can be implemented. First, list hygiene is paramount. Regularly clean your email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses. This reduces bounce rates and signals to ISPs that you're maintaining a healthy sending practice. You can refer to this Microsoft article on troubleshooting engagement drops for more insights.
Next, focus on improving content quality and relevance. Generic or overly promotional emails are more likely to be ignored or marked as spam. Segment your audience and tailor your messages to their specific interests. Personalized and valuable content increases engagement, which in turn boosts your sender reputation. For advice on how to do this for Outlook specifically, read our guide on fixing low open rates in Outlook.
Consider a slow and steady re-engagement strategy for less active subscribers. Instead of bombarding them, try sending a series of re-engagement emails to gauge their interest. If they don't respond, consider removing them from your active mailing list to protect your overall sender health. This helps to slowly rebuild your reputation after a drop. If your rates have decreased recently, check out why your email open rate has decreased.
Sample re-engagement email subject lines
We miss you:A friendly check-in to see if you're still interested.
Quick update from us:Highlight recent valuable content.
Do you still want to hear from us?:Give them an easy option to confirm subscription or unsubscribe.
Monitoring and long-term strategies
Ongoing monitoring and adaptability are key to maintaining high engagement and deliverability, especially with dynamic platforms like Microsoft. Don't assume that once you've fixed an issue, it's resolved forever. ISPs continuously update their filtering algorithms, and your sending practices should evolve accordingly. This is particularly true for Hotmail and Live accounts which often have unique challenges.
Regularly review your DMARC reports for insights into email authentication failures and potential deliverability issues. These reports provide invaluable data on how your emails are being handled by recipient servers. Anomalies in these reports can signal a problem before it significantly impacts your open and click rates. You should also consider what happens when your domain is blocklisted, as this can be a precursor to a drop in engagement.
Additionally, staying informed about changes in email deliverability trends and ISP requirements is crucial. What worked last year might not work today. Subscribing to industry newsletters, participating in email marketing communities, and regularly reviewing postmaster guidelines from major providers like Microsoft can help you stay ahead of potential issues.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Maintain a clean email list by regularly removing inactive or bounced addresses.
Segment your audience and personalize content to increase relevance and engagement.
Implement and monitor email authentication protocols, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Gradually warm up new IPs or domains to build a positive sending reputation.
Monitor your engagement metrics and DMARC reports consistently to detect issues early.
Common pitfalls
Ignoring high bounce rates, which can signal a stale list and harm your sender reputation.
Sending to unengaged subscribers, leading to low open rates and potential spam complaints.
Neglecting email authentication, making your emails more susceptible to spam filtering.
Making drastic changes to sending volume or content without proper warm-up.
Failing to track Microsoft SNDS for insights into your deliverability to Outlook/Hotmail.
Expert tips
If you see a sudden drop in engagement for a specific provider like Microsoft, immediately check their postmaster tools.
Sometimes, a temporary pause in sending to non-engaging segments can help rebuild your sender reputation.
Focus on delivering consistent value to your subscribers to foster long-term engagement.
Be prepared to open support tickets with Microsoft if you suspect a specific blocking issue.
For dedicated IPs, always set up Microsoft SNDS to proactively monitor your sending health.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says a decline in engagement rates can sometimes be attributed to seasonal factors, such as summer vacations when people are less active online, especially for juvenile brands.
2024-07-24 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says checking results by domain is crucial, as low engagement from a major provider like Microsoft can indicate a precursor to blocking.
2024-07-24 - Email Geeks
Moving forward to better deliverability
Addressing decreasing email open and click rates, particularly with Microsoft Outlook and Hotmail, requires a multi-faceted approach. It starts with understanding the root causes, which often tie back to sender reputation, email authentication, and list hygiene. Prioritizing these areas will lay a strong foundation for improved deliverability.
By consistently applying best practices, actively monitoring your email performance, and adapting to ISP requirements, you can not only fix current low engagement issues but also build a resilient email program. Remember, strong email deliverability is a continuous effort that directly impacts the success of your email campaigns.
Outlook or Hotmail, it often points to deliverability issues where your emails aren't even reaching the inbox.
Microsoft domains like Outlook and Hotmail, is your sender reputation. If your sender reputation takes a hit, it signals to ISPs (internet service providers) that your emails might not be trustworthy, leading them to filter your messages into spam folders or even block them entirely. Low engagement, combined with other factors, can exacerbate this issue.
