Summary
Opted-in customers may not be receiving marketing emails due to a combination of technical, process-related, and compliance issues. These include potential problems with ESP reporting inaccuracies, delayed or deferred emails, poor list hygiene and bounce processing, inadequate email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), sender reputation issues, emails being quarantined by recipient servers, improper segmentation, low engagement, coding errors in emails, spam triggers in content, accidental suppression, frequency capping, incomplete double opt-in, and unaddressed B2B-specific filtering. Addressing this involves detailed investigation of ESP data, improving list management, proper authentication, reputation building, reviewing content and coding, verifying customer opt-in status, and checking frequency settings.
Key findings
- Reporting Gaps: ESPs may not accurately report email delivery, with potential discrepancies between 'sent' and actual delivered status.
- Authentication Failures: Incorrect or missing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records cause deliverability issues.
- Low Engagement: Poor engagement (low open/click rates) negatively impacts deliverability.
- List Hygiene: Inaccurate bounce handling and poor list hygiene result in sending to bad addresses and decreased reputation.
- Spam Filtering: Content triggers or a poor sender reputation can cause emails to land in spam folders.
- Quarantine: Receiving mail servers may quarantine emails post-acceptance.
- Segmentation Issues: Subscribers may be excluded due to incorrect segmentation or being in suppressed segments.
- B2B Filtering: B2B recipients can implement filters that drop mail before delivery even if the sender is authorized.
Key considerations
- Review ESP Data: Thoroughly review ESP delivery data, including rejected and deferred messages.
- Improve List Hygiene: Implement rigorous bounce processing and list cleaning procedures.
- Validate Authentication: Verify correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration.
- Segment Analysis: Analyze segmentation settings and ensure intended recipients are included.
- Content Review: Review email content for spam triggers and optimize for engagement.
- Whitelist Checks: Isolate the segment and contact the receipients IT team to check for whitelisting issues.
- Monitor Reputation: Monitor sender reputation and warm up new IPs before sending bulk email.
- Verify Opt-in: Ensure recipients actually double opt-in to prevent being marked as spam.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Opted-in customers may not be receiving marketing emails due to various reasons affecting deliverability. These include issues like emails being quarantined by recipient mail servers, improper segmentation, low engagement, coding errors, content triggering spam filters, suppression list inclusion, frequency capping, incomplete double opt-in, and general mail server reputation issues. Troubleshooting requires a detailed investigation into each potential cause.
Key opinions
- Quarantine: Emails might be accepted by the receiving server but quarantined, preventing delivery to the inbox.
- Segmentation: Subscribers may be excluded due to incorrect segmentation or being in suppressed segments.
- Engagement: Low engagement can lead to mailbox providers filtering emails to spam.
- Coding Errors: Coding errors can cause display issues that lead recipients to mark emails as spam.
- Spam Triggers: Content may trigger spam filters due to specific keywords or phrases.
- Suppression Lists: Subscribers might be accidentally added to suppression lists.
- Frequency Capping: Frequency capping limits may prevent some subscribers from receiving all emails.
- Double Opt-In: Failure to complete the double opt-in process can result in emails being blocked.
- B2B filters: B2B emails might be dropped without a bounce due to company-specific filters.
Key considerations
- Check Quarantine: Confirm with the recipient's IT team if emails are being quarantined.
- Review Segments: Ensure subscribers are correctly included in target segments and not in suppressed segments.
- Improve Engagement: Clean email lists regularly to remove unengaged subscribers.
- Test Coding: Test emails across different clients and devices to ensure proper rendering.
- Review Content: Check email content for spam words and phrases.
- Verify Suppression: Check suppression lists to ensure valid subscribers are not mistakenly included.
- Adjust Frequency: Review frequency capping settings to ensure subscribers receive all intended emails.
- Confirm Opt-In: Verify that all subscribers have completed the double opt-in process.
- Mailbox providers: Isolate the segment that isn’t receiving emails and determining their mailbox providers (Google, Microsoft, etc.) to compare with the rest of the database that isn’t having issues
Marketer view
Email marketer from SendGrid shares that low engagement can lead to deliverability issues. If recipients aren't opening or clicking on your emails, mailbox providers may start filtering your messages to spam. Regularly cleaning your email list to remove unengaged subscribers is important.
25 Apr 2024 - SendGrid
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that if emails are not delivered (meaning neither inbox nor spam), they will bounce with a reason. B2B emails might be dropped without bounces due to company-specific filters based on sending habits or reputation. More details are needed to provide a specific answer.
21 Oct 2023 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
6 expert opinions
Opted-in customers not receiving emails can stem from several technical and process-related issues. Key factors include inadequate ESP reporting, delayed or deferred emails not accurately tracked, poor bounce processing and list hygiene, lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and poor sender reputation often due to insufficient IP warming. Addressing these issues involves improving data monitoring, refining list management practices, and ensuring proper email authentication and reputation building.
Key opinions
- ESP Reporting Gaps: ESPs may not accurately report email delivery status; some report 'sent' when emails are rejected.
- Delayed/Deferred Emails: Emails may be delayed or deferred by mailbox providers, creating reporting gaps.
- Poor Bounce Handling: Inaccurate hard bounce processing can lead to continued sending to bad addresses.
- Lack of Authentication: Missing or incorrect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records can cause deliverability issues.
- Poor Sender Reputation: Low sender reputation, especially from new IPs without proper warming, can trigger spam filters.
Key considerations
- Review ESP Data: Ensure the ESP provides detailed delivery data, including rejection and deferral messages.
- Monitor Deferred Emails: Track emails that are delayed or deferred by mailbox providers.
- Improve List Hygiene: Maintain accurate bounce processing and regularly clean email lists.
- Implement Authentication: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate emails.
- Warm-Up IPs: Gradually increase sending volume to warm up new IPs and build sender reputation.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise emphasizes the importance of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for deliverability. Proper authentication helps mailbox providers verify the sender's identity and reduces the chances of emails being filtered as spam. Failing to authenticate can result in legitimate emails not reaching the inbox.
30 Aug 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that careful attention to bounce processing and list hygiene is essential. Inaccurate hard bounce handling can lead to sending to bad addresses, hurting sender reputation and deliverability. Also poor list hygiene practices can lead to opted-in users not receiving emails.
4 Mar 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Opted-in customers may not receive marketing emails due to non-compliance with email provider guidelines and technical issues. Properly configuring email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial. Maintaining a low spam rate, providing easy unsubscribe options, and avoiding blocklists are essential for deliverability. Incorrect SPF record syntax can also cause authentication failures.
Key findings
- Authentication: Gmail and Microsoft require SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for bulk senders.
- Spam Rate: Gmail recommends keeping spam rates below 0.1%.
- Unsubscribe: Easy unsubscribe options are necessary for compliance.
- Blocklists: Avoid being placed on email blocklists to ensure deliverability.
- SPF Syntax: Incorrect SPF syntax can cause authentication failures.
- Sender Reputation: Maintaining good sender reputation by avoiding spam complaints is important
Key considerations
- Configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC: Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records correctly in DNS.
- Monitor Spam Rate: Monitor and maintain a low spam rate.
- Implement Unsubscribe: Provide a clear and easy unsubscribe process.
- Check Blocklists: Regularly check sending IP addresses against blocklists.
- Validate SPF: Validate SPF record syntax to avoid errors.
- Monitor JMRP: Use the Junk Email Reporting Program (JMRP) to monitor feedback
Technical article
Documentation from RFC 4408 explains that SPF records should be correctly formatted in DNS. It mentions that syntax errors or incorrectly configured SPF records can lead to authentication failures, causing emails to be rejected or marked as spam by receiving mail servers.
2 Jul 2024 - RFC 4408
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft 365 Documentation shares that to improve email deliverability, senders should ensure their sending IP addresses are not on any blocklists, maintain a good sender reputation by avoiding spam complaints, and use the Junk Email Reporting Program (JMRP) to monitor feedback. Also it's important to ensure you have authenticated with SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
22 Jul 2024 - Microsoft 365 Documentation
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