Summary
Following a Gmail outage, domains may experience temporary failures (temp fails) in Gmail Postmaster Tools due to various factors, including issues with sending servers, authentication, spam filters, DNS problems, rate limiting, and IP reputation. These issues may arise from systems recalibrating post-outage, greylisting, or temporary server overloads. While some experts consider a small uptick in temp fails normal, especially if not resulting in permanent bounces, most emphasize monitoring deliverability metrics, checking DNS records, verifying server status, adjusting sending behavior, and allowing time for systems to stabilize. Temporary failures are often automatically retried by sending servers.
Key findings
- Multiple Contributing Factors: A wide range of factors can contribute to temporary failures after a Gmail outage, encompassing server issues, authentication, spam filters, DNS, rate limiting, IP reputation, greylisting, and system recalibration.
- Recalibration and Stabilization: Gmail's systems and external servers require time to recalibrate and stabilize following an outage, potentially causing initial deliverability fluctuations.
- Proactive Monitoring is Crucial: Consistently monitoring deliverability metrics, DNS records, server status, and IP reputation is essential for identifying and resolving potential issues.
- Automatic Retries: Sending servers generally implement automatic retry mechanisms for temporary failures, mitigating the impact of transient issues.
Key considerations
- Closely Monitor Deliverability: Regularly monitor deliverability metrics in Gmail Postmaster Tools and other reporting systems to detect and address any emerging problems promptly.
- Check DNS and Server Configuration: Verify DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM) and server configuration to ensure they are accurate and properly configured.
- Review IP Reputation: Assess IP reputation by checking against blacklists and monitoring sender score to identify and address any potential reputation issues.
- Adjust Sending Practices: Modify sending practices, such as volume and frequency, to mitigate the risk of triggering spam filters or rate limits.
- Allow Time for System Recovery: Allow adequate time for systems to recover and stabilize following the outage before implementing drastic changes. Give the algorithms time to self-correct.
- Don't Panic over Small Upticks: Don't be overly concerned about small increases in temporary failures unless accompanied by other indicators of deliverability issues, such as permanent bounces or reduced engagement.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
Following a Gmail outage, some domains are experiencing temporary failures ('temp fails') in Gmail Postmaster Tools. These failures can be attributed to several factors, including temporary issues with sending servers, authentication problems, and spam-related concerns. Some experts suggest the issues are due to systems recalibrating after the outage, DNS issues, recipient server unavailability, or rate limiting. Other possible causes include full mailboxes, server downtime, anti-spam measures reacting to sudden mail volume changes, IP reputation degradation, ISP throttling, and capacity issues. Monitoring deliverability metrics, checking DNS records, verifying server status, and adjusting sending volume are advised. In many cases, temporary failures are a normal part of email sending, and systems will automatically retry delivery.
Key opinions
- Multiple Potential Causes: Temp fails after an outage can stem from various issues, including server problems, authentication, spam filters, DNS issues, and rate limiting.
- Recalibration: Gmail systems may be recalibrating after the outage, causing temporary fluctuations in deliverability.
- Normal Occurrence: Temporary failures are often a normal part of email sending and delivery.
Key considerations
- Monitor Deliverability: Closely monitor deliverability metrics in Gmail Postmaster Tools and other reporting systems.
- Check Infrastructure: Verify DNS records, server status, and authentication settings.
- Adjust Sending: Adjust sending volume if necessary to avoid triggering anti-spam measures or rate limits.
- Allow Time to Stabilize: Allow the systems time to stabilize and recalibrate after the outage before taking drastic action.
- Don't Panic: If the issue is a temp fail, and not translating to permanent bounces, it's likely not serious.
Marketer view
Email marketer from SendGrid explains that temporary failures are often part of normal email sending. If a temporary failure occurs, SendGrid automatically retries sending the email based on a predetermined schedule.
4 Oct 2023 - SendGrid
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit shares that after a Gmail outage, some domains might show temporary failures due to the systems recalibrating and adjusting to the new traffic patterns. They suggest waiting a few days to see if the issue resolves itself before taking drastic action.
25 Jun 2022 - Reddit
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Experts suggest that temporary failures in Gmail Postmaster after an outage can stem from IP reputation issues, greylisting, and temporary overloads. Greylisting, in particular, involves temporary rejection of emails from unknown senders, often triggered by reputation changes or volume surges after an outage. Monitoring deliverability metrics and adjusting sending behavior are critical for identification and resolution.
Key opinions
- IP Reputation: Outages can impact IP reputation, leading to increased temporary failures.
- Greylisting: Greylisting is a common cause of temporary failures, especially post-outage, when senders might be temporarily flagged as unknown.
- Temporary Overloads: Receiving servers might experience temporary overloads, resulting in temporary rejections.
Key considerations
- Monitor Metrics: Closely monitor deliverability metrics to identify patterns and potential problems.
- Adjust Sending: Adjust sending behavior, such as volume and frequency, to mitigate reputation concerns and avoid triggering greylisting.
- Investigate Root Cause: Investigate the root cause of temporary failures to determine if it's a systemic issue or a temporary fluctuation.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource suggests that greylisting might cause temporary failures, especially post-outage. Greylisting is when a mail server temporarily rejects an email from an unknown sender, requiring them to retry later. This can happen if the sending server's reputation is temporarily affected by the outage or a surge in email volume.
20 Mar 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Atkins, explains that temporary failures after an outage can be due to a variety of factors, including IP reputation issues, greylisting by receiving servers, and temporary overloads. She emphasizes the importance of monitoring deliverability metrics and adjusting sending behavior accordingly to identify and address the root cause.
28 Jul 2022 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Documentation indicates that temporary failures (temp fails) in email delivery, especially after events like outages, are often due to temporary problems encountered by the mail server (4xx SMTP errors). These problems include resource limitations, recipient server unavailability, network congestion, DNS issues, or poor IP reputation. Diagnosing these issues involves checking DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM), verifying IP addresses against blacklists, and ensuring proper SMTP configuration. Sending servers are expected to retry delivery after a temporary failure.
Key findings
- Temporary Problems: Temp fails signify temporary problems encountered by mail servers, not permanent delivery failures.
- Various Causes: Causes can include resource limitations, server unavailability, network congestion, DNS problems, and IP reputation issues.
- Retry Mechanism: Sending servers are expected to automatically retry delivery after encountering a temporary failure.
Key considerations
- Check DNS: Verify DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM) to ensure proper configuration.
- Monitor IP Reputation: Check if the sending IP address is listed on any blacklists.
- Verify Server Status: Check the recipient server's status to ensure it's available and not experiencing issues.
- Review SMTP Configuration: Ensure proper SMTP configuration to avoid delivery issues.
Technical article
Documentation from MXToolbox explains that temporary failures can be diagnosed by checking DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM), verifying the sending IP address against blacklists, and ensuring proper SMTP configuration. They provide tools for diagnosing these issues.
17 Nov 2022 - MXToolbox
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help details that temporary email delays can be caused by issues with the recipient server, DNS problems, or if the sending IP address has a poor reputation. Solutions include verifying DNS settings, checking the recipient server's status, and ensuring the sending IP is not on any blacklists.
6 Jul 2022 - Google Workspace Admin Help
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