Why did email engagement decrease after migrating email service providers?

A decrease in email engagement following an email service provider migration is a common occurrence, primarily due to the reset of sender reputation associated with new IP addresses. Mailbox providers need time to re-establish trust with the new sending infrastructure, which often involves a 'holding pattern' where emails may experience higher filtering or throttling. Beyond this crucial IP warm-up phase, discrepancies in how different email service providers report engagement metrics (such as varied bot filtering or differences in email client behavior) can also create a perceived decline in open rates. Other contributing factors include incomplete email authentication setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), inadequate list hygiene practices leading to sending to unengaged or invalid contacts, and subtle changes in email content or formatting that might trigger spam filters. It is also vital to understand and adapt to the new provider's specific sending policies and ensure proper transfer of suppression lists. This period of stabilization can last for several months, highlighting the importance of a strategic, patient approach during and after migration.

A drop in email engagement after migrating email service providers is a common and often multifaceted challenge. While it frequently stems from the reset of sender reputation on new IP addresses, necessitating a 'holding pattern' by mailbox providers to build trust, other critical factors contribute to this decline. These include subtle changes in email content or formatting introduced by the new platform that might inadvertently trigger spam filters, or cause emails to be less appealing. Furthermore, overlooked aspects such as incomplete email authentication, inadequate list hygiene (sending to old, uncleaned lists), and improper transfer of suppression lists can significantly damage a new sender's reputation, leading to lower deliverability and engagement. The migration also requires adapting to the new provider's specific sending policies and acknowledging that subscribers themselves might need to 're-learn' the sender, impacting their engagement. This stabilization period can extend for many months, sometimes up to a year, particularly with major mailbox providers like Gmail.

A decrease in email engagement after migrating email service providers is a frequent occurrence, often stemming from the lack of established reputation for new IP addresses. These fresh IPs are seen as unknown by internet service providers, potentially leading to emails being filtered or blocked unless a proper IP warming strategy is employed. Beyond the crucial reputation-building phase, discrepancies in how different email service providers report engagement metrics can create a misleading impression of declining opens. Varied bot filtering and email client behaviors, such as Google not pre-fetching images during infrastructure changes or messages landing in the promotions tab, can also contribute to lower reported opens. It is important to distinguish between actual deliverability problems and statistical variations, avoiding hasty list removals based solely on initial reporting shifts.

The decline in email engagement after moving to a new email service provider often stems from a fundamental challenge: establishing trust with recipient mailbox providers using entirely new sending infrastructure. This means your new IP addresses have no prior sending history, prompting mailbox providers to exercise extreme caution with incoming mail. Such vigilance frequently results in emails being filtered more aggressively, throttled, or directed away from the primary inbox, directly affecting how many recipients see and interact with your messages. Beyond the initial reputation-building phase, the new provider's specific approach to managing bounces and complaints also critically influences your ongoing sender reputation, which in turn impacts future deliverability and engagement metrics.