Summary
A sudden drop in email open rates after implementing DMARC can be concerning, especially when expecting an improvement. This often indicates an underlying issue with DMARC compliance, specifically related to DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) authentication. While DMARC is designed to enhance email security and deliverability, an incorrect setup, particularly concerning alignment with SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM, can lead to emails failing authentication checks. When emails fail DMARC, recipients' mail servers, especially major ones like Gmail, may send them to spam folders or reject them entirely, leading to a noticeable decrease in open rates.
Key findings
- DMARC compliance issue: A primary cause for a sudden open rate drop after DMARC implementation is a failure in DMARC compliance, often due to unconfigured or misconfigured DKIM signing.
- DKIM's role: DKIM signatures are crucial for DMARC alignment. If not updated or properly set up with your email service provider (ESP), your emails may fail DMARC checks, even with a p=none policy.
- Reputation impact: Mail filters tie sender reputation to key identifiers like DKIM signatures. Changing these without proper warm-up or alignment can negatively impact your sender reputation and lead to poorer inbox placement. You can learn more about how to recover your email domain reputation.
- Temporary open rate dip: It is possible to see a temporary decrease in open rates immediately after implementing DMARC and updating DKIM, as mail services like Google might be re-evaluating your sender reputation with the new authentication setup. This is often not a sign of going to spam.
- Pixel pre-fetching: Authentication changes can affect how mailbox providers pre-fetch tracking pixels, which can make reported open rates appear lower even if emails are delivered to the inbox. This issue is elaborated on by CivicRM Stack Exchange.
Key considerations
- Verify DMARC compliance: Confirm that your emails are actually passing DMARC authentication. Tools like Google Postmaster Tools or email testing services can help check your alignment. This is crucial for understanding why DMARC authentication might be dropping.
- Set up DKIM: Ensure your ESP is correctly signing your emails with DKIM using your domain. This step is critical for DMARC to work as intended and to properly align DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
- Monitor deliverability: Even with DMARC implemented, consistently monitor your inbox placement and reputation metrics using tools like Google Postmaster Tools. This helps differentiate between temporary metric fluctuations and genuine deliverability issues.
- Consider warming up: For high-volume senders or those who have made significant authentication changes, a gradual warm-up of your sending volume with the new authentication setup can help build trust with mailbox providers and mitigate sudden drops.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often face unexpected challenges with deliverability metrics like open rates, particularly after implementing technical standards such as DMARC. Their experiences highlight a common misconception that DMARC implementation alone guarantees improved inbox placement. Instead, many find that a drop in open rates can indicate misconfigurations or a lack of understanding regarding how DMARC interacts with other authentication protocols like DKIM. Marketers emphasize the importance of thorough setup and continuous monitoring to ensure emails reach the inbox effectively.
Key opinions
- Unexpected open rate drop: Many marketers report a significant drop in Gmail open rates immediately after implementing DMARC, sometimes from 30-40% down to 15-20%, contrary to expectations of a rise.
- Spam folder concern: A common initial thought among marketers is that the drop in open rates indicates emails are now being sent to the spam folder, particularly with new rules from major providers like Gmail.
- Misconception about DMARC: There is a perception that DMARC alone should automatically improve open rates, overlooking the critical role of correct alignment with other authentication methods like DKIM.
- Reputation signals: Low open rates are seen as a clear signal to ISPs that recipients are not engaged with the brand or content, which can then negatively affect deliverability. This point is reinforced by Campaign Monitor.
- Open rate benchmarks: Marketers frequently compare their open rates against industry averages, with rates below 18% often being flagged as indicators of low reputation or engagement issues.
Key considerations
- DKIM configuration: Marketers must ensure their DKIM signing is properly configured with their email service provider to achieve DMARC compliance. Unconfigured DKIM can lead to DMARC failure.
- Inbox placement testing: It is crucial to test whether emails are actually landing in the inbox or spam folder, rather than solely relying on open rates, especially after authentication changes. Consider performing an email deliverability test.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Setting up and monitoring data in Google Postmaster Tools is recommended to gain insights into compliance checks and sender reputation, helping diagnose deliverability issues. This is explained in the Jacob Monash Email Marketing blog.
- Audience engagement: Beyond authentication, maintaining strong audience engagement through relevant content and list hygiene (e.g., opting for double opt-in where possible) remains vital for long-term open rate success.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks notes that their Gmail open rate dropped significantly after implementing the DMARC record, from 30-40% down to 20%, then to 15%. They questioned if this change takes time to reflect positively.
Marketer view
Marketer from SyncSpider explains that checking DMARC setup, reviewing all DNS (DKIM and SPF) technical configurations, and using email service provider features for sending emails are crucial when experiencing sudden drops in newsletter open rates.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts highlight that DMARC, when correctly implemented, is intended to improve email security and trust, not directly cause a drop in open rates. They point out that a common reason for observed drops is actually a failure in DMARC compliance, often linked to misconfigured DKIM signatures. Experts also note that changes in authentication can temporarily skew open rate metrics due to how mailbox providers handle tracking pixels, emphasizing that such a drop does not always mean emails are going to spam. They consistently advise thorough testing and monitoring using specific tools.
Key opinions
- DMARC passing: Experts assert that DMARC should not negatively impact inbox placement or open rates if it is successfully passing authentication checks.
- DKIM's reputation link: Changing DKIM signatures can significantly affect inbox placement and open rates because email filters use DKIM as a key identifier for tying reputation to a sender.
- Authentication changes: A temporary decrease in open rates might occur after setting up new DKIM keys or making authentication changes, but this is not necessarily an indication that emails are going to spam.
- Pixel pre-fetching: Google's authentication changes can impact the pre-fetching of tracking pixels, which may make reported open rates appear worse even when emails are delivered to the inbox.
- Inbox testing challenges: Reliable inbox testing, especially for providers like Google, is considered difficult, requiring a strong reliance on interpreting data from various sources.
Key considerations
- Verify DMARC compliance: The first step in troubleshooting a drop in open rates after DMARC implementation is to confirm whether the mail is actually DMARC compliant. This will help identify if your DMARC success rate is dropping.
- Utilize diagnostic tools: Experts recommend using Google's Show Original view within Gmail and third-party tools like aboutmy.email to test authentication alignment and identify issues. More information on Google Postmaster Tools can be found here.
- Warm-up period: Depending on sending volume, a warm-up period may be advisable to introduce the new authentication setup to mailbox providers gradually. This helps build trust and avoid sudden drops in deliverability.
- Focus on data interpretation: Since precise inbox testing can be challenging, particularly with Google, the focus should be on correctly interpreting available data from DMARC reports and analytics to understand deliverability trends.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks advised checking if DKIM signing has been updated for DMARC compliance when troubleshooting a drop in open rates, as this is a common overlooked step.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise mentions that many DMARC tools primarily focus on the DNS record setup, often overlooking the equally crucial aspect of authentication alignment.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and research often emphasize the foundational role of email authentication standards like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM in ensuring email deliverability and combating spam. They clarify that DMARC's primary function is to provide a framework for domain-level authentication, allowing senders to specify how receiving mail servers should handle unauthenticated emails. A successful DMARC implementation, therefore, relies on the proper configuration and alignment of underlying authentication protocols. Documentation also points to the positive impact DMARC can have on sender reputation by reducing the likelihood of spoofing and phishing, which indirectly improves inbox placement and, consequently, open rates.
Key findings
- DMARC's purpose: DMARC is designed to enhance email security by preventing unauthorized use of your domain in email, which includes spoofing and phishing attempts. Its role is primarily about authentication and policy enforcement.
- Alignment requirement: For DMARC to pass, emails must align with either SPF or DKIM. If neither aligns, DMARC fails, leading to potential delivery issues. You can find DMARC record and policy examples in our guides.
- Sender reputation: Proper DMARC implementation can significantly improve sender reputation by ensuring legitimate emails are authenticated, thus reducing the chances of being flagged as spam. This is discussed in The 101domain Blog.
- Impact on open rates: While not a direct cause, improved deliverability (due to successful DMARC authentication) contributes to higher inbox placement rates, which in turn can positively affect open rates.
- DMARC reporting: DMARC reports (RUA and RUF) provide valuable insights into authentication failures and potential spoofing attempts, which are essential for identifying misconfigurations. Read our guide on understanding DMARC reports.
Key considerations
- Full authentication chain: Ensure that your entire email sending infrastructure, including ESPs and third-party senders, is correctly configured for SPF and DKIM to achieve DMARC compliance.
- Monitor reports: Actively monitor DMARC aggregate and forensic reports to detect and troubleshoot authentication failures promptly. This data is critical for maintaining healthy deliverability.
- Iterative policy deployment: For new DMARC implementations, starting with a p=none policy and gradually moving to quarantine or rejectis recommended to avoid unintended delivery issues.
- ESP configuration: Follow your email service provider's specific instructions for setting up domain authentication, as this is crucial for correct DKIM signing and DMARC alignment. Mailchimp's guide on setting up email domain authentication provides a good example.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that setting up email domain authentication helps campaigns appear to originate from your domain, improving professionalism and reducing spam folder placement by aligning with your DMARC policy.
Technical article
Documentation from The 101domain Blog states that DMARC implementation can significantly improve sender reputation by building trust and mitigating spam-related problems, thereby enhancing overall email deliverability and inboxing.
Related resources
15 resources
Related pages
Why did my email campaign perform poorly after setting up DMARC?
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A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
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Ultimate Guide to Google Postmaster Tools V2
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How can I recover my email domain reputation after a drop in open rates?
