Summary
Moving to a dedicated IP address can sometimes lead to an initial drop in email open rates, which might seem counterintuitive given the perceived benefits of dedicated infrastructure. This phenomenon is often attributed to the need for IP warming, where the new IP builds its reputation with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) over time. However, it's crucial to differentiate between a true deliverability issue (emails landing in spam) and a reporting anomaly (e.g., Google stopping pre-fetching images). For businesses with lower sending volumes or high-risk content (like gambling), maintaining reputation on a dedicated IP can be particularly challenging.
Key findings
- IP reputation reset: A new dedicated IP address starts with no sending history or reputation, requiring a gradual warm-up process to build trust with ISPs. Emails from new IPs often face initial scrutiny.
- Reporting vs. delivery: A perceived drop in open rates might not indicate emails are going to spam. Changes in sending infrastructure (IP, authenticated domains) can lead to ISPs, particularly Google, temporarily ceasing image pre-fetching, which impacts open rate metrics without affecting actual inbox placement.
- Low sending volume: Dedicated IPs are generally recommended for high-volume senders. Lower volumes (e.g., 13k list with 10-20 daily opt-ins, sending once or twice a month) make it difficult to maintain a consistent sending reputation, potentially leading to deliverability challenges.
- Content type: Content flagged as high-risk, such as gambling-related emails, faces increased scrutiny from ISPs, making reputation building on a new dedicated IP even more critical.
- Trigger email impact: Welcome triggers and other automated emails may see immediate open rate drops after an IP change, sometimes more severely than broadcast emails, indicating sensitivity to new sending patterns. Sudden drops in open rates often require investigation.
- Authentication: Ensuring 100% adherence to email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is crucial to establish and maintain sender legitimacy on a new IP.
Key considerations
- Verify deliverability: Before attempting extensive fixes, confirm whether emails are genuinely hitting spam folders or if it's a reporting discrepancy. Tools like Google Postmaster Tools can help with this.
- IP warming strategy: Implement a disciplined IP warming schedule, even with low volume. Focus on sending to your most engaged subscribers first and gradually increase volume.
- Audience communication: If deliverability is confirmed as an issue, use alternative channels (website, app, social media) to ask users to check spam folders and move emails to the inbox.
- Monitor by domain: Analyze open rates by specific recipient domains (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) to identify where the biggest drops are occurring, which can inform targeted remediation.
- Reconsider shared IP: For very low sending volumes, a shared IP might offer better stability due to the aggregated reputation of other senders, even with challenging content types.
- Patience: It can take several weeks (3-5) for a new dedicated IP to establish a stable reputation and for pre-fetching behavior to normalize.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often find themselves in a challenging position when transitioning to a dedicated IP, especially when faced with an immediate dip in performance metrics like open rates. Many initially suspect a direct deliverability problem, assuming emails are going to spam, but quickly learn that the situation is more nuanced. The core concerns revolve around the IP warming process for a new, unestablished IP and the suitability of a dedicated IP for lower sending volumes.
Key opinions
- Initial skepticism: Some marketers are initially skeptical of 20% open rates being considered 'great' even before the IP change, suggesting potential underlying issues. However, the drop from 25-35% or 60% is a clear concern.
- Warm-up importance: A common first thought is to inquire whether the dedicated IP was properly warmed up or if the full list was sent to immediately.
- Volume challenges: Many marketers identify low traffic volume as a potential hurdle for maintaining reputation on a dedicated IP, even if initial incremental sending attempts were made.
- Confirmation campaigns: Implementing a confirmation trigger or broadcast to encourage users to move emails from spam to the inbox is seen as a practical step to confirm and improve deliverability. This can also help increase email engagement.
- Domain reputation checks: Checking domain reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools is recommended to gain insights into how ISPs perceive the sending domain.
Key considerations
- Assess volume needs: Consider if the current sending volume truly justifies a dedicated IP, especially given the challenges of warming it up. For example, some find that 13k subscribers with infrequent sends is too low.
- Prioritize authentication: Ensure all email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are perfectly configured and passing, as this is foundational for reputation.
- Monitor metrics patiently: After making changes or during the warming period, patiently monitor open rates and other metrics to see if they normalize over several weeks. Understanding why email open rates drop requires time.
- Troubleshoot triggers: If welcome triggers are particularly affected, investigate their specific deliverability, as they are often more sensitive to new IP reputation.
- General troubleshooting: Remember that many factors can cause a sudden drop in email open rates, not just IP changes.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks observes that initial open rates around 20% on a shared pool were acceptable for them, but the significant drop after moving to a dedicated IP is what truly concerns them.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests asking whether the dedicated IP was properly warmed up before sending to the full list to understand the cause of the open rate drop.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts highlight that a drop in open rates after moving to a dedicated IP is a common scenario, often misinterpreted as a direct deliverability failure. They emphasize the critical distinction between a real issue (emails in spam) and a reporting artifact (ISP pre-fetching behavior). For senders with specific content types or low volumes, the challenges are exacerbated, requiring a strategic and patient approach to reputation building.
Key opinions
- Verify delivery: Experts stress the importance of actively determining if emails are actually going to the spam folder or if the perceived drop in open rates is due to reporting issues.
- Prefetching impact: Changes in sending identity, such as a new IP or authenticated domain, can cause Google to stop pre-fetching images, artificially lowering reported open rates without affecting inbox placement.
- Reporting vs. actual opens: It's important to remember that 'opens' are often measured by image loads. If pre-fetching stops, reported opens drop, but images still load when users genuinely open the email in their client.
- Low volume challenges: While 13k is a low volume for dedicated IP warming, some experts have clients successfully operating in this range, especially if the ESP's IP ranges are more forgiving.
- Authentication as foundation: Ensure all email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is 100% correctly configured, as this is fundamental for building and maintaining trust with ISPs. This is a key step in improving email deliverability.
- Domain-specific analysis: Analyzing open rates by recipient domain can provide valuable insights into where deliverability issues might truly lie, guiding specific remediation efforts.
Key considerations
- Patient monitoring: If the issue is primarily pre-fetching, it generally resolves itself after a few weeks as ISPs re-establish trust with the new infrastructure.
- Avoid unnecessary changes: Do not implement significant 'delivery fixes' if the problem is determined to be a reporting anomaly, as this could introduce new issues without resolving the core concern.
- Consider shared IP: For low sending volumes, a return to a shared IP might be a more stable option, as its reputation is aggregated across multiple senders.
- Proactive communication: Leverage website, login areas, or in-app notifications to proactively inform users about potential email delivery changes and instruct them on moving emails from spam if necessary.
- Blocklist monitoring: Regularly monitor for IP or domain blacklists as part of your deliverability strategy to identify genuine reputation issues.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that changing sending identities, such as the IP address or authenticated domains like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, can lead Google to stop pre-fetching images.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that a perceived decrease in opens due to stopped pre-fetching is not a true delivery problem, as users will still see images load when they manually open the message.
What the documentation says
Official documentation from various email service providers and industry bodies consistently highlights the importance of IP reputation and the unique challenges associated with dedicated IPs. They generally advocate for a structured IP warming process and meticulous attention to sender authentication. The consensus is that while dedicated IPs offer greater control over sender reputation, they also demand consistent, high-quality sending practices, especially regarding volume and content.
Key findings
- Reputation isolation: Documentation often states that a dedicated IP isolates a sender's reputation, meaning their deliverability is solely dependent on their own sending practices, unlike shared IPs.
- IP warming necessity: Almost all documentation stresses the critical need for IP warming when moving to a new dedicated IP. This process allows ISPs to validate the sender's legitimacy and build trust.
- Consistent delivery: A primary benefit of a dedicated IP, as outlined in documentation, is the potential for more consistent delivery rates, assuming proper reputation management.
- Authentication importance: Technical documentation universally emphasizes that robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is fundamental for any IP, but especially for new dedicated IPs, to prove sender identity and avoid spam folders. Utilize a simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM.
- Engagement signals: Engagement metrics, such as opens and clicks, are described as key indicators that ISPs use to assess sender reputation. Low engagement, regardless of IP type, can negatively impact deliverability.
Key considerations
- Volume appropriateness: Documentation implies that dedicated IPs are best suited for senders with sufficiently high and consistent email volume to maintain a healthy reputation.
- Monitoring tools: Using tools like Google Postmaster Tools is frequently recommended for monitoring domain and IP reputation. An ultimate guide to Google Postmaster Tools can be helpful.
- Content guidelines: Adhering to content guidelines and avoiding spammy practices are crucial, as high complaint rates will quickly damage a dedicated IP's reputation, regardless of warming.
- Patience and consistency: Documentation often emphasizes that building a solid IP reputation takes time and consistent, good sending habits.
- Troubleshooting methodology: When issues arise, it's advised to first verify whether the problem is a deliverability failure (emails blocked/spammed) or a reporting issue (like pre-fetching changes).
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp indicates that using a dedicated IP address can lead to more consistent delivery rates, which helps senders reach more subscribers and effectively avoid spam filters.
Technical article
Documentation from Customer.io highlights that a low IP or domain reputation is the most frequent reason why a given email might be filtered directly into the spam folder.
Related resources
15 resources
Related pages
Why are emails from new dedicated IPs and domains landing in spam?
What causes a sudden drop in email open rates?
How can I recover my email domain reputation after a drop in open rates?
Why did my email open rates drop after increasing sending volume on a shared IP?
Why has my email open rate dropped suddenly and what can I do?
Why are Microsoft email open rates low during IP warm-up?
What are the downsides of migrating from a shared IP to a dedicated IP for low volume email senders?
Why Your Emails Fail: Expert Guide to Improve Email Deliverability [2025]
How email blacklists actually work: a simple guide
A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
