Summary
When migrating from one email service provider (ESP) to another, such as from DotDigital to HubSpot, a common concern among marketers is a noticeable drop in email engagement. This phenomenon is often observed across various industries and can be attributed to several factors related to the new platform's infrastructure, sender reputation, and configuration differences. While both platforms offer robust email marketing capabilities, the underlying technical nuances can significantly impact how recipient mailbox providers (MBPs) perceive and deliver your emails.
Key findings
- New platform impact: Engagement rates, including opens and clicks, frequently decrease after switching ESPs. This is a widely known but often undocumented occurrence in the email deliverability community.
- Header inconsistencies: Issues like double headers (e.g., From, CC) can cause significant deliverability problems and should be addressed promptly.
- DKIM alignment: The order of DKIM signatures (your domain first vs. ESP's domain first) and the DKIM configuration (relaxed vs. simple) can influence how emails are processed by corporate mail filters like Mimecast and Proofpoint.
- MX record for subdomains: The absence of a valid MX record for the sending subdomain can signal an improper setup to some recipient servers, even if not directly related to email sending.
- Sender reputation reset: A new ESP means starting with a new IP address (or shared IP space) and domain history for that particular sending infrastructure. Mailbox providers build reputation based on specific sending patterns and historical engagement from those IPs and domains. This can be viewed as a sender reputation reset to some extent.
Key considerations
- Warm-up strategy: Even with warm, expected, and opted-in email lists, a proper IP and domain warm-up strategy on the new ESP is crucial to gradually build trust with MBPs. This helps to prevent a sudden drop in email open rates.
- DMARC reports: Leverage DMARC aggregate and forensic reports to identify authentication failures and understand how MBPs are processing your emails after the switch, even with a p=none policy. This provides valuable insights into deliverability issues.
- Bounce and deferral data: Analyze detailed bounce and deferral reports, potentially reaching out to your ESP for granular data, to pinpoint specific error messages or recipient providers causing issues.
- Mailbox provider breakdown: Attempt to segment engagement metrics by recipient mailbox provider. If drops are concentrated at specific providers (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, Mimecast), it helps narrow down troubleshooting efforts.
- HubSpot specific considerations: While HubSpot provides a comprehensive marketing suite, it may handle email authentication (like SPF alignment) differently than a specialized email platform. For a detailed comparison of features, consider resources like this HubSpot vs. Dotdigital comparison to understand potential functional differences.
What email marketers say
Email marketers frequently encounter challenges with engagement rates when migrating between email service providers. The common sentiment is that a drop in opens and clicks is almost an expected part of the transition, regardless of the platforms involved. This often stems from a combination of the new platform's unique infrastructure, the re-establishment of sender reputation with internet service providers (ISPs), and subtle differences in how email authentication and sending practices are managed. Marketers emphasize the importance of understanding these shifts rather than directly comparing metrics between disparate systems.
Key opinions
- Inherent drop: A drop in email engagement is a common, almost inevitable occurrence when switching ESPs. It's not necessarily a sign of a problem with the new platform, but rather a characteristic of migration.
- History matters: The incumbent (old) platform benefits from established historical sending data and recipient trust, which the new platform needs to build from scratch.
- No direct comparison: It's difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison between engagement metrics on different ESPs due to varying filtering, reporting, and analytics methodologies.
- Consistency is key: Those who persist with the new ESP and maintain good sending practices typically see engagement rates gradually recover over time.
Key considerations
- Long-term view: Marketers should prepare for an initial dip in engagement and focus on long-term reputation building rather than immediate comparisons.
- Focus on fundamentals: Re-evaluate and reinforce foundational email deliverability practices, such as list hygiene, segmentation, and content quality, on the new platform.
- Understand ESP differences: Be aware that each ESP (like HubSpot or DotDigital) has its own way of managing IPs, authentication, and reporting, which affects how engagement is measured and perceived. This is why a Gartner Peer Insights comparison can be insightful.
- Monitor specific metrics: Beyond open rates, pay close attention to bounce rates and spam complaint rates, as these are stronger indicators of deliverability issues than temporary engagement dips. If your bounce rates suddenly increase, this indicates a more serious problem.
Marketer view
A marketer from Email Geeks explains that if you are observing duplicate From, CC, or other headers when using HubSpot, this is the primary area to investigate. Such inconsistencies in email headers can significantly impact how an email is processed by receiving servers and often lead to deliverability problems.
Marketer view
A marketer from Email Geeks suggests that the incumbent platform (the old ESP) inherently possesses a historical advantage during a migration period. This established history contributes to better deliverability and engagement metrics on the old platform, which the new ESP must gradually build up.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts highlight that when migrating between ESPs, such as from DotDigital to HubSpot, the new platform lacks the established sending history and reputation of the old one. This reputation building process often results in an initial dip in engagement, which is normal and expected. They emphasize the importance of meticulously analyzing authentication configurations (DKIM, SPF, DMARC) and reviewing detailed bounce data to diagnose specific issues rather than broad platform comparisons. Understanding these technical nuances is crucial for navigating the post-migration period successfully.
Key opinions
- Header analysis: If tools show duplicate headers (From, CC, Subject, To), this is a primary area for investigation as it can cause significant problems with email rendering and deliverability.
- DKIM oversigning: The appearance of multiple headers might indicate DKIM oversigning (signing more headers than exist), which is a common mitigation strategy against replay attacks rather than an issue with multiple headers themselves.
- DKIM strictness: Strict DKIM configurations can lead to issues with email forwarding, which relaxed configurations tend to avoid. This is a potential cause for deliverability problems, especially with intermediaries.
- Post-migration dip is normal: It is widely acknowledged among deliverability experts that engagement rates almost always drop when switching ESPs. The new platform lacks the established history of the old one, contributing to this initial dip.
Key considerations
- DMARC report analysis: Before attributing issues to DKIM strictness, thoroughly examine DMARC reports to identify specific authentication problems as seen by recipients. These reports provide crucial data about alignment and policy enforcement (even with a p=none policy). You can learn more about understanding DMARC reports.
- Bounce and deferral data: Analyze bounce and deferral data provided by the ESP. This information, especially when broken down by recipient mailbox provider, can pinpoint the exact reasons for non-delivery or throttling.
- Segment by recipient provider: Break down engagement metrics by individual recipient mailbox providers. If the drop is concentrated at specific providers (e.g., Google, Microsoft, Mimecast), it indicates a targeted deliverability challenge rather than a general platform issue.
- Consistency and patience: Recognize that building new sender reputation takes time and consistent good sending practices. An initial drop is not necessarily indicative of a broken setup if core authentication and sending hygiene are correct. This is also covered in why Microsoft email engagement might drop.
Expert view
An expert from Email Geeks recommends starting the investigation of engagement drops by examining duplicate headers if they appear in tools like aboutmy.email. They state that the presence of multiple From or CC headers, for example, is a strong indicator of underlying problems that can severely impact deliverability.
Expert view
An expert from SpamResource states that the sudden decline in engagement after switching ESPs is a well-known phenomenon, often linked to the new sender having to establish their reputation. This process involves proving legitimate sending practices to ISPs, which can take time and result in an initial dip in inbox placement.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and technical standards shed light on the intricacies of email authentication and configuration that can impact deliverability. While DotDigital and HubSpot both aim for compliance with major email requirements, subtle differences in their implementation of protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can have significant consequences. Understanding how these platforms manage authentication (e.g., DKIM signing order, SPF alignment) and the implications of stricter vs. relaxed configurations is vital. The presence or absence of DNS records like MX records for sending subdomains can also play a role in how receiving mail servers validate incoming mail streams.
Key findings
- DKIM signature order: The sequence of DKIM signatures (ESP's domain vs. customer's domain) can vary between platforms and potentially affect how some corporate filters (like Mimecast or Proofpoint) validate emails.
- DKIM alignment modes: DKIM offers relaxed and simple (strict) modes. Simple mode requires an exact match of the domain in the From header and the DKIM d= tag, whereas relaxed allows for subdomain matches. This difference can impact forwarding and authentication success.
- SPF alignment: While DKIM alignment is often sufficient for DMARC pass, SPF alignment also contributes to overall email authentication and trust. Platforms that offer full SPF alignment may have an edge in certain scenarios.
- MX record presence: Although not directly used for sending, the absence of an MX record for a sending subdomain can appear as an incomplete or suspicious setup to some mail servers during their validation checks.
Key considerations
- DMARC policy impact: Even with a p=none DMARC policy, monitoring DMARC reports is essential. They provide visibility into how recipient servers are evaluating your email authentication, which can reveal hidden deliverability issues.
- Header conformity: Ensuring email headers conform to RFC standards (e.g., RFC 5322) is critical. Duplicated or non-standard headers can trigger spam filters and cause emails to be delivered to spam or rejected. For more, see What RFC 5322 Says vs. What Actually Works.
- Platform-specific setup: Each ESP has specific requirements for DNS setup and authentication. Adhering to these, including CNAMEs for DKIM and proper SPF records, is paramount to ensure proper email flow. For example, HubSpot's email sending domain setup details their requirements.
- Domain reputation: Shifting to a new ESP inherently means building a new reputation associated with that platform's sending infrastructure. Consistent good sending practices are key to maintaining and improving this reputation.
Technical article
The RFC 6376 (DKIM) documentation specifies that the d= tag in a DKIM signature indicates the signing domain. While multiple signatures are permitted, the order can influence processing by recipient systems, especially those with specific validation preferences or custom filters.
Technical article
RFC 5322 documentation concerning internet message format specifies standard headers for emails. It implicitly warns that duplicate or malformed headers can lead to parsing errors and potentially classify an email as spam or non-compliant, affecting its deliverability.
Related resources
7 resources
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