Summary
Lower email engagement after switching from DotDigital to HubSpot is a multifaceted issue arising from several potential causes. A primary factor is sender reputation, as new IP addresses require a warm-up period to establish trust with email providers. List hygiene practices may differ between the platforms, leading to variations in contact suppression and engagement. Authentication issues, particularly with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, are critical. HubSpot's DKIM configuration is frequently a source of problems, and incorrect setup can significantly impact deliverability. Deliverability settings, list segmentation strategies, and email tracking methodologies also vary between ESPs, contributing to differing results. Additionally, technical issues such as DKIM oversigning, inconsistent or duplicate email headers, and changes in content that trigger spam filters play a role. The general engagement drop associated with ESP switching further complicates the matter.
Key findings
- Sender Reputation: New IP addresses from switching ESPs require warm-up to build a positive sender reputation.
- List Hygiene Practices: Different list hygiene practices between ESPs impact engagement through contact suppression and inclusion.
- Email Authentication: Incorrect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations lead to deliverability problems; HubSpot DKIM is a common issue.
- Deliverability Settings: Varying default deliverability settings between ESPs affect overall email engagement.
- List Segmentation: Differing list segmentation strategies between platforms alter audience targeting and engagement.
- Email Tracking Methods: Discrepancies in open and click tracking methods between ESPs complicate performance comparisons.
- Technical Header Issues: DKIM oversigning and inconsistent email headers cause deliverability issues.
- Content Filtering: Changes in email content can trigger more aggressive filtering, reducing engagement.
- ESP Switching Effects: A general engagement drop is common when migrating between ESPs.
Key considerations
- IP Warm-up Strategy: Implement a gradual IP warm-up strategy for the new HubSpot IP address.
- List Hygiene Audit: Review and align list hygiene practices in HubSpot to maintain or improve contact engagement.
- Authentication Protocol Check: Verify and correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, paying close attention to HubSpot's DKIM setup.
- Deliverability Settings Review: Adjust HubSpot's deliverability settings to match or optimize DotDigital's configuration.
- Segmentation Alignment: Ensure list segmentation strategies in HubSpot align with or improve upon prior practices.
- Engagement Tracking Adjustments: Account for potential discrepancies in tracking methods between ESPs when comparing engagement metrics.
- Email Header Analysis: Analyze email headers to resolve any inconsistencies or technical issues, such as DKIM oversigning.
- Content Review: Review recent content changes in the email marketing strategy.
- Content Optimization: Review and potentially optimise email content to avoid triggering aggressive spam filters.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Several factors can contribute to lower email engagement after switching from DotDigital to HubSpot. These include sender reputation issues due to a new IP address requiring warm-up, changes in list hygiene practices leading to different contact suppression, and incorrect setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication. Differences in deliverability settings, list segmentation strategies, and tracking methods between the platforms can also play a role. Inconsistencies in email headers and the absence of certain features or integrations in HubSpot, compared to DotDigital, may further affect engagement. Duplicate headers are another potential issue.
Key opinions
- Sender Reputation: Switching ESPs impacts sender reputation, requiring IP warm-up.
- List Hygiene: Changes in list hygiene practices affect engagement.
- Authentication: Incorrect SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup hinders deliverability.
- Deliverability Settings: Different default deliverability settings influence engagement.
- Segmentation: Varied list segmentation strategies impact targeting.
- Tracking Discrepancies: Different tracking methods between platforms affect reported engagement metrics.
- Email Headers: Inconsistent or duplicate email headers lead to deliverability problems.
Key considerations
- IP Warm-up: Gradually increase sending volume to build sender reputation on HubSpot.
- List Management: Review and adjust list hygiene practices to match desired engagement levels.
- Email Authentication: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for the sending domain in HubSpot.
- ESP Settings: Review and adjust deliverability settings in HubSpot to align with DotDigital.
- Segmentation Alignment: Ensure similar list segmentation strategies are used in HubSpot.
- Feature Verification: Verify that HubSpot's implementation of features/integrations matches DotDigital.
- Header Configuration: Verify and correct email header configurations, addressing duplicate headers.
- Tracking Discrepancies: Account for different open and click tracking between the platforms when analysing results.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Neil Patel Digital explains that switching ESPs can impact sender reputation. A new IP address may not have an established reputation, leading to lower deliverability and engagement until it's warmed up.
21 Jan 2023 - Neil Patel Digital
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that duplicate From, CC, etc. headers on HubSpot could be causing problems.
26 Nov 2021 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
6 expert opinions
Several factors can contribute to lower email engagement after switching from DotDigital to HubSpot. These include issues with DKIM oversigning, the need to analyze DMARC and bounce/deferral reports, the general drop in engagement often seen when switching ESPs, and differing filtering, reporting, and analytics across platforms. IP warm-up for HubSpot is crucial, and changes in email content could lead to increased filtering.
Key opinions
- DKIM Oversigning: DKIM oversigning may be occurring instead of multiple headers.
- DMARC Reports: DMARC reports provide useful authentication data.
- Bounce Data: Bounce/deferral data reveals recipient provider feedback.
- Engagement Drop on ESP Switch: Engagement often decreases when changing ESPs.
- Filtering/Reporting Differences: Filtering, reporting, and analytics differ across ESPs.
- IP Warm-up: HubSpot IP address needs warm-up and reputation building.
- Content Filtering: Changes in content may lead to increased filtering.
Key considerations
- DKIM Review: Investigate DKIM signing to ensure correct configuration.
- DMARC Analysis: Analyze DMARC reports to identify and address authentication issues.
- Bounce Monitoring: Monitor bounce and deferral data for specific provider issues.
- ESP Expectation: Expect some engagement drop initially when switching ESPs.
- Reporting Adjustment: Account for different filtering, reporting, and analytics methodologies.
- IP Warm-up Implementation: Implement a strategy to warm up the HubSpot IP address.
- Content Review: Review email content for changes that may trigger filters.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that a likely reason for reduced engagement is that the IP address used by Hubspot needs to be warmed up and have its reputation built. This is a common cause when switching ESPs.
4 Apr 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that different filtering, reporting, and analytics can contribute to different results between ESPs with Tim Starr adding that you can't A/B test ESPs.
25 Apr 2025 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Lower email engagement after switching from DotDigital to HubSpot can be attributed to misconfigured email authentication protocols. Specifically, issues with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records can lead to deliverability problems. Hubspot DKIM not being set up is a common reason for lower deliverability.
Key findings
- SPF Alignment: Incorrect SPF configuration can cause alignment issues.
- DKIM Signatures: DKIM signatures may differ between ESPs, affecting authenticity.
- DMARC Policy: Improper DMARC policy setup can lead to deliverability problems.
- Hubspot DKIM: Hubspot DKIM commonly not configured correctly.
Key considerations
- SPF Configuration: Ensure SPF records are correctly configured for the new sending domain.
- DKIM Implementation: Implement DKIM setup correctly on HubSpot.
- DMARC Policy Setup: Check DMARC record configuration to work with HubSpot's sending domain.
- Verify Hubspot DKIM: Follow Hubspot documentation to ensure Hubspot DKIM is properly configured.
Technical article
Documentation from DMARC explains that Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) policy, if not set up correctly after the switch, can lead to deliverability problems. Check if the DMARC record is properly configured to work with HubSpot's sending domain.
29 Aug 2024 - DMARC
Technical article
Documentation from Hubspot explains that a common reason is that Hubspot DKIM hasn't been properly configured. Setting this up will help mail providers authenticate emails sent from hubspot.
8 Jan 2022 - Hubspot
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