Why is Google Postmaster data missing and when will it be restored?

Key findings

• Intermittent outages: Google Postmaster Tools (GPT) sometimes experiences periods of missing or delayed data, which can affect various dashboards like IP reputation, domain reputation, and spam rate.
• DMARC report correlation: Missing DMARC aggregate reports often coincide with GPT data outages, suggesting a related underlying issue in Google's data processing. You can find more about how to resolve DMARC aggregate report issues here.
• Data restoration: Historically, Google has often been able to restore (backfill) missing data after an outage is resolved, though a short data gap may remain.
• No official communication: Google typically does not provide public timelines or specific reasons for these data outages, leaving senders to monitor for resolution. For general insights into the tool, you can consult the official Google documentation on Gmail API performance.
• Common occurrence: Missing data in GPT is a known and somewhat recurring issue, as highlighted by various community discussions and past incident reports like those on Delivery Counts.

Key considerations

• Patience and monitoring: When GPT data is missing, the primary action is to patiently monitor the tool for updates, as Google typically resolves these issues internally.
• Community check: Consulting email deliverability communities or forums can help confirm if the issue is widespread or isolated to your domain.
• Focus on other metrics: During outages, rely on other available metrics, such as internal sending logs, bounce rates, and engagement data, to assess email performance.
• Understand data limitations: Be aware that GPT data may not always be real-time and often has a delay of a few days, even under normal circumstances. For more information, see our guide on Google Postmaster Tools data updates and historical data backfilling.
• No immediate deliverability impact: Missing data in GPT doesn't necessarily mean your emails are suddenly going to spam or being blocked. It primarily means you lack visibility into Gmail's filtering decisions during that period.

Key opinions

• Widespread confirmation: Many marketers quickly confirm with colleagues and online communities that they are also experiencing missing data in GPT, indicating a systemic issue rather than an isolated problem.
• DMARC reports affected: It is a common observation that DMARC aggregate reports from Google also stop flowing during GPT data outages, suggesting interconnected data systems. Learn more about DMARC issues with Google here.
• Hope for restoration: There's a general expectation that Google will eventually fix the issue and backfill the missing data, based on past experiences with similar outages.
• Lack of communication: Frustration is common due to Google's silence regarding the root cause, expected resolution, or status updates during outages. For insights on common issues, check our guide on common issues and outages with Google Postmaster Tools.
• Relief when data returns: When data eventually returns, even with gaps, marketers express relief, acknowledging that visibility is preferable to uncertainty.

Key considerations

• Impact on reporting: Missing data directly impacts the ability to generate accurate and complete reports for email performance, especially regarding Gmail deliverability.
• Monitoring alternatives: Marketers should consider alternative methods for monitoring deliverability, such as internal bounce rate tracking and engagement metrics, when GPT is unreliable.
• No immediate panic: While concerning, missing GPT data rarely signals an immediate, drastic decline in deliverability unless other metrics confirm a problem.
• Historical data reliability: If data is eventually backfilled, the historical accuracy generally holds, allowing for later analysis of the affected period. However, it may not be perfect.
• Operational continuity: Continue to operate email campaigns as usual, ensuring best practices are followed, as the outage is typically on Google's end, not an indicator of a new issue with your sending.

Key opinions

• Google's internal awareness: Experts believe that Google is typically aware of Postmaster Tools data outages and is actively working on a resolution, even without public announcements.
• Eventual data restoration: Based on historical patterns, experts anticipate that Google will eventually restore the missing data, often backfilling it, though some short gaps might persist.
• Uncertainty is normal: Deliverability experts are accustomed to periods of silence from major ISPs during system issues and recommend focusing on controllable factors.
• Potential system changes: Some experts speculate that data outages could be related to ongoing changes or updates to Google's internal systems, rather than just simple technical glitches.
• Broader impact assessment: While GPT provides specific insights, experts emphasize evaluating overall deliverability through a combination of metrics, including engagement and bounce rates, especially when GPT is down. You can learn more about assessing your domain's reputation here.

Key considerations

• No panic sending changes: Experts caution against making drastic changes to sending practices during a GPT outage, as it's likely an internal Google issue, not a sudden deliverability decline.
• Internal monitoring importance: Having robust internal logging and deliverability monitoring tools is crucial to mitigate the impact of external data outages like those from GPT.
• Cross-ISP data: While GPT focuses on Gmail, experts recommend reviewing deliverability data from other ISPs (e.g., Yahoo, Outlook) to get a more complete picture of email performance.
• Understanding data limitations: Experts stress that GPT data is always somewhat delayed (e.g., 2-3 days) even when fully operational, so instant updates should never be expected. You can find more details on why GPT data can be limited or intermittent here.
• Strategic planning: Develop strategies that account for potential monitoring gaps, ensuring that deliverability teams can still make informed decisions without real-time GPT data.

Key findings

• Data latency: Domain reputation data within GPT typically populates after at least 2 days, meaning data for a given date will only be available a couple of days later.
• No retroactive data: GPT only shows data from the point your domain was successfully verified, not for any period before verification.
• Thresholds for data visibility: Data is only displayed if there's a significant daily volume of emails and a threshold of abuse reports, preventing sparse data from being shown.
• API for integration: Google offers a Postmaster Tools API for programmatic access to insights like spam rates and feedback loop data, which can be integrated into other systems. See our page on Google's Postmaster API for more.
• Importance of authentication: While not directly about data outages, official guides consistently highlight the critical role of email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for healthy deliverability. Learn more about simple DMARC, SPF, and DKIM here.

Key considerations

• Verify domain properly: Ensure your domain is correctly set up and verified within Google Postmaster Tools to enable data collection.
• Understand data prerequisites: Be aware that some reports (e.g., feedback loop) require participation in Gmail's FBL program and sufficient sending volume to display data.
• Data is for Gmail only: Remember that Postmaster Tools provides data specifically for emails sent to Gmail users, not for other mailboxes.
• Thresholds for reputation: Domain reputation and IP reputation metrics require a significant volume of traffic to populate, meaning low-volume senders may not see data.
• Not a real-time tool: Official documentation implies GPT is an analytical tool for trends and historical data, not a live dashboard, so minor delays are expected.