Summary
iCloud email deliverability often lags behind Gmail due to differing algorithmic priorities and stricter filtering mechanisms. Google prioritizes inbox engagement for ad views, while iCloud focuses on promoting Apple services. Recent reports also suggest Apple is aware of deliverability issues potentially unrelated to sender reputation. Compounding this is Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), which inflates open rates and obscures true engagement. Effective strategies to improve iCloud deliverability encompass both technical and strategic approaches: ensuring robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), diligently monitoring sender reputation, practicing impeccable list hygiene (removing inactive addresses and utilizing double opt-in), creating engaging and personalized content, segmenting audiences for targeted messaging, warming up IP addresses gradually, actively managing feedback loops, directly engaging with Apple for support, and focusing on metrics beyond inflated open rates, such as click-through rates and conversions. A period of reduced sending to iCloud addresses may also aid reputation recovery.
Key findings
- Algorithmic Divergence: Gmail and iCloud employ different filtering algorithms, influencing deliverability.
- Stricter iCloud Filters: iCloud maintains stricter, often less transparent spam filters.
- MPP Obfuscation: Apple's Mail Privacy Protection inflates open rates, hindering accurate engagement assessment.
- Reputation Matters: Sender reputation remains a crucial factor, even amidst potential Apple-side issues.
- Potential Apple Issue: Apple has acknowledged possible deliverability issues independent of sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Robust Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to authenticate emails and prevent spoofing.
- Reputation Vigilance: Continuously monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS.
- List Purity: Maintain a clean email list through double opt-in and regular removal of inactive subscribers.
- Engaging Content: Create high-quality, relevant content to boost user engagement and positive signals.
- Audience Segmentation: Segment email lists for more targeted and personalized messaging.
- Gradual IP Warming: Warm up new IP addresses incrementally to establish a positive sending reputation.
- Feedback Loop Management: Actively manage feedback loops to address and remove spam complainers.
- Direct Apple Contact: Consider contacting Apple directly to address specific deliverability concerns.
- Metrics Shift: Prioritize click-through rates and conversions over open rates due to MPP inflation.
- Reputation Reset Pause: Consider temporarily reducing or pausing sending to iCloud addresses to allow reputation to recover.
- Sending practices: Thoroughly examine and adjust sending practices to align with best practices and iCloud's requirements.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Email deliverability to iCloud can be significantly poorer than to Gmail due to several factors. iCloud employs different, often stricter, spam filtering algorithms that weigh sender reputation, content quality, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement metrics differently. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) can also indirectly impact deliverability by inflating open rates, making it difficult to gauge true engagement. To improve iCloud deliverability, strategies include rigorous list hygiene (removing inactive or unengaged users), implementing double opt-in, warming up new IP addresses, segmenting email lists for targeted content, monitoring sender reputation through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS, using Feedback Loops to identify and remove spam complainers, and ensuring proper email authentication. Validity also suggests that Apple is aware of deliverability issues and is working to fix them but that reputation may not be the immediate issue.
Key opinions
- Different Algorithms: iCloud and Gmail use distinct algorithms and spam filters, leading to varying deliverability results.
- Stricter Filtering: iCloud is known to have stricter spam filters, making it harder for emails to reach the inbox.
- MPP Impact: Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) inflates open rates, complicating the assessment of engagement metrics.
- Reputation is king: Reputation of senders is still important.
- Reputation may not be king: Apple has also acknowledged a potential deliverability issue that may not be due to the sender's reputation.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or unengaged users.
- Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Engagement Metrics: Focus on improving email engagement through valuable content and personalization.
- Segmentation: Segment your email lists to send more targeted and relevant emails.
- IP Warming: Gradually warm up new IP addresses to establish a positive sending reputation.
- Feedback Loops: Implement Feedback Loops to identify and remove users who mark emails as spam.
- Monitor Reputation: Monitor your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS.
- Double Opt-In: Use double opt-in to verify email addresses and improve list quality.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Validity shares that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) affects open rates, which can indirectly impact deliverability. MPP can inflate open rates, making it harder to identify engaged users. To compensate, focus on other engagement metrics like clicks and conversions, and ensure proper list hygiene to avoid sending to unengaged users.
16 Aug 2023 - Validity
Marketer view
Email marketer from Litmus explains that improving email engagement is key to better deliverability. Focus on creating valuable content, segmenting your audience, personalizing emails, and making it easy for recipients to unsubscribe. High engagement signals like opens, clicks, and replies indicate that your emails are welcome and improve your sender reputation.
16 May 2024 - Litmus
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Email deliverability to iCloud differs significantly from Gmail due to differing priorities and filtering mechanisms. Google aims to keep users engaged in their inbox for ad views, while iCloud is geared towards promoting Apple's services. iCloud's stricter filtering, potentially triggered by spam complaints, low engagement, or problematic content, necessitates a diligent review of sending practices. Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) further complicates matters by inflating open rates, making accurate engagement measurement challenging. Strategies to improve iCloud deliverability include contacting Apple directly to explain sending practices, ensuring a clean email list, focusing on authentication and engaging content, shifting focus to click-through rates and conversions instead of inflated open rates, and potentially pausing sending to iCloud addresses to allow reputation to reset.
Key opinions
- Different Priorities: Google and iCloud have different priorities influencing their filtering decisions.
- Stricter Filtering: iCloud employs more aggressive and less transparent filtering methods.
- MPP Impact: Apple Mail Privacy Protection skews open rates, hindering accurate engagement tracking.
- Contact Apple: Direct communication with Apple can be beneficial in resolving deliverability issues.
Key considerations
- Review Sending Practices: Thoroughly examine and adjust sending practices to align with best practices and iCloud's requirements.
- List Hygiene: Maintain a clean and engaged email list by removing inactive or unengaged subscribers.
- Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify sender identity.
- Content Engagement: Create engaging and valuable content to improve user interaction and signal positive intent.
- Monitor Key Metrics: Shift focus to metrics like click-through rates and conversions to gauge email performance accurately in the context of MPP.
- Consider Reputation Reset: Consider temporarily pausing sending to iCloud addresses to allow reputation to reset.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks advises reaching out to iCloud again after a month and carefully reviewing their recommendations. They also suggest ensuring that iCloud addresses haven't been purged due to 5xx responses and potentially pausing sending to iCloud to allow reputation to reset, as consistently sending mail to bulk can harm deliverability.
29 Oct 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise discusses the impact of Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP). It highlights that MPP inflates open rates, making it harder to gauge actual engagement. It suggests a shift in focus towards other metrics like click-through rates and conversions, and focusing on ensuring list hygiene and deliverability practices to mitigate the effects of inflated open rates.
13 Feb 2025 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Poor email deliverability to iCloud compared to Gmail can be addressed by focusing on email authentication, sender reputation monitoring, and adherence to best practices for bulk email sending. Apple emphasizes user experience and filters emails that don't meet their standards. Implementing SPF prevents email spoofing by verifying sender IPs. DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM by providing a policy for handling messages failing authentication and offering reporting mechanisms. Microsoft's SNDS allows senders to monitor their IP reputation, spam complaints, and traffic volume to identify deliverability issues.
Key findings
- Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are critical for verifying sender identity and preventing spoofing.
- Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation is essential for identifying and addressing deliverability issues.
- Apple's Standards: Apple prioritizes user experience and filters emails that don't meet their standards.
- DMARC Policy: DMARC allows senders to define a policy for handling unauthenticated emails and provides reporting capabilities.
Key considerations
- Implement SPF: Configure SPF records to authorize sending IP addresses.
- Implement DKIM: Implement DKIM signing to add a digital signature to emails.
- Implement DMARC: Configure DMARC policies to specify how email receivers should handle unauthenticated messages.
- Monitor SNDS: Utilize Microsoft's Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) to monitor IP reputation.
- List Management: Follow best practices for list management, including opt-in and unsubscribe processes.
- User Experience: Prioritize user experience by sending relevant and engaging content.
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft explains that the Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) allows senders to monitor the health and reputation of their sending IPs. It provides data on spam complaints, traffic volume, and other metrics, which can help identify deliverability issues with Microsoft services.
16 Feb 2022 - Microsoft
Technical article
Documentation from Apple shares guidance on sending bulk email, which includes authenticating your email using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. It's also important to monitor your sender reputation and follow best practices for list management. They stress that their systems prioritize user experience and may filter emails that don't meet their standards.
22 Jun 2023 - Apple
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