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Why is my email getting throttled by Gmail and Microsoft despite high engagement and good reputation?

Summary

Despite high engagement and good sender reputation, email throttling by Gmail and Microsoft can be attributed to a multitude of factors, requiring a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and resolution. These factors range from sender reputation and email content issues to technical configurations and external influences. Specifically, sender reputation can be impacted by past sending practices, infrastructure issues, sudden volume spikes, or sending from newly created IPs without proper warm-up. Email content that contains suspicious keywords, poorly coded HTML, or imbalanced image-to-text ratios can trigger spam filters. Authentication failures, arising from missing or misconfigured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, raise suspicion with email providers. Poor list hygiene, resulting in high bounce rates or hitting spam traps, degrades deliverability. Moreover, failing to process feedback loops, issues with shared IPs, being listed on blocklists (even temporarily), non-compliance with email formatting standards (RFC 5322), and stringent DMARC policies can all contribute to throttling. Unseen backend triggers, such as infrastructure changes or algorithmic updates on the receiver's end, can also play a role. Effective monitoring using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS, proactively managing sender reputation, consistently adhering to best practices in email content and list hygiene, implementing robust authentication, and actively resolving delivery issues through postmaster communication are crucial for mitigating throttling.

Key findings

  • Sender Reputation Vulnerabilities: Even with high engagement, past sending practices or infrastructure problems can negatively impact sender reputation.
  • Content-Triggered Spam Filters: Suspicious keywords, poor HTML coding, or imbalanced image-to-text ratios in email content can trigger spam filters, leading to throttling.
  • Authentication Gaps: Missing or misconfigured email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) raises suspicion with email providers, potentially resulting in throttling.
  • List Hygiene Neglect: Poor list hygiene (spam traps, high bounce rates) degrades deliverability and increases the likelihood of throttling.
  • Shared IP Risks: When using a shared IP, the actions of other senders can negatively impact your deliverability, regardless of your own practices.
  • Unseen Backend Issues: Throttling can occur due to infrastructure issues, algorithm updates, or temporary glitches on the receiving end that are not always transparent.
  • Compliance Deficiencies: Non-compliance with email formatting standards (RFC 5322) or stringent DMARC policies can trigger throttling or blocking.
  • Complaint Rate Sensitivity: Even a small increase in complaint rates reported via JMRP can lead to increased throttling.
  • Feedback Loop Neglect: Failure to properly process feedback loops (FBLs) from ISPs can result in throttling.

Key considerations

  • Proactive Sender Reputation Management: Consistently monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS to identify and address issues promptly.
  • Content Optimization for Deliverability: Routinely review and optimize email content to minimize spam triggers, focusing on keywords, HTML code, and image-to-text balance.
  • Robust Authentication Implementation: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is in place and correctly configured, and regularly validate its effectiveness.
  • Diligent List Hygiene Practices: Implement rigorous list hygiene procedures to remove invalid addresses, spam traps, and unengaged subscribers proactively.
  • Monitor SNDS and JMRP: Actively monitor Microsoft's SNDS and the Junk Email Reporting Program (JMRP) to stay ahead of potential delivery problems
  • Prompt Feedback Loop Processing: Actively process feedback loops (FBLs) to identify and address user complaints promptly, reducing negative impacts on deliverability.
  • Volume Ramp-Up Strategy: Implement a gradual IP warm-up strategy when introducing new IP addresses to establish a positive sending reputation incrementally.
  • Regular Blocklist Checks: Routinely check your IP and domain against common blocklists to identify and remediate any listings promptly.
  • Proactive Postmaster Communication: Establish open communication channels with Gmail and Microsoft postmasters to address persistent throttling issues and seek resolution collaboratively.
  • Review DMARC records: Regularly review DMARC reports to identify and address authentication failures.

What email marketers say

13 marketer opinions

Despite high engagement and good reputation, email throttling by Gmail and Microsoft can occur due to various factors. These include sender reputation issues (past practices, infrastructure problems), email content (suspicious keywords, poor HTML), authentication problems (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene (spam traps, bounce rates), feedback loop processing, shared IP issues, sudden volume spikes, blocklist status, and even infrastructure or algorithmic issues beyond the sender's immediate control. Monitoring tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS are crucial for identifying and addressing these problems.

Key opinions

  • Sender Reputation: Past sending practices and infrastructure issues can negatively impact sender reputation, leading to throttling.
  • Email Content: Suspicious content, poor HTML coding, or high image-to-text ratios can trigger spam filters and cause throttling.
  • Authentication: Missing or misconfigured email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) makes emails suspicious.
  • List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene (spam traps, high bounce rates) can result in throttling.
  • Feedback Loops: Failure to properly process feedback loops (FBLs) from ISPs can lead to throttling.
  • Shared IP Issues: On a shared IP, the actions of other senders can negatively affect your deliverability.
  • Volume Spikes: Sudden and significant increases in email volume can trigger throttling.
  • Blocklist Status: Being listed on a blocklist, even temporarily, significantly impacts deliverability.
  • Unseen Issues: Throttling can occur due to infrastructure issues, algorithm updates, or temporary glitches that are not transparent.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Reputation: Consistently monitor sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS.
  • Optimize Content: Review and optimize email content to avoid spam triggers (keywords, HTML, image ratios).
  • Implement Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is in place and correctly configured.
  • Clean Lists: Regularly clean email lists to remove invalid addresses and spam traps.
  • Process FBLs: Actively process feedback loops (FBLs) to address user complaints and reduce abuse.
  • Warm Up IPs: When using new IP addresses, gradually warm them up to establish a good sending reputation.
  • Control Volume: Avoid sudden and significant spikes in email volume. Increase volume gradually.
  • Check Blocklists: Regularly check your IP and domain against common blocklists.
  • Escalate to Postmasters: Engage directly with Gmail and Microsoft postmasters to resolve persistent throttling issues.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks mentions that others have reported similar issues in the channel.

1 Dec 2022 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that poor list hygiene, even with engaged subscribers, can cause throttling. This includes sending to old addresses that have become spam traps or high bounce rates. Regular list cleaning is essential.

29 Jun 2023 - Reddit

What the experts say

2 expert opinions

Email throttling by Gmail and Microsoft, despite high engagement and a good reputation, can stem from underlying issues related to infrastructure, security, or non-transparent backend triggers. These issues are not always visible in standard email marketing metrics. Problems with email sending infrastructure, compromised servers, and unusual sending patterns can raise flags, leading to throttling. Algorithmic updates and temporary glitches can also result in delays.

Key opinions

  • Infrastructure and Security: Compromised servers, unusual sending patterns, or issues with email sending infrastructure can lead to throttling.
  • Backend Triggers: Algorithm updates, temporary glitches on the receiving end, or other non-transparent triggers can cause delays.
  • Non-Transparent Reasons: Throttling can occur for reasons that aren't always apparent or visible in typical email marketing metrics.

Key considerations

  • Review Infrastructure: Conduct regular reviews of email sending infrastructure to identify and address any vulnerabilities or issues.
  • Monitor Sending Patterns: Continuously monitor email sending patterns to detect and correct any unusual or suspicious activity.
  • Investigate Issues: If throttling persists despite good metrics, investigate potential underlying issues with infrastructure or other non-transparent factors.
  • Stay Informed: Keep abreast of the latest deliverability best practices and monitor industry updates related to algorithm changes and temporary glitches.

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that throttling can occur for reasons that aren't always transparent. Even with good metrics, there might be backend triggers related to infrastructure changes, algorithm updates, or temporary glitches on the receiving end that cause delays.

23 Nov 2022 - Word to the Wise

Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource responds that even with high engagement, problems with email sending infrastructure or security, such as compromised servers or unusual sending patterns from your network, can raise flags and lead to throttling by Gmail and Microsoft.

21 May 2022 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says

4 technical articles

Even with high engagement and good reputation, email throttling by Gmail and Microsoft can occur due to issues related to IP reputation, complaint rates, email formatting, and DMARC policy. Maintaining a good IP reputation is essential; sudden volume spikes or sending from new IPs without a warm-up can trigger throttling. Increased complaint rates, even small, can lead to throttling. Non-compliance with email formatting standards (RFC 5322) causes parsing issues. A DMARC policy set to 'quarantine' or 'reject' blocks failing authentication checks. Monitoring SNDS and reviewing DMARC reports are critical.

Key findings

  • IP Reputation: Sudden volume spikes or sending from new IPs without warm-up triggers throttling, even with high open rates.
  • Complaint Rates: Even a small increase in complaint rates reported via JMRP can lead to increased throttling.
  • Email Formatting: Non-compliance with RFC 5322 causes parsing issues and filtering, potentially resulting in throttling.
  • DMARC Policy: DMARC policies set to 'quarantine' or 'reject' block emails failing authentication, regardless of engagement.

Key considerations

  • Maintain IP Reputation: Consistently maintain a good IP reputation through gradual volume increases and IP warm-up.
  • Monitor Complaint Rates: Monitor complaint rates in SNDS and address any issues promptly.
  • Comply with Standards: Ensure compliance with email formatting standards (RFC 5322 and related RFCs).
  • Review DMARC Reports: Regularly review DMARC reports to identify and address authentication failures.

Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that non-compliance with email formatting standards outlined in RFC 5322 (and related RFCs) can lead to parsing issues and filtering, potentially resulting in throttling, even with good engagement metrics.

21 Jun 2023 - RFC Editor

Technical article

Documentation from DMARC.org explains that a DMARC policy set to 'quarantine' or 'reject' can cause emails to be throttled or blocked if they fail authentication checks (SPF or DKIM), regardless of engagement. Reviewing DMARC reports is important.

19 Jul 2023 - DMARC.org

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