Why is Orange.fr throttling my legitimate emails and how can I resolve it?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 8 Jun 2025
Updated 18 Aug 2025
8 min read
Dealing with email throttling from major internet service providers (ISPs) like Orange.fr and Wanadoo.fr can be incredibly frustrating. It is especially challenging when your emails are legitimate, crucial communications like transactional alerts or price updates, and you are seeing perfect deliverability to other major providers such as Gmail and Microsoft. Throttling, which is when an ISP temporarily delays your emails, can severely impact your ability to communicate effectively with your subscribers.
I often hear from senders who maintain dedicated IPs with excellent reputations across the board, only to encounter persistent delays specifically with Orange.fr and Wanadoo.fr. This disparity suggests that Orange has specific criteria that might be more sensitive than other ISPs, or perhaps their algorithms are flagging certain sending patterns differently.
This guide will explore the common reasons behind Orange.fr throttling, even for what appear to be legitimate emails, and provide actionable steps you can take to diagnose and resolve these frustrating deliverability issues. Understanding the nuances of Orange’s filtering system is key to ensuring your messages reach the inbox without delays or blocks.
Understanding Orange.fr's throttling mechanisms
Orange.fr and Wanadoo.fr (which is part of Orange) are known for their particular focus on sender reputation and recipient engagement. While many ISPs consider a broad range of factors, Orange often places a heavy emphasis on how their users interact with your emails. If your subscribers are not consistently opening, clicking, or replying to your messages, it can signal to Orange that your content might not be as relevant as you think, leading to throttling or even blocklisting (or blacklisting).
Another critical factor is the spam complaint rate. Orange has indicated a tightening of their spam complaint thresholds. Starting mid-August 2025, they plan to trigger protection mechanisms if a sender’s spam complaint rate reaches 0.6 percent or higher. This is a significantly strict threshold that requires meticulous list hygiene and content relevance to avoid. Even a slight increase in complaints can put your sending reputation at risk and lead to throttling.
Orange also provides a Postmaster page with guidelines and error codes. Understanding these specific codes, especially those related to OFR_999 errors, can provide clues as to why your emails are being throttled. For instance, a temporary error indicating a full inbox or a rate limit being exceeded often points to reputation issues or aggressive sending volumes. I generally find these postmaster pages to be very helpful for diagnosing problems.
Understanding orange.fr guidelines
Orange.fr (and Wanadoo.fr) prioritize sender reputation and user engagement, sometimes more strictly than other ISPs. Their system is designed to protect users from unwanted email, meaning even legitimate senders can face throttling if their metrics don't align with Orange's expectations.
Engagement Focus: High engagement (opens, clicks, replies) is a strong positive signal.
Low Complaints: Spam complaint rates must be kept exceptionally low (below 0.6% target).
Even with dedicated IPs, the root cause of throttling often boils down to reputation, which can be influenced by various factors. One common theory I've encountered in the community is that if other brands or entities are using the same IP space for questionable lead generation practices, it could negatively impact the entire IP block at Orange. This means your legitimate emails could suffer due to the actions of others sharing the same IP reputation.
Another potential issue, though less common with dedicated IPs, is if your domain has been associated with spam traps or if a sudden spike in volume triggers Orange’s automated defenses. ISPs often use dynamic throttling to manage inbound email traffic and protect their users. If your sending volume suddenly increases, or if your list quality has degraded without you realizing it, Orange might respond by slowing down your email flow.
Even if your overall reputation with other providers is pristine, subtle differences in how Orange assesses engagement or detects anomalies can lead to throttling. This is why a multi-faceted approach to deliverability, focusing on specific ISP requirements, is crucial. It’s not always about outright spam, sometimes it’s about perceived risk or unusual sending patterns that deviate from your historical norms.
Typical sending practices
Most senders focus on general best practices for global inbox placement. This often works well for large ISPs like Gmail and Microsoft, where broad reputation signals are usually sufficient.
Focus: Generic email best practices.
Reputation Signals: IP and domain reputation are key indicators.
Engagement Metric: Open and click rates are important, but not always the primary focus for all ISPs.
Orange.fr's unique considerations
Orange.fr, including Wanadoo.fr, has a more nuanced and often stricter approach, particularly concerning user engagement and complaint rates. This can lead to throttling even when other ISPs deliver without issue.
Focus: Deep emphasis on user engagement and very low spam complaint rates.
Engagement Metric: Consistent positive engagement is crucial to avoid throttling.
Strategies to resolve orange.fr throttling
To effectively combat throttling, a good first step is to directly contact Orange’s abuse or postmaster team. Their official postmaster site explicitly states that senders should review their updated bounce and error codes. This provides valuable diagnostic information. You can often reach them via abuse@orange.fr. I’ve found them to be responsive in English, but be prepared that they may not respond if your sending practices are deemed to be blatant spam.
Beyond direct contact, a fundamental strategy involves optimizing your sending volumes and frequency. Orange may have unwritten rate limits that, if exceeded, trigger throttling. Gradually ramping up your sending volume to Orange recipients over time, often called IP warming, can help build trust and avoid sudden blocks. Consider distributing your emails throughout the day rather than sending large bursts at once.
Improving list quality and recipient engagement is paramount. Regularly clean your email lists to remove inactive or invalid addresses, as these can lead to bounces or spam traps. Implement double opt-in for new subscribers to ensure they genuinely want your emails. For existing subscribers, segment your lists based on engagement and focus on re-engaging or removing those who haven't interacted with your emails in a long time. High engagement rates are a strong positive signal to Orange, influencing their decisions to deliver your emails to the inbox.
Key actions to take
Contact Support: Reach out to abuse@orange.fr with specific details and be prepared to provide evidence of legitimate sending.
Improve Engagement: Focus on sending relevant content, segmenting your audience, and removing inactive subscribers to boost your engagement metrics. Higher engagement often leads to better email click-through rates.
Monitoring and prevention
Continuous monitoring of your sender reputation and deliverability performance, especially for Orange.fr, is non-negotiable. Tools that track blocklist (blacklist) status, bounce rates, and spam complaint rates can provide early warnings before throttling escalates into full-blown blocking. Paying close attention to feedback loops (if available) from Orange can also give you direct insight into what’s causing issues.
Ensuring your email authentication protocols are perfectly configured is also critical. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records provide receivers with assurance that your emails are legitimate and haven't been tampered with. A properly implemented DMARC policy, especially at quarantine or reject policy, signifies to Orange (and other ISPs) that you take email security seriously, which can positively influence your deliverability.
Remember, email deliverability is an ongoing process. ISPs constantly update their filtering algorithms, and what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. Staying proactive with your email sending practices, regularly auditing your list quality, and monitoring your metrics are the best ways to maintain good standing with Orange.fr and ensure your legitimate emails arrive as intended. This also involves understanding specific Orange.fr delivery issues and adapting your strategy accordingly.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Maintain exceptional list hygiene by regularly removing inactive subscribers and implementing double opt-in.
Segment your audience and send highly relevant content to boost engagement metrics.
Warm up new IPs or domains gradually when sending to Orange.fr to build trust.
Monitor your spam complaint rates diligently, aiming to keep them well below 0.6%.
Common pitfalls
Ignoring specific Orange.fr postmaster guidelines and error codes.
Sending to unengaged subscribers, which can signal low relevance to Orange.
Failing to maintain proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for your domain.
Abruptly increasing sending volume to Orange.fr without prior reputation building.
Expert tips
If your emails are primarily transactional, ensure clear communication about their purpose at opt-in.
For marketing emails, prioritize quality over quantity and continuously test content relevance.
Consider engaging with your most active Orange.fr subscribers more frequently to boost positive signals.
If you suspect IP issues, explore the possibility of shared IP space affecting your reputation at Orange.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they were experiencing heavy throttling from Orange.fr and Wanadoo.fr on dedicated IPs, despite perfect deliverability at Gmail, Microsoft, and Yahoo, seeking suggestions for a root cause.
2022-03-21 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that if a brand using those IPs also sends lead generation emails in a problematic way, Orange might hit the whole brand everywhere it could, suggesting contacting abuse@orange.fr.
2022-03-21 - Email Geeks
Final thoughts on Orange.fr deliverability
Navigating email deliverability challenges with Orange.fr can feel like an uphill battle, especially when your legitimate emails are being throttled. The key takeaway is that Orange has a sophisticated and often stricter filtering system that prioritizes user engagement and maintains very low spam complaint thresholds.
To improve your standing, focus on proactive engagement strategies, meticulous list hygiene, and adherence to Orange’s specific postmaster guidelines. Don’t hesitate to contact their abuse team for insights, but be prepared with detailed information about your sending practices.
Ultimately, consistent monitoring of your sender reputation and proper implementation of email authentication protocols are your best defense against throttling. By taking a comprehensive approach, you can significantly improve your chances of reliable email delivery to Orange.fr and Wanadoo.fr recipients.
Gmail and 
Microsoft, where broad reputation signals are usually sufficient.
