Why is SNDS reporting all green IPs with no delivery uplift?

Key findings

• SNDS inconsistency: SNDS can report all IPs as green for extended periods, even when senders experience ongoing blockages or poor deliverability to Microsoft inboxes. This highlights a potential lag or inaccuracy in the data displayed within the platform.
• Outdated information: The colors within SNDS might not always reflect real-time behavior, sometimes showing good standing despite recent complaint spikes or other negative sending signals. This indicates that the reported status can be outdated, leading to misinterpretations regarding current deliverability performance.
• Missing data: In some cases, IPs that are experiencing significant issues might not even appear in SNDS data, giving a false sense of security for the listed IPs while underlying problems persist. This can make troubleshooting particularly challenging.
• Contradictory signals: Senders often observe a disconnect where SNDS shows a positive status (e.g., green IPs) while their actual inbox placement rates to Microsoft domains remain low or inconsistent, pointing to other factors influencing deliverability beyond what SNDS directly communicates. This phenomenon is often seen during IP warming.

Key considerations

• Don't rely solely on SNDS: While SNDS is a valuable resource, it should be used in conjunction with other deliverability metrics, such as inbox placement rates, engagement data, and feedback loop reports to get a comprehensive view of your sending health. You may still experience blocks even with a normal SNDS status.
• Investigate deeper: If SNDS shows all green but deliverability is poor, look for other indicators like bounce rates, complaint rates (via JMRP if applicable), and direct feedback from recipients. As noted by Moosend, the SNDS color may not accurately reflect real-time behavior.
• Monitor real-time data: Implement real-time monitoring and anomaly detection for your email streams to quickly identify sudden drops in deliverability that SNDS might not immediately capture. Timeliness of data can be a challenge with SNDS, as data might be delayed or not display at all.
• Understand limitations: Recognize that SNDS primarily reflects Microsoft's view of your IP reputation, which is just one piece of the larger deliverability puzzle. Other factors, such as content, domain reputation, and subscriber engagement, also play significant roles.

Key opinions

• SNDS skepticism: Many marketers, especially those at ESPs, report seeing all green IPs in SNDS for extended periods, even when they know for a fact that deliverability to Microsoft is poor or IPs are blocked. This leads to a general distrust of the accuracy of SNDS color indicators.
• No corresponding uplift: The mass filter color change to all green in SNDS has not corresponded to any noticeable uplift in delivery, inboxing, or engagement for many senders, reinforcing the idea that the reported status is misleading.
• Data availability issues: Beyond misleading colors, some marketers report periods where SNDS data is missing entirely for certain dates, further complicating efforts to diagnose and troubleshoot deliverability issues with Microsoft. Problems with SNDS data displaying or accessibility are common.
• Confirmation of lies: There's a shared sentiment that SNDS colors are, in effect, 'a lie' when they do not align with actual deliverability performance. This highlights the need for marketers to look beyond a single tool for a complete picture, as emphasized in general deliverability guides, like this one on optimizing emails for deliverability.

Key considerations

• Cross-verification: Marketers must prioritize cross-referencing SNDS data with other internal metrics and external tools to get a clearer understanding of their standing with Microsoft and other ISPs. This includes analyzing bounce logs and engagement metrics.
• Historical context: Be aware that SNDS reports may show a 'snapshot' that is not representative of immediate real-time performance. Historical data and trends within SNDS can still offer some value for long-term reputation analysis, but short-term fluctuations might be missed or misreported.
• Focus on root causes: If deliverability issues persist despite green SNDS status, marketers should shift their focus to underlying causes such as list quality, content relevance, authentication issues (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and sending practices, rather than assuming SNDS is definitive. Effective troubleshooting inconsistent Outlook.com deliverability requires this broader perspective.
• Manage expectations: It's important to set realistic expectations for the utility of SNDS data. While it can offer insights into Microsoft's filtering decisions, it's not a silver bullet for diagnosing all deliverability problems, especially when reporting appears skewed.

Key opinions

• SNDS colors are often misleading: Experts frequently note that SNDS color indicators can be deceptive, as a green status does not always equate to perfect inbox delivery. This challenges the straightforward interpretation of the tool's visual cues.
• Incomplete data: The data presented in SNDS might not cover all IPs or provide sufficient detail to diagnose complex issues. This can lead to a false positive impression of good health when parts of a sending infrastructure are facing problems not reflected in the report.
• Beyond IP reputation: Many experts emphasize that Microsoft's filtering decisions extend beyond simple IP reputation to include domain reputation, content quality, and user engagement signals, none of which are explicitly detailed in SNDS color codes. This means a good IP status in SNDS doesn't guarantee inboxing.
• Timeliness issues: The data in SNDS can have a delay, meaning that recent negative events (like complaint spikes) might not be immediately reflected, or conversely, improvements might take time to show. This can create a lag between actual performance and reported status, similar to inconsistencies highlighted in Outlook.com deliverability reliability.

Key considerations

• Holistic monitoring: Experts recommend a comprehensive monitoring strategy that includes SNDS alongside private blocklist checks, DMARC reports, and detailed logging of bounce codes and engagement metrics to capture the full picture of deliverability. Your DMARC reports from Google and Yahoo can offer additional insights into authentication issues.
• Understand Microsoft's ecosystem: Recognize that Microsoft's filtering can be highly dynamic and influenced by various factors. A green SNDS status doesn't mean you're immune to issues if other elements of your sending program are flagging spam filters, or if you're hitting SmartScreen filters.
• Focus on list hygiene: A clean, engaged list is paramount for good deliverability, regardless of what SNDS reports. Regularly removing inactive users and managing bounces can prevent problems that SNDS might not immediately flag.
• Seek specific guidance: When facing persistent deliverability problems with green SNDS IPs, experts suggest reaching out to Microsoft support with detailed logs and evidence of poor deliverability, as the generic SNDS status might not convey the urgency of the issue. Many experts also post their insights on industry sites like Spam Resource.

Key findings

• IP-centric focus: SNDS primarily reports on the health and reputation of sending IPs. While crucial, this means it may not fully capture deliverability issues stemming from other factors like domain reputation or content quality, which are also vital to Microsoft's filtering.
• Color definitions: The documentation defines green as good reputation, yellow as suspicious, and red as poor. However, the thresholds and dynamic nature of these classifications are complex and not fully transparent, leading to situations where a 'green' IP still faces blocks.
• Data aggregation: SNDS data is an aggregate over a specific period, meaning real-time fluctuations or very recent issues might not be immediately reflected in the displayed status, causing a delay between an event and its reporting. Knowing the delay for data to appear can be helpful.
• Complementary tools: Documentation often encourages the use of SNDS in conjunction with other tools like the Junk Mail Reporting Program (JMRP) and internal mail logs for a more complete diagnostic picture. This implies that SNDS alone is insufficient for comprehensive deliverability management.

Key considerations

• Beyond the colors: While colors provide a quick glance, senders should delve into the more granular data available in SNDS, such as complaint rates, spam trap hits, and DNS lookups, to identify specific issues impacting deliverability. For Salesforce/ExactTarget users, obtaining SNDS and JMRP data is key.
• Layered filtering: Microsoft employs multiple layers of filtering, including content analysis, domain reputation, and user engagement. SNDS primarily covers the IP reputation layer, so a good IP status does not negate potential issues in other areas.
• Engagement metrics: Even if SNDS reports green, if users are not opening, clicking, or are actively deleting your emails, Microsoft's filters may penalize your sends by routing them to spam, regardless of IP health.
• Authentication standards: Microsoft's documentation consistently stresses the importance of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for deliverability. Failures in these areas can lead to blocks or spam folder placement, even if your IP looks good in SNDS. Discrepancies between SNDS and SFMC reports often trace back to these core authentication issues.