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Summary

Email throttling by major Internet Service Providers (ISPs), such as Yahoo Mail, occurs when the volume or rate of emails sent from a specific sender's IP address or domain exceeds predefined limits. This practice is a crucial spam prevention mechanism, designed to protect recipient inboxes from unsolicited bulk email. When Yahoo throttles messages, it means your emails are being intentionally delayed, or in some cases, rejected, rather than being delivered immediately. Understanding the underlying reasons for this throttling and implementing effective solutions is vital for maintaining good email deliverability and ensuring your messages reach the intended recipients.

What email marketers say

Email marketers frequently encounter throttling issues with major ISPs, including Yahoo Mail. Discussions among marketers often reveal shared experiences of slow delivery, specific error codes, and a noticeable dip in engagement metrics. These observations are critical in determining whether the issue is isolated to a specific sender's practices or part of a broader, systemic challenge affecting many. Many marketers resort to adjusting their sending rates or 'backing off' to alleviate the throttling, hoping for a resolution, sometimes with limited insight from the ISP themselves.

Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks indicates they have been in backoff mode with Yahoo for the past week, suggesting a persistent throttling issue. They are trying to determine if it is an internal problem or a global Yahoo issue.

06 Dec 2018 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Spiceworks Community shares an experience where their emails to Yahoo were throttled, receiving typical daily limit rejection messages without specific details on the cause. They note this happens with no explicit bounce back or diagnostic info.

22 Jun 2023 - Spiceworks Community

What the experts say

Experts in email deliverability offer nuanced insights into Yahoo's throttling practices, moving beyond simple volume limits to encompass sender reputation and spam heuristics. They often observe that throttling is less about a global issue and more about specific sender behavior or perceived risk. The TSS04 error, for instance, is frequently cited as a strong indicator that Yahoo suspects the mail to be spam, even without explicit complaint data. Experts emphasize proactive monitoring and a thorough understanding of ISP requirements to navigate these challenges effectively.

Expert view

Deliverability expert from Email Geeks states that none of the senders they are currently working with are experiencing throttling at Yahoo. This indicates that any observed throttling issues are likely isolated and not a global problem affecting all senders.

06 Dec 2018 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Industry expert from Spamresource advises that sudden spikes in email volume from a sender without a established history can trigger throttling. ISPs prefer a gradual ramp-up in sending activity to build trust.

18 Aug 2023 - Spamresource

What the documentation says

Official documentation and technical guides from ISPs and industry bodies provide the foundational understanding of email throttling. These resources outline the policies, technical requirements, and best practices that senders must adhere to for optimal deliverability. They often clarify that throttling is not punitive but rather a control mechanism to manage network load and enforce sender quality. Key themes include the importance of sender reputation, adherence to authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and responsive handling of bounce codes.

Technical article

Deliverability documentation states that email throttling is a standard practice by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to manage incoming mail flow. It's not necessarily a block, but rather a temporary rate limit imposed on senders.

14 May 2024 - Campaignmaster Blog

Technical article

Industry best practices documentation outlines that consistent sending volumes and a high sender reputation are key to avoiding ISP throttling. ISPs will prioritize mail from trusted senders over those with erratic patterns.

01 Apr 2024 - Email Marketing Best Practices Guide

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