What is Sender Reputation?
TL;DR
A score email providers assign to your sending domain and IP address, determining whether your emails reach inboxes or spam. Think of it like a credit score for email, built over time through consistent good behavior, damaged quickly by mistakes. Factors include Email Bounce Rate, spam complaints, engagement rates, and sending volume consistency. High reputation = inbox delivery; low reputation = spam folder or rejection. Building reputation requires: clean list acquisition (never buy lists), proper Email Authentication, consistent sending patterns (don't suddenly 10x volume), relevant content that gets opened, and easy unsubscription. Tools like Google Postmaster Tools, Sender Score, and your email platform's deliverability metrics help monitor reputation. Recovery from damaged reputation takes weeks or months, prevention is far easier than repair.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sender Reputation
What is sender reputation?
A score email providers assign to your domain and IP determining inbox vs spam placement. Like a credit score, built slowly through good behavior, damaged quickly by mistakes. High reputation means inbox delivery; low means spam folder.
How do I check my sender reputation?
Use Google Postmaster Tools (free, shows your domain reputation with Gmail), Sender Score from Validity, or your email platform's deliverability reports. Check regularly to catch problems before they become severe.
What damages sender reputation?
High bounce rates, spam complaints, sending to purchased lists, inconsistent volume (suddenly sending 10x normal), low engagement rates, and missing authentication. One bad list purchase can damage reputation for months.
How long does reputation recovery take?
Weeks to months depending on severity. You need consistent positive signals, good engagement, low bounces, no complaints, to slowly rebuild trust. Prevention is far easier than repair. Don't take shortcuts.
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