Is your email deliverability in the dumps? Are too many messages getting flagged as spam or even blocked entirely? Your sender IP reputation may need some TLC. Read on to learn proven techniques that will nurse even the shakiest IP reputation back to robust health.
What is IP Reputation and Why It Matters
Your email IP reputation is one of the most critical factors determining whether your messages land in the inbox or get relegated to the dreaded spam folder. But what exactly is IP reputation and why should you care so much about it? Let’s break it down.
An IP address is like the mailing address for your computer or server, allowing it to communicate with others online. Every time you send an email, your IP address is included in the message header – invisible to the recipient but visible to mailbox providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook.
These providers monitor your IP reputation , which is a measure of your IP address’s reliability and trustworthiness as an email sender.
If your IP reputation is stellar, your emails are more likely to breeze into your subscribers’ inboxes without issue. But if your reputation is poor, you’ll struggle with deliverability as providers start sending your messages straight to the spam folder or blocking you entirely. Yikes! 😬
So how do mailbox providers determine your reputation? They look at many factors, including:
- Sending volume – Sudden spikes often raise red flags. Slow and steady wins the race.
- Bounce rate – High hard bounces mean messy lists with invalid addresses.
- Complaint rate – Lots of spam reports equals unhappy subscribers.
- Engagement – Low open and click rates signal your content isn’t interesting.
- Authentication – Proper protocols like SPF and DKIM verify you’re legitimate.
Monitoring these factors over time lets providers assign your IP a reputation score, typically on a scale of 0-100. The higher the better!
IP Reputation Scale
90-100 = Excellent
80-90 = Good
70-80 = Fair
0-70 = PoorSo if your score starts dropping, your deliverability will decline as more emails get blocked or filtered as spam.
Now you might be wondering what exactly is the difference between IP reputation and domain reputation?
- IP reputation focuses specifically on the sending history and trustworthiness of your unique IP address.
- Domain reputation looks more broadly at your overall domain’s behavior, including all associated IPs.
It’s smart to monitor both, but IP reputation is often the main barrier standing between your emails and the inbox promised land.
Another key consideration is whether you use a shared or dedicated IP address.
With a shared IP , your reputation depends partly on the sending habits of other users sharing that IP. One bad apple can spoil the bunch. Dedicated IPs cost more but give you total control over your sender reputation.
Here’s a quick comparison:
Shared IP Dedicated IP
- Used by multiple senders - Used by only you
- Reputation tied to others - Reputation depends fully on you
- Less expensive - More expensive
- Less control over reputation - Total control over reputationThe takeaway? Your IP reputation has a huge impact on email deliverability. That’s why it pays to monitor it closely and take steps to keep it pristine. A stellar reputation means more emails reaching inboxes and happier subscribers all around!
Checking Your Current Email IP Reputation
Before improving your email IP reputation, you need to know your starting point. Let’s go over how to check your current IP reputation using a few key tools.
The first step is actually finding your sending IP address!
You can simply Google “What is my IP?” But for sending servers specifically, your best bet is checking the email headers.
Send a test message to a Gmail account, and open it on the web. Click the down arrow next to the reply button, and select “Show Original”.
This displays the full email headers with all the technical details. Scroll down and look for “Received-SPF: Pass” records. The IP address will be listed there.
Alternatively, search the headers for “SPF=pass” to find the IP mentioned after that.
Got your IP address? Great! Now let’s discuss tools to check its reputation.
SenderScore
One of the most popular IP reputation tools is SenderScore. It’s free to use and gives your IP a reputation grade from 0 to 100.
SenderScore IP Reputation Scale:
90-100 = Excellent
80-89 = Good
70-79 = Fair
0-69 = PoorThey determine the score based on global data from ISPs and mailbox providers about your IP’s sending history and patterns.
Talos Intelligence
Cisco’s Talos Intelligence also offers a free IP reputation check.
Their system doesn’t use a numeric score. Instead, you get an overall risk rating as Low, Moderate, Suspicious, or High.
They analyze various threat intelligence sources to determine if your IP has connections to malware, spam campaigns, or other risky activity.
Postmaster Tools
For Gmail-specific data, check out Google’s Postmaster Tools. Connect your account for free access.
Their IP Reputation report shows stats like:
- Percentage of emails classified as spam
- Percentage delivered to inbox vs. spam
- Spam report and block rates
- Recent spikes or drops in reputation
This is extremely useful for gauging your IP’s reputation with one of the largest mailbox providers.
MX Toolbox
MX Toolbox has a blacklist monitoring tool that shows if your IP is on any major email blocklists.
Being listed by too many blocklists can tank your sender reputation across the board. It’s important to address any blocklist issues immediately.
MultiRBL
Finally, MultiRBL is a great one-stop shop to check all major blocklists at once.
Just enter your IP, and it scours over 100 lists to see if you’ve made any dreaded blacklists. You want this report to come back completely clean!
Interpreting the Results
With your IP’s reputation scores and blocklist status from these tools in hand, what do the results mean for you?
- 80+ – Excellent reputation with the green light to full inbox placement. But stay vigilant!
- 70-80 – Fair reputation but needs work. Your emails may land in the spam folder sometimes.
- 0-70 – Danger zone! Poor reputation leading to blocked and spam-filtered emails.
- Listed on 1+ major blocklists – Your emails will be widely blocked until you resolve this issue.
Knowing your current IP reputation is step one. Now let’s talk about improving it!
Step-by-Step Guide to Improving a Bad IP Reputation
If your IP reputation needs work, don’t panic. With some diligence and best practices, you can nurse it back to health. This comprehensive guide breaks down the process step-by-step. Let’s get started!
Use a Reputable ESP With Dedicated IPs
First, make sure you’re working with an email service provider (ESP) that prioritizes deliverability and sender reputation. Options like Mailgun, Sendgrid, SparkPost, and SocketLabs are safe bets.
You also want to use dedicated IP addresses instead of shared. With dedicated IPs, your sending reputation relies solely on your habits – not other senders. This level of control is crucial.
Sure, dedicated IPs cost more. But it’s worthwhile for your deliverability, especially if you’re sending high volumes.
If you’re currently on a shared IP, switch to dedicated as soon as possible. Any past issues from other shared users can carry over and continue hurting you if you remain on that shared pool.
Implement Email Authentication Protocols
Proper email authentication confirms your identity to ISPs and builds sender trust. This helps boost your IP reputation.
Here are four protocols to implement:
SPF
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) verifies that you have permission to send emails from your domain.
It works by cross-checking that the sending IP matches the authorized IPs listed in the public SPF record.
Set up an SPF TXT record with all your authorized IPs through your domain host. It should look like this:
v=spf1 ip4:192.168.1.1 ip4:192.168.1.2 -allThe “-all” at the end will fail any IPs not on the list.
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail adds a encrypted signature to your message headers.
The signature confirms the email originated from your domain and wasn’t tampered with.
Generate a public-private key pair and add the public key to a TXT record. Your ESP can guide you through DKIM setup.
DMARC
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) builds on SPF and DKIM.
It tells receiving servers what to do if those authentication checks fail, like reject or quarantine messages.
Create a TXT record with your DMARC policy, starting with “v=DMARC1”:
v=DMARC1; p=reject; pct=100; rua=mailto:[email protected]This fails any emails that don’t pass SPF/DKIM checks.
BIMI
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) lets your logo display next to messages in supporting inboxes. This strengthens your brand association and authority.
It requires hosting your logo at a verified HTTPS domain. Your ESP can walk through proper setup.
Following these protocols nurtures trust with ISPs and improves your IP reputation.
Maintain Pristine List Hygiene
Nothing damages your sender reputation like a neglected, unhygienic list full of incorrect or inactive addresses.
First, verify the accuracy of your list with an email verification service. This prunes any dead email accounts or spam traps.
Next, give subscribers an easy, one-click unsubscribe option in your emails. This reduces abuse reports from readers who lose interest.
Speaking of interested readers – confirm new sign-ups through double opt-in. Ask them to consent again via a verification email. This filters out bogus or typo entries.
Finally, monitor engagement metrics like open and click-through rates. Remove recipients that consistently ignore your emails. Focus on quality over quantity.
With a clean, pruned list of truly engaged subscribers, your reputation can thrive.
Warm Up IP Addresses Properly Before Sending
Here’s the golden rule of IP warming: start slow.
If an IP address suddenly sends a ton of mail without a warmup period, providers get suspicious. So take it easy when first using a new IP.
Aim to keep your volume around 30%-50% of max capacity at first. Slowly ramp up the amount and frequency over 4-6 weeks until you reach your target levels.
This steady pace gets providers accustomed to your IP’s behavior. Then you can open the floodgates without setting off spam alarms.
Avoid drastic spikes or dips during the warmup phase – keep volume and cadence consistent. Take your time and do it right. Don’t hurry!
Monitor Traffic and Stay Consistent
Once your IP is warmed up and ready for full sending, don’t get complacent. You need to actively monitor traffic and performance over time.
Keep an eye on key metrics like delivery rate, bounce rate, spam complaints, engagement stats, and blacklist status. Identify any negative patterns early.
Volume and consistency are also important. Don’t take long breaks or let totals fluctuate wildly week to week. Stick to a steady schedule and similar volumes.
Unexpected changes make providers skeptical. But predictable, reliable traffic reinforces your good reputation.
Use tools like Postmark, SenderScore, and your ESP’s analytics to monitor metrics. Set performance goals and stay on track.
Keep Engagement and Complaint Rates Low
Two metrics that can quickly tank your IP reputation are engagement and complaints.
If your open and click-through rates start trending down, it signals your content is losing relevance with subscribers. Time for some A/B testing to re-engage them!
Don’t force uninterested readers to stick around. Let them unsubscribe easily and focus on your true fans. Mass spam reports tell providers your emails aren’t welcome.
A reputation management strategy should maximize engagement while minimizing complaints and unsubs. Achieve this balance, and providers will gladly deliver your mail.
Avoid Common Mistakes That Damage Reputation
We’ve covered the positives. Now let’s discuss common blunders that decimate your IP reputation. Avoid these at all costs!
1. Sudden Volume Spikes
We talked about gradual IP warmups. The opposite – sudden, drastic spikes in volume – raises big red flags with providers. Increase volume slowly and steadily.
2. Spammy Content
Using spammy words, excessive graphics, suspicious links and other shady tactics is an easy way to get labeled a spammer. Keep content professional.
3. Purchased Email Lists
Buying databases of unvetted, unconsented emails leads to nightmare deliverability. Stick to first-party lists of engaged subscribers.
4. Shared IP Addresses
Unlike dedicated IPs, you have no control over other senders on shared IPs. Their actions unfairly affect your reputation.
5. Sending to Invalid Addresses
Verify your lists! Typos, outdated accounts, spam traps, and hard bounces damage your sender score. Keep it clean.
Stay far away from these reputation killers, and you’ll be in good shape.
Authenticate Your Identity to Build Trust
Earlier we discussed the top authentication protocols like SPF and DKIM. Let’s explore each in a bit more depth. Getting these fundamentals configured properly will boost your sender reputation.
SPF
SPF confirms you have permission to send mail from your domain by cross-checking the IPs listed in your public SPF record against the sending IP.
If the sending IP matches, you pass the check. If not, you fail – indicating potential spoofing.
Publsh an SPF TXT record with all authorized server IPs through your domain host. It should follow this format:
v=spf1 ip4:192.168.1.1 ip4:192.168.1.2 -allThat “-all” at the end fails any IPs not explicitly listed.
Keep your SPF record up-to-date as you add or change IP addresses. An outdated record that doesn’t include your newest IPs will result in SPF fails and reputation dings.
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail adds an encrypted digital signature to your message headers.
First you generate a public-private key pair. Add the public key to a TXT record.
The private key stays with your email server and is used to create the signature attached to outbound messages.
Receiving servers use the public key to decrypt the signature. If it matches the headers, DKIM passes.
This proves the email truly came from your domain and its contents are unmodified.
DKIM failures can happen if keys expire or the public record lags. Keep both current!
DMARC
DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM by setting a policy for handling failed authentication. For example:
v=DMARC1; p=reject; pct=100; rua=mailto:[email protected]Here “p=reject” tells receiving servers to block messages failing SPF/DKIM.
“pct=100” means apply this policy to 100% of messages (vs. a percentage).
“rua=” collects failure reports at the designated email.
Start with a “p=none” policy, then slowly strengthen to “quarantine” or “reject” as your authentication practices improve.
BIMI
BIMI allows your brand logo to display prominently next to your emails in supporting inboxes.
First, host your logo on your website over HTTPS. Upload an SVG version for best quality.
Then add a DMARC record allowing example.com (where the logo is hosted).
Finally, generate a BIMI JSON record with your logo location and DNS/DKIM details.
This verifies to providers that you own the logo domain. Then they can display your brand image with your emails!
BIMI builds trust and engagement. Just be sure your DMARC setup supports it before enabling BIMI.
Getting these protocols configured properly signals to ISPs that you send legitimate mail. That will boost your IP reputation over time.
Focus on List Quality and Hygiene
As they say, garbage in equals garbage out. The quality of your list heavily influences both deliverability and sender reputation.
Start with email list verification to remove inactive or invalid addresses. This reduces hard bounces that damage your score.
Next, make unsubscribing easy. Your reputation tanks if readers have no way out except reporting your mail as spam.
Speaking of engaged readers – use confirmed opt-ins when adding new subscribers. Verify their interest before hitting send.
Monitor engagement metrics like open and click rates too. Remove non-engagers who hurt your sender activity profile.
Quality trumps quantity when it comes to email lists. A pristine list of truly interested recipients will protect your reputation.
Gradually Warm Up New IPs Before Sending
Warming up a new, unused IP address is crucial for your sender reputation. Here’s how to do it right:
First, research recommend warmup volumes based on your ESP and sending goals. Generally, start around 10,000-50,000 emails per week.
Next, begin sending at ~30% of your target volume. So if your goal is 100,000/week, start with 30,000. Spread these test sends over several days.
Slowly increase your volume in ~10% weekly increments until you reach your desired levels within 4-6 weeks.
Avoid huge spikes that could trigger spam filters. Take it slowly to build trust with providers observing your IP.
The warmup period gives your IP a clean slate to develop good habits, engagement, and traffic patterns. Think marathon, not sprint!
Carefully Monitor Traffic and Engagement
Once your IP is warmed up, you need to monitor ongoing performance to stay reputable.
Tools like Postmark, SenderScore, and your ESP’s analytics dashboard make this easy.
Keep a close eye on:
- Delivery and inbox placement rates
- Bounce rates
- Spam complaint rates
- Engagement metrics like opens, clicks, etc.
- Blacklist status
Set goals for each metric and measure against historical trends. Watch for any negative shifts that hurt deliverability.
Volume and consistency are also important. Stick to a regular sending cadence, and avoid huge gaps or spikes in traffic.
This careful monitoring allows you to course-correct at the first sign of reputation issues. Getting it back on track quickly is key.
Avoid Typical Mistakes That Damage Reputation
To wrap up, let’s review common missteps that sabotage your sender reputation – so you can avoid them!
Sudden Volume Spikes
Ramping up too quickly on a new IP triggers spam filters. Warm up gradually instead.
Sending Low-Quality Content
Typos, bad links, spammy language, etc. hurts engagement. Proofread thoroughly!
Shared IP Addresses
Other senders on shared IPs affect your reputation. Use dedicated IPs.
Purchased Email Lists
Unvetted, unengaged recipients lead to complaints and bounces. Build your own opt-in list!
Invalid Addresses
Verify your lists and prune hard bounces, or else they’ll pile up.
Follow best practices patiently and consistently, and your IP will cultivate an excellent reputation over time.
Proactive Reputation Management for Long-Term Success
Improving a poor IP reputation takes diligence and patience. But the job isn’t over once you’re back in good standing. You need to proactively manage your reputation for the long haul.
Here are key principles of maintaining stellar IP reputation over time:
Ongoing Monitoring With Email Authentication
Check your IP reputation and blacklist status regularly to catch any fluctuations early. Use a tool like SenderScore or Postmaster Tools.
Also verify that your email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) remains properly configured. Outdated records can cause failures that ding your reputation.
Consider enabling feedback loops with major ISPs like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. This provides visibility into spam complaints.
Monitoring key metrics allows you to address reputation issues before they spiral out of control.
Regular List Cleansing and Re-Engagement
As your subscriber list grows stale over time, regularly purge:
- Hard bounces – invalid email addresses that bounce every send.
- Soft bounces – temporarily undeliverable addresses. Try re-engaging first before removing.
- Unengaged addresses – subscribers who never open or click your emails. Reach out before cutting them loose.
- Complaints – recipients who report your mail as spam. Find out why and improve their experience.
- Unsubscribes – users who ask to be removed from your list. Honor their wishes promptly.
Keeping your list lean and active protects your sender reputation from needless bounces and complaints.
Consistent Sending Practices and Volumes
Find your IP’s optimal sending capacity after the warmup phase, and stick to those levels consistently.
Avoid large gaps where you stop sending entirely for weeks or months. Stay active to keep your good habits intact.
On the flip side, don’t let volumes fluctuate wildly week to week either. big spikes attract unwanted attention from providers.
Maintain similar traffic and cadence week in and week out. Consistency and predictability reinforce your solid reputation.
Separate IPs for Marketing and Transactional
Transactional and marketing emails often have very different sender reputations.
Transactional mail like order confirmations enjoy higher engagement and complaints.
Marketing content faces more challenges reaching the inbox and keeping interest.
Use dedicated IPs for each mail stream. That way any marketing issues don’t jeopardize your transactional deliverability.
This separation of church and state is an email best practice, especially when sending high volumes.
Quickly Address Issues Like Blocklisting
Despite your best efforts, your IP may occasionally end up on an ISP blocklist. This severely damages reputation and must be corrected immediately.
Visit MultiRBL.com to check if your IP is listed on any major blocklists. If so, you’ll need to request removal by contacting the list owner.
Provide relevant details like your IP, sending domain, and supplemental info that influenced the listing. Work cordially and patiently with their process.
Once removed, be extra vigilant about monitoring and protecting your sender reputation to avoid any repeat blocklist woes.
Avoid Reputation-Damaging Mistakes
To wrap up, let’s review pitfalls that can rapidly ruin your hard-earned good reputation:
- Sudden volume spikes from poor planning
- Sloppy mailing list hygiene with bounced and unengaged addresses
- Spamming purchased lists of unconsented, unverified emails
- Using spammy creative, bad links, or sloppy content
- Drastic inconsistencies in sending cadence or volume
- Poorly configured or outdated email authentication records
- Failure to promptly address issues like a blocklisting
Avoid these missteps through proactive monitoring, patience, and diligently sticking to email best practices over the long run.
One mistake can unravel all your hard work. But carefully managing your reputation will ensure your emails keep reaching the inbox for years to come.
Benefits of a Stellar IP Reputation
After reading this extensive guide, the importance of optimizing your IP reputation is clear. But what are the tangible benefits you’ll enjoy with a stellar sender score? Let’s recap the payoff:
Increased Inbox Placement and Deliverability
This is the obvious one. As your IP reputation improves, so will your email deliverability.
ISPs like Gmail use reputation to decide whether to drop a message in the inbox or spam folder.
A pristine reputation signals to providers that your emails are legitimate, wanted by recipients, and deserve inbox placement.
While a low reputation spells trouble as more messages get filtered or blocked entirely based on your scarlet-letter sender score.
With dedicated IPs and proper management, excellent inbox deliverability is achievable. Treat that coveted inbox real estate as your reward for reputation diligence!
More Opens, Clicks, and Engagement From Subscribers
Higher inbox placement directly translates to more opens and clicks. After all, your content can’t be engaged with if recipients never see it in the spam-filtered abyss.
A stellar reputation also produces positive network effects. As more of your emails reach inboxes, you’ll see higher engagement rates. Improving those metrics in turn strengthens your reputation even further.
It becomes a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle. Reputation leads to engagement leads to better reputation leads to engagement, and so on.
So all the painstaking reputation management ultimately pays off in the form of more interested, loyal subscribers.
Less Unwanted Spam Folder Placement or Blocking
From the inbox placement benefits above, it follows that a solid reputation minimizes unwanted spam filtering and outright blocking of your messages.
This provides peace of mind knowing your email campaigns will consistently reach their intended audience without random deliverability hiccups.
You can spend less time worrying about deliverability gremlins, and more time creating compelling content and optimizing your messaging and offers.
Improved Sender Trust and Authority
A reputation doesn’t just measure technical factors – it encapsulates your overall trustworthiness and sending authority in the eyes of the email ecosystem.
Much like an individual’s good personal reputation earns confidence and influence within a community, your sender reputation builds stature among ISPs.
They view you as a legitimate, responsible sender who avoids spammy tactics and keeps readers engaged. This qualifies you for inbox club access.
A good reputation also reduces the risk of falling prey to algorithm changes or email hosting policy shifts.
When providers trust you, they’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Your deliverability stays resilient despite external factors beyond your control.
The High Cost of a Poor Reputation
To summarize, a poor reputation has cascading negative consequences:
- Lower inbox placement rates
- More spam folder filtering
- Increased blocking of your messages
- Lower open rates, clicks, and engagement
- Less subscriber trust
- Greater vulnerability to deliverability shake-ups
Compared to the effort required, optimizing your reputation provides an incredible ROI in stronger deliverability and readership engagement long-term. It pays to be proactive!
Key Takeaways on IP Reputation Management
Let’s review the main points to remember about monitoring and improving your email IP reputation:
Know your starting point – Use tools like SenderScore, Talos, and Postmaster Tools to check your current IP reputation score. Search headers of sent emails to find your IP address first.
Authenticate your identity – Implement SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and BIMI to verify your legitimacy as a sender and boost reputation. Keep records updated.
Start clean with dedicated IPs – Shared IPs come with baggage. Get your own dedicated IP addresses so your habits alone control reputation.
Take it slow – “Slow and steady” is the golden rule for IP warmup. Gradually ramp up volume over weeks to avoid spikes that attract spam suspicion.
Mind your metrics – Track key metrics like spam complaints, hard bounces, engagement rates, blacklist status, etc. to nip issues in the bud.
Keep it consistent – Stick to consistent volume and cadence once your IP is warmed up. Avoid large gaps without sending and big spikes in traffic.
Focus on quality – Prune inactive subscribers and unsubscribes. Engaged recipients improve your metrics and reputation.
Avoid “red flag” mistakes – Steer clear of reputation pitfalls like purchased lists, spammy content, invalid addresses, etc.
Be proactive – Monitor reputation routinely even when things seem fine. Address any dips immediately to prevent deliverability impact.
Separate streams – Use dedicated IPs for marketing vs. transactional emails to isolate any issues on either side.
Mind the details – Authentication and hygiene fundamentals seem minor but make a major difference in maintaining stellar reputation.
With some diligence and patience, you can turn around a poor IP reputation and keep it pristine for the long haul. Follow best practices consistently and proactively address any hiccups before they grow.
A few key focus areas:
Authentication – Proper SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and BIMI confirms you send legitimate mail.
Hygiene – Verified, engaged subscribers and up-to-date lists prevent bounces and complaints.
Warmup – Slowly ramp up new IPs to avoid volume spikes triggering spam filters.
Monitoring – Track metrics like spam reports, bounces, and engagement rates.
Consistency – Steady volume and cadence reassures providers.
Separation – Use dedicated IPs for marketing and transactional streams.
Problem solving – Address any sudden deliverability declines or blocklistings immediately.
With diligence and patience, your IP’s reputation will transform from pariah to pristine – clearing the path to the inbox. Those open rates and engagement metrics will be your reward!
Summary on Improving Email IP Reputation
Optimizing your IP reputation takes work, but pays dividends in stronger deliverability and higher inbox placement. Here are the core principles:
- Know your starting point – Use SenderScore, Postmaster Tools, or Talos to monitor your current IP reputation score.
- Authenticate properly – Implement SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and BIMI to validate your identity as a sender.
- Start clean – Dedicated IP addresses give you full control over your sending reputation.
- Warm up new IPs gradually – Slowly ramp up volume over weeks when first using an IP to avoid spikes.
- Mind your metrics – Track engagement, complaints, bounces, and other metrics for early problem detection.
- Remain consistent – Once warmed up, stick to steady volumes and cadence week-to-week.
- Focus on list quality – Prune hard bounces, inactive users, and unsubscribes regularly.
- Avoid “red flags” – Steer clear of purchased lists, spammy content/tactics, invalid addresses, etc.
- Be proactive – Monitor routinely and address any reputation dips immediately.
- Isolate streams – Use separate IPs for marketing vs. transactional email.
With diligence, patience, and care, you can nurse a poor reputation back to health – and keep it stellar long-term. The inbox awaits!
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s review some common questions about monitoring and managing your IP reputation:
How long does it take to improve a poor IP reputation?
It depends on how poor your reputation is currently and the steps you take to fix it. For mild reputation issues, you may see results in 1-2 months. But if you have major problems like being blocked or blacklisted, it can take 6 months or more of consistent good habits before your reputation fully recovers. Be patient and persistent.
How often should I check my IP reputation score?
Ideally check your IP reputation at least once per week. This allows you to spot any major changes and quickly address them. You can monitor even more frequently (daily or a few times per week) if sending high volumes.
What is the minimum acceptable IP reputation score?
Most experts recommend keeping your score above 80 if possible. 70-80 is fair but leaves you vulnerable to deliverability issues. Below 70 means your reputation needs urgent improvement to avoid widespread spam foldering or blocking of your emails.
What happens if my IP ends up on a blocklist?
Being listed on one or more major email blocklists can tank your deliverability almost immediately. Any providers using those lists will reject all your mail at connection time. You’ll need to quickly work with the list owners to request removal to restore your ability to reach those inboxes.
Should I use separate IPs for marketing and transactional email?
Yes, using dedicated IPs for each stream isolates your marketing reputation from important transactional mail like receipts and alerts. Marketing content is more likely to receive spam complaints and hurt your reputation if on a shared IP. Separate them for deliverability protection.
How often should I warm up an IP address?
Any brand new IP should be warmed up gradually before you start sending large volumes on it. This prevents spikes that attract spam suspicion. In general you only need to fully warm an IP once when it’s brand new. But if your IP has been dormant and inactive for many months, warming it up again before renewing campaigns is a smart move.