Domain reputation
What is a domain?
A domain is the human-readable form of a location on the internet. Domains help overcome the complexity of remembering IP addresses to access websites or web applications. For example, the domain name zylker.com will be associated with an IP address: 12.34.132, which can be difficult to remember. Domains are generally used to host websites, web applications, or create email addresses to send emails. They can be purchased online by anyone from a reputable domain registrar (GoDaddy, 1&1 Ionos, Namecheap) for an annual fee.
What is a domain reputation?
Domain reputation indicates how trustworthy a domain is considered by Email Service Providers (ESP) based on its email-sending history. It’s a key factor that determines whether an email sent from that domain will land in the recipient's inbox or the spam folder.
An ESP assesses a domain's reputation using various factors like spam complaints, bounce rates, user engagements, and authentication. A good domain reputation improves email deliverability, while a poor one can impact inbox placement.
Why does domain reputation matter?
It affects inbox placement
ESPs use domain reputation to evaluate the trustworthiness of incoming emails. A strong reputation improves inbox placement, while a poor reputation increases the risk of an email being marked as spam.
It’s independent of the IP reputation
The domain reputation is independent of the IP reputation. Even if the IP reputation is good, a poor domain reputation can still result in delivery issues.
Factors affecting domain reputation
- Spam complaints: The number of times an email sent from a particular domain is marked as spam.
- Bounce rates: The frequency with which emails from a domain are returned to the sender.
- Domain age: How recent a domain was created. Newer domains should gradually increase their outgoing emails to avoid being marked as spam.
- Domain authentication: Proper setup of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records helps prove a domain’s authenticity to ESPs.
- Domain classification: The category or industry a domain is associated with. Sending emails to an industry other than the registered one can affect its reputation.
- Email content: Spammy or misleading content can trigger spam filters.
- Engagement rates: How well recipients receive email content. This includes open and click rates. Good engagement metrics will keep your domain reputation high.
Domain reputation is assessed based on these factors. You can check a domain's reputation using the tools mentioned here.