How to Check Domain Reputation?

In today's digital world, email remains one of the most effective marketing tools. However, to ensure your messages reach the target audience and avoid the spam folder, special attention must be paid to the reputation of your domain.

In this article, we will explore what domain reputation is, how to check it, and ways to improve it. You’ll learn about the tools and methods to evaluate your current reputation and the steps needed to enhance it.

What Is Domain Reputation?

Domain reputation is the collective assessment of your domain’s reliability and authority as perceived by email providers, spam filters, and email recipients. It is determined by sender behavior, content quality, frequency of email campaigns, spam complaint rates, recipient engagement (e.g., email opens and link clicks), and other factors. A high domain reputation ensures your emails land in the "Inbox" rather than the "Spam" folder, significantly increasing the effectiveness of email marketing efforts.

How to Check Your Domain Reputation?

There are several tools and methods available to evaluate your domain reputation:

1. Analytical Services: Specialized platforms (e.g., Sender Score, Talos Intelligence, Google Postmaster Tools) provide an objective assessment of domain or IP address reputation, based on data such as deliverability, user feedback, and other metrics.
2. Checking with Email Providers: Many major email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook) offer tools (e.g., Postmaster Tools, SNDS) to monitor reputation indicators, complaint levels, and delivery rates, as well as provide improvement recommendations.
3. Audience Engagement Monitoring: Tracking metrics like email open rates, click-through rates, and recipient responses can offer indirect insights into your domain reputation.
4. Using Blacklists (RBL Lists): Regularly check if your domain or IP addresses appear on spam blacklists. If found, take immediate action to remove your domain and address the root cause of the issue.

How to Improve Domain Reputation?

Domain reputation is often expressed as a score on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is the lowest and 100 is the highest. For instance, Sender Score uses this format. Scores above 80 are generally considered good or excellent, while those below 50 may indicate serious issues.

If your analysis shows that your reputation needs improvement, take the following steps:

Set Up Email Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

These three protocols play a critical role in improving email deliverability and protecting against phishing. They allow mail servers to verify that messages were sent by the specified sender and have not been tampered with.

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF is a DNS text record that specifies the servers and IP addresses authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. Its primary purpose is to verify sender authenticity and prevent spoofing.

How does it work?

1. You create a TXT record in your domain’s DNS settings listing all authorized sources for sending emails.
2. When an email is received, the provider checks whether the sender’s IP address matches the ones listed in the SPF record.
3. If it matches, the email is considered legitimate under SPF. If not, it may be flagged as suspicious or spam.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail):

DKIM uses cryptographic signatures for outgoing emails, ensuring recipients that the message was sent by an authorized sender and has not been altered.

How does it work?

1. The sending server signs outgoing emails with a private cryptographic key.
2. The public key is stored in the sender’s DNS record.
3. The recipient’s mail server retrieves the public key to verify the DKIM signature and the integrity of the message.

If the signature is valid and the message hasn’t been altered, the DKIM check passes.

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance):

DMARC relies on SPF and DKIM results and dictates what to do with emails that fail these checks: deliver, quarantine, or reject.

How does it work?

1. You set up a DMARC record in your DNS, specifying:
   1. A policy that specifies what to do with the email if the SPF and DKIM checks fail (e.g. reject, quarantine/spam, none, take no action).
   2. Parameters for discrepancy reports.
2. Mail providers first verify SPF and DKIM, then compare the results with the DMARC policy.
3. Based on the policy, the provider decides the email’s fate. Providers may also send reports (Aggregate and Forensic) about deliverability status to the email addresses listed in the DMARC record.

IP Address Warm-Up

If you’re using new or “cold” IP addresses, gradually increase the volume of emails sent. This “warming up” process helps establish trust for the new sender.

Establish Regular Campaign Schedules

Regular, moderately frequent campaigns help maintain stable reputation levels. Overly frequent or rare campaigns may raise suspicion among email filters and damage your reputation.

Regularly Verify Subscriber Lists

Keep your mailing list up-to-date by removing inactive recipients, and non-existent, or “bad” email addresses. High percentages of invalid addresses and complaints can harm your domain’s reputation.

Avoid Using Shortened Links

Shortened links can trigger suspicion among recipients and email providers, as they may hide phishing or malicious content. Using clear, transparent URLs builds trust in your content and sender profile.

Conclusion

Remember, maintaining domain reputation is an ongoing process that requires consistent monitoring and management. Regularly analyze the metrics of your email campaigns, track reputation changes, and promptly address any issues to improve them.

FAQ

What factors influence domain reputation?

Domain reputation is shaped by various factors, including the history of email sending (e.g., spam or phishing activities), domain age, the volume of complaints, and the presence of authentication settings (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).

What are the consequences of a poor domain reputation?

A poor domain reputation may result in your emails being filtered as spam, or your website being blocked by search engines, potentially causing you to lose potential customers.

How often should domain reputation be checked?

The frequency of checking domain reputation depends on factors like email volume and domain history. It’s recommended to check once a month. If delivery issues arise, you may need to check more frequently.