How Does Domain Reputation Work? aspect of email deliverability that helps mailbox providers and anti-spam services decide whether to send your emails to a recipient’s inbox or spam folder, or reject them entirely. A variety of factors are used to determine a domain’s reputation, including authentication, message content, volume and frequency of mailings, and more.

Domains are translated to IP addresses using a global “phone book” called the DNS, which allows each website and service to have its own unique address. Email senders that are able to establish their own DNS entries have the opportunity to build up a positive reputation with mailbox providers and anti-spam services based on their email practices, which are usually measured by the performance of their email engagement metrics like open rates, click-throughs, and conversion rates.

How to Check and Improve Domain Reputation Effectively

The good news is that unlike the performance of an individual email server’s reputation score, which resets every time you change your email provider’s IP address, your domain reputation stays with you, even if you switch email service providers. While there are some overlapping factors that impact both IP and domain reputation, the impact is much greater when you have a dedicated IP for your brand.

Keeping a healthy domain reputation requires active monitoring across key areas like authentication, list management, and engagement. Just like your credit score, your domain reputation needs regular attention and maintenance, which includes promptly responding to complaints, displaying trust-building social proof on your website, and consistently following best practices that help your subscribers find value in your content.