Reputation Building on new IP addreses

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lillaparken
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Joined: 2019-12-27 15:40

Reputation Building on new IP addreses

Post by lillaparken » 2019-12-28 23:07

when you obtain a new IP or use a new IP that never has been used for sending E-mail before you need to build up a reputation. Before you have a reputation you might end up in the spam folders. You need both a domain reputation and a IP reputation. A domain reputation comes more easy by not sending SPAM. How long it takes to get a good reputation depends of the volume of E-mails and the type of the E-mail. Most difficult to send E-mail to is Microsoft that have the hardest way to build a good IP reputation. Microsoft says they need 90 days to validate a new IP before there AI software Microsoft SmartScreen spam filter learns about your E-mails.

Why? It is easy. No one likes spam and almost everybody can download HmailServer and start sending big volumes of E-mail. To prevent SPAM you need to prove that you don't send spam.

This is a tutorial how to build a good reputation to get you mails delivery to the inbox instead of the bulk mail.

1. If you send newsletter: I recommend you to look at your mail list so its up to date, remove mail addresses that don't exist. More then 0,2 % mail sent to mailboxes that don't exist in a single send may block your IP temporary.

2. Keep monitoring your server at https://www.senderscore.org/

3. Config Dmarc, SPF and DKIM.That helps the receiving server to validate you send legitimate E-mails.

4. Also check your settings in HmailServer so you don't have an open Relay, Check so you use TLS 1.2 to TLS1.3 when you send your E-mails. Non encrypted E-mail is blocks by Google and Microsoft. 1/1-2020 TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 is not seen as secure method. Check so DKIM settings is SHA256. SHA1 is not validated by Google and Microsoft any more. Also use Header method Simple.

5. Register your IP's to SPAM reporting systems.
Microsoft: Register your IP in SNDS (Smart Network Data Services). Also register to Microsoft junk mailing reporting program
https://sendersupport.olc.protection.outlook.com/snds/

(Microsoft is Office 365, hotmail, outlook, msn...)

Google: Register a postmaster account. http://postmaster.google.com/

Yahoo: https://postmaster.yahoo.com/cfl-request
Yahoo also contains AOL today

Register to https://fbl.returnpath.net
It is a list of 20 providers of mail servers and ISP. So they can contact you.

Trend Micro also offers to legitimate you mailserver
https://www.ers.trendmicro.com/reputations/legitimate

6. If you send Newsletter you need some extra lines
All mail list must contain
Return-Path: <bounce@yourdomain.com>
From: <mail@yourdomain.com>
Reply-To: mail@yourdomain.com
X-Mailer: Hmailserver 5.7
List-Unsubscribe: <https://www.yourdomain.com/unsubscribe>, unsubscribe@yourdomain.com

Return-Path: Where all mails that bounce will be sent. If more than 0,2% of the mail doesn't exist your IP may be blocked. Always work active to keep your mail list up to date.

From: Is the mail sending it. example newsletter@mydomain.com

Reply-To: Where your costumer will send there answer.

X-Mailer: The mailing system ex PHP mailer, or HmailServer

List-Unsubscribe: How to opt-out from the list.

The mail must include a text version not only HTML. A newsletter only in HTML may be sent to spam folder.

(In the newsletter it is extra important for Microsoft that the opt-in information is included in the mail. That GDPR is there also that you follow CAN-SPAM https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busines ... e-business )

Also recommended in the mail header
X-Newsletter-Email-Id:
X-Auto-Response-Suppress: OOF, AutoReply

(Newsletter ID lets you identify witch E-mail reported as spam. I also use ID for each E-mail so I can follow it all the way.)

7. Remove the address that have reported your E-mail as spam. Normally within 48 hours Microsoft and Google expect you to have removed the E-mail from the list.


Good sites to monitor your servers
https://mxtoolbox.com
https://www.senderscore.org
https://ssl-tools.net/mailservers


Remember a new reputation don't go over night. A new IP needs 90 days. To get a higher score of your IP takes some weeks of clean mailing list and handle SPAM within 48 hours. It means delete them from the list. To send E-mail from your own server is some work to always keep it up to date. But in the end it is much cheeper and you also gain full control over the E-mails sent and received.

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jimimaseye
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Joined: 2011-09-08 17:48

Re: Mail sent to SPAM folder

Post by jimimaseye » 2019-12-29 00:02

Thanks. I have referenced this post in https://www.hmailserver.com/forum/viewt ... 81#p185981
5.7 on test.
SpamassassinForWindows 3.4.0 spamd service
AV: Clamwin + Clamd service + sanesecurity defs : https://www.hmailserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=26829

palinka
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Posts: 4455
Joined: 2017-09-12 17:57

Re: Mail sent to SPAM folder

Post by palinka » 2019-12-29 00:24

Thanks for posting this. Its very valuable stuff indeed!

Maybe a mod can change the post title to something more informative like "Reputation Building" or "Avoiding Spam Filters", please? The current title is a little fuzzy. Sounds more like a question than a tutorial. :wink:

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