Why are people in my mailing list not getting the emails that I am sending out from Certain or getting their confirmation emails once completing their registration?
If an email server filters out a message as spam, the email is quarantined and does not reach its destination.
One reason that spam filters block email addressed from an Application Service Provider (ASP) such as Certain is that the "From" address is not using the same domain as the mail server.
For example, if you customize the "From" to be eventplanner@example.com, the email still goes out with Certain's mail server's DNS host name (mail.certain.com) in the header.
To reduce the amount of email quarantined as spam, the default setting in Certain Platform modifies all email sent from our servers so that the "From" address is always event_information@certain.com and the display name is that of the Registration Contact.
The "Reply-To" address will also be that of the event's Registration Contact.
The effect is that email recipients will see the registration contact's name in the "From" field or the "To" field if they click "Reply".
The receiving mail server will recognize that the email's "From" address is in the same domain as the sending mail server.
You can change this so emails are sent with the Event Contact's email address in the FROM field by going to Account Settings > Implementation > Security Settings > Set Email FROM value to "Use Event Registration Contact".
If you change this setting, review the information below and reach out to Certain Support to ensure you have taken the proper steps to pass DMARC security checks.
The Email "Chain" - a filtering device
When you are logged into Certain and sending an email update to hundreds of attendees, the emails go through an email “transmission” chain. The transmission chain passes through a series of mail servers and is subject to scrutiny at several levels.
1. Certain sends these emails using SendGrid. 2. Once SendGrid determines the emails are safe to send, their mail servers engage with the recipients' email servers, or with an email appliance acting in lieu of those servers. This is where another key filtering takes place.
- In a B2B situation, you rarely directly engage with the end point mail server.
You most likely deal with an appliance that scans for malware.
The appliance checks for blacklisting.
The appliance scans content.
The appliance applies whitelisting settings.
The appliance eventually makes the determination of letting the email through to the endpoint mail server or not.
In many B2B situations, a client-side filter adds an additional hurdle.
Outlook’s Junk folder is a client-side filter.
Outlook’s Junk folder has personalized criteria and a threshold for keeping email out of the primary inbox.
- In a B2C situation, the top 5 ISPs cover about 80% of your mailing addresses.
ISPs have their own filtering systems.
ISPs have requirements that differ because the systems are designed to push back on massive amounts of SPAM.
The SPAM volume described is in the order of hundreds of billions of emails in a year.
Based on the quick breakdown above, there are many opportunities for your emails to:
- not be sent
- not be accepted
- be accepted but placed the in the SPAM or JUNK folder
How do you control this?
There are several aspects of your email communication that will affect how your emails are delivered. Some aspects are technical. Technical aspects are designed to authenticate the mail you send through Certain. Other aspects are about best practices.
1. Identify yourself
SPF records and Domain Keys are tools designed to prove the email that was sent through Certain is coming from a valid source. SendGrid uses an IP address that is different from that tied to your domain. Establishing SPF records and Domain Keys ensures mail servers take the incoming emails as legitimate. Please contact Certain Support to receive an updated SendGrid Authentication email. The updated SendGrid Authentication email includes a list of records that need to be added to your DNS host. The DNS records help improve deliverability by showing inbox providers that you own the domain.
2. Know your own environment
As you send test emails to yourself through Certain, you need to know whether your own mail server uses a SPAM firewall. If you do not get your test email, this is the first location to check. SPAM firewalls keep track of emails they bounce. Testing with a regular ISP email address is also a good idea. Testing with a regular ISP email address allows you to establish a baseline of what another mail server accepts or does not.
3. Follow best practices
Email communication best practices apply multiple soft rules. With different email filters in place, insignificant mistakes can prevent delivery to some mail servers. For example, having an email subject that is too long may prevent delivery to a few mail servers. Email delivery may still work for other mail servers. The rule is simple. If emails are delivered to some addresses and not others, the issue has to do with content and practices.
Related articles
- What to do when registrants do not receive emails - SPF/DKIM/DMARC Failure
- How to Remove a Blank Page Generated by Logic
- How the setting "Incomplete registrations count against Capacity/Inventory for __ minutes after their last modification" works
- Certain Badge Printers
- Changing Contact Information on the Event Registration Confirmation Email
Comments
1 comment
- Martin Soler (13 years ago)
Excellent article about a topic that is more than likely taken for granted! It sheds light on a lot of the potential points of failure with regard to sending emails.