What is a whitelist?
One Whitelist is a list of e-mail addresses, domains or IP addresses that are used by e-mail servers and Spam filtering are classified as trustworthy. Messages from senders on a whitelist pass through spam filters and are delivered directly to the recipient's inbox. These lists are often used by companies and email service providers to ensure that important emails do not end up in the spam folder by mistake.
How does a whitelist work?
A whitelist signals to an email service provider or a spam filter that a certain source is classified as trustworthy. If an email comes from an address on the whitelist, it is automatically delivered without being checked by the usual spam filters. This ensures that important messages are not lost.
Whitelists can be created manually or automatically. Companies often maintain their own whitelists to ensure that messages from important business partners and customers are delivered reliably. Email providers such as Google or Microsoft also offer users the option of adding senders to the whitelist themselves.
How do you get on a whitelist?
As an email sender, there are various steps to be added to a whitelist. This process is crucial to ensure that your emails are delivered reliably and do not end up in the spam folder.
1. building a good station reputation
The Sender reputation is one of the most important factors for getting on a whitelist. This reputation is evaluated by email service providers and is based on the quality of the emails sent, the interactions of the recipients and the complaints that are submitted. To maintain a positive reputation, you should:
- Use valid e-mail addresses: Only use current and valid e-mail addresses to avoid bounces.
- Promote high interaction rates: Send relevant content that your recipients will open and respond to.
- Avoid spam complaints: Make sure that the unsubscribe process is easily accessible and avoid sending emails to recipients who have not actively consented.
2. set up authentication protocols
Implementing authentication protocols is a crucial step in ensuring the security of your emails and gaining the trust of email providers. The most important protocols are:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Authenticates the sender's email domain and shows which IP addresses are authorized to send emails from this domain.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to every email sent to ensure that the content has not been tampered with during transmission.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Defines how email service providers should handle emails that do not pass SPF and DKIM and improves transparency through reports.
3. application for whitelist services
Some organizations offer special whitelist services where you can register your domain or IP address. These services check the sender's reputation and compliance with best practices before adding senders to their whitelist. The best-known whitelist services include
- Spamhaus WhitelistProvides a trusted whitelist of IP addresses that meet strict security and reputation requirements.
- Sender Score CertifiedThis service analyzes the sender score and offers whitelist certifications for senders with a high reputation.
- Google Postmaster ToolsThese tools help to monitor the deliverability of emails on Google and improve the chance of getting on the Google whitelist.
4 Certified Senders Alliance (CSA)
The Certified Senders Alliance (CSA) is an organization that certifies email senders to improve the deliverability of their emails. The CSA provides an international whitelist that is used by many major email providers such as GMX, WEB.DE, Yahoo and others. To qualify for the CSA, senders must meet strict technical and legal requirements to ensure that their emails meet the highest standards for security and privacy.
Certified email senders benefit from a significantly better delivery rate, as they are given preferential treatment in the CSA members' whitelists. An example of a certified newsletter service is mailfino. As a member of the CSA, mailfino benefits from the CSA's whitelists and ensures that its newsletters reach their recipients reliably.
5. request to recipient
An easy way to end up on a personal whitelist is to ask your recipients to mark your email address as trustworthy. You can mention this in your emails and give recipients instructions on how to add you to their contact list or whitelist. Examples:
- "Add our email address to your contact list to make sure you don't miss any important messages."
- "Click here to find out how to prioritize our emails in your inbox."
Challenges
Although there are many benefits to being whitelisted, there are also challenges that senders should consider:
- Reputation is crucial: To be added to a whitelist, the Sender reputation be well maintained. A single error can lead to the sender being blocked.
- Time required for the application: The process of whitelisting can be time-consuming and often requires proof of a positive sender reputation and authentication.
- Manual care: Some whitelists require manual maintenance by the administrator to ensure that only legitimate senders are on the list.
Conclusion
Whitelisting is an important step in maximizing email deliverability and ensuring that important messages don't end up in the spam folder. By building a solid sender reputation, implementing authentication protocols, applying to well-known whitelisting services and using platforms such as the Certified Senders Alliance, email senders can improve their chances of being whitelisted. When combined with other email marketing best practices, whitelisting becomes a key component of successful email communications.
