Definition
Your ESP's infrastructure, IPs, domains, and reputation practices directly influence where your mail lands. Choosing a provider with healthy infrastructure is a deliverability decision, not just a pricing one.
Even a great list can underperform on a poorly maintained ESP, while a strong ESP amplifies good sending practices.
The ESP's IPs, domains, and reputation practices are a large part of your deliverability outcome. Choosing a provider with healthy infrastructure is a strategic decision. Monitoring placement within the ESP dashboard keeps you informed of its performance.
What to Evaluate in an ESP
IP reputation, warm-up support, authentication tooling, and monitoring dashboards all matter.
Ask how the provider vets shared-IP neighbours.
Why It Matters
Your ESP's infrastructure is a large part of your deliverability. Choosing a provider with healthy infrastructure is a strategic decision, not just a pricing one.
Best Practices
- Evaluate ESP reputation and IP quality before choosing.
- Understand their warm-up and throttling practices.
- Monitor placement within the ESP dashboard.
- Ask about shared-IP vetting and dedicated options.
- Check reporting depth before committing.
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Related Glossary Terms
Abuse Complaint
An abuse complaint is a report from a recipient who marks an email as spam, which negatively affects sender reputation and deliverability.
Account-Based Marketing Email
An account-based marketing email is a highly targeted message sent to a specific organisation or decision-maker group as part of a focused B2B strategy.
Alt Text
Alt text is the written alternative to an image in an email, displayed when images are blocked, slow to load, or consumed by screen readers.
Announcement Email
An announcement email is a dedicated campaign that communicates a specific update, milestone, or change to subscribers, from product launches and feature releases to company news and events.
AOL Mail for Email Marketers
AOL Mail is a legacy email provider with specific deliverability requirements and rendering quirks, now operating as part of the Yahoo+AOL network under shared infrastructure.
Email Authentication Protocols
Email authentication protocols are technical standards that verify the identity of an email sender, helping mailbox providers distinguish legitimate mail from spam and phishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Its IPs, domains, and sending practices shape reputation. The ESP's IPs, domains, and reputation practices are a large part of your deliverability outcome.
Good IP reputation, monitoring, and support. Choosing a provider with healthy infrastructure is a strategic decision.
No, content and list quality still matter. Monitoring placement within the ESP dashboard keeps you informed of its performance.
Shared suits low volume; dedicated suits high volume with reputation needs. The ESP's IPs, domains, and reputation practices are a large part of your deliverability outcome.
Compare placement and reputation across providers or test the same send. Choosing a provider with healthy infrastructure is a strategic decision.