Google Postmaster Tools - What it is and how it can help yous

  • Commodity
  • 6 minutes to read

Google Postmaster Tools is an awesome resources that allows senders to troubleshoot deliverability hiccups. The tools deliver essential insights into of import metrics that can identify problem areas in electronic mail sending practices.

According to Gmail, using these tools can determine the wellness of your email program.

Even if Gmail is not your primary target, understanding how your postal service is viewed by Gmail tin can requite you a improve understanding of how you lot are perceived elsewhere.

Once you lot get gear up and running, Google will give insights into several data points organized into different dashboards.

  • Spam rate
  • IP reputation
  • Domain reputation
  • Authentication
  • Encryption
  • Delivery errors

In this guide, nosotros'll show you lot how to:

  • Prepare up Google Postmaster Tools
  • Interpret the dashboards

Getting access to Google Postmaster Tools

Note

To use Postmaster Tools, you need to accept a Google account (Google Workspace or a Gmail address). If you don't take a Google Account, y'all'll need to create one.

After you have created a Google account, log in to https://postmaster.google.com. We recommend creating a new, custom Gmail account, which can exist easily shared among users.

After selecting Go started, you will exist asked to add your domain:

Add domain screenshot.

Select Next. Now, information technology's time to verify the ownership of your domain.

Domain verification screenshot.

Access your DNS record, and add the TXT record provided by Google. Once completed go back to Google Postmaster and select Verify.

If the TXT record is non establish, check that the TXT was added correctly and try again. If you have issues adding the TXT record, Google offers a 2d verification method that involves calculation a CNAME record.

Once the DNS records have been properly published, you will come across the domain status flip to Verified.

Domain verified screenshot.

Understanding Google Postmaster dashboards

Note

There a minimum daily email volume threshold for data to populate in the Google Postmaster Tools. Google doesn't publish the specific threshold, just we've found that if you are sending over 100 letters per twenty-four hour period to unique Gmail users, reputation data volition be generated for that twenty-four hour period.

Reports generated past Google update daily, providing insights into the prior twenty-four hours'south performance. All information is aggregated. Instead of giving you a score (for instance, 0 to 100), Google gathers the results inside groups ranked from Bad to High.

Interpret numbers on the dashboard

Spam rate

The spam charge per unit is the percentage of emails marked as spam past users versus emails sent to the inbox for active users. If a substantial number of emails are delivered directly to spam folders, you may see a low spam charge per unit, even though users may still be marking your inboxed emails as spam.

Spam rate screenshot.

IP reputation

A higher IP reputation means emails sent from this IP are more likely to go to a recipient's inbox instead of their spam binder. For example, if you send a lot of emails, and users marking them every bit spam, your IP reputation number will go down.

To reduce negative user feedback, you should regularly check your sending list. Be sure to merely send emails to users who want them. If you accept mixed categories (Bad/Low/Medium/Loftier), you can place which sending IPs are in each category by selecting the bar color.

The definitions of spam below include electronic mail detected as spam by Gmail's spam filter, and post reported by users equally spam.

  • Bad: A history of sending a loftier volume of spam. Email coming from this entity will almost always be rejected at connexion fourth dimension or marked as spam.
  • Depression: Known to send a considerable volume of spam regularly. Email from this sender volition likely be marked as spam.
  • Medium/Fair: Known to transport good email, but has occasionally sent a low volume of spam. Most of the electronic mail from this entity will have a off-white deliverability rate, except when there's a notable increase in spam levels.
  • High: Has a good track record of a very low spam charge per unit, and complies with Gmail's sender guidelines. Electronic mail will rarely be marked by the spam filter.

IP reputation screenshot.

Domain reputation

A higher domain reputation means emails from your sending domain are less likely to become filtered to a recipient's spam folder or inbox.

The definitions of spam beneath includes mail detected as spam by Gmail'south spam filter, and postal service reported by users as spam.

  • Bad: A history of sending an enormously high volume of spam. E-mail coming from this entity will most e'er be rejected at SMTP or marked as spam.
  • Low: Known to transport a considerable volume of spam regularly. Email from this sender will likely exist marked as spam.
  • Medium/Off-white: Known to send skilful e-mail, but has occasionally sent a low volume of spam. Well-nigh of the e-mail from this entity volition take a fair deliverability rate, except when there'due south a notable increase in spam levels.
  • High: Has a good track tape of a very low spam rate, and complies with Gmail's sender guidelines. Email will rarely be marked by the spam filter.

Domain reputation screenshot.

Feedback loop

Currently, Dynamics 365 Marketing does not offer this feature, however we are working on getting this information available to our senders.

Authentication

This dashboard shows the percent of your emails that passed SPF, DKIM, and DMARC over all received traffic that attempted authentication.

  • SPF graph: Shows percentage of e-mail that passed SPF versus all email from that domain that attempted SPF. This excludes whatever spoofed electronic mail.
  • DKIM graph: Shows the percent of email that passed DKIM versus all email from that domain that attempted DKIM.
  • DMARC graph (just if you take a valid DMARC tape published): Shows percentage of email that passed DMARC alignment versus all email received from the domain that passed either of SPF or DKIM.

Authentication screenshot.

Encryption

This dashboard shows what percentage of your entering and outbound traffic is encrypted.

  • TLS Inbound: Shows the percentage of incoming email (to Gmail) that passed TLS versus all email received from that domain.
  • TLS Outbound: Shows the percent of outgoing email (from Gmail) that was accepted over TLS versus all e-mail sent to that domain.

Encryption screenshot.

Delivery errors

This graph monitors what percentage of your total emails were rejected or temporarily failed as compared to all authenticated traffic. Under the graph, you can view a list of reasons an email failed.

  • Rate limit exceeded: The Domain or IP is sending traffic at a suspiciously high rate and temporary charge per unit limits have been put in identify.
  • Suspected spam: The traffic is suspected to be spam by Gmail.
  • Email content is possibly spammy: The traffic is suspected to be spammy specifically because of the content.
  • Bad or unsupported attachment: Traffic contains attachments not supported by Gmail.
  • DMARC policy of the sender domain: The sender domain has set upward a DMARC rejection policy.
  • Sending IP has a low reputation: The IP reputation of the sending IP is very low.
  • Sending domain has a low reputation: The Domain reputation of the sending domain is very low.
  • IP is in one or more public RBLs: The IP is listed in one or more public Real-time Blackhole Lists (RBLs). Work with the RBL to get your IP de-listed.
  • Domain is in one or more public RBLs: The Domain is listed in one or more public Real-time Blackhole Lists. Work with the RBL to get your domain delisted.
  • Bad or missing PTR record: The sending IP is missing a PTR record.

Delivery errors screenshot.

That'due south pretty much information technology. Nosotros hope this will help yous getting Google Postmaster Tools up and running. If you need more insights into these tools, let us know. We can help.