What is domain reputation?

Domain reputation is the trust score that mailbox providers assign to your sending domain. It's separate from IP reputation and follows your domain everywhere (even if you switch ESPs or IPs).

Here's why that matters: if you're sending from captain@deepcurrent.io, mailbox providers like Gmail and Outlook build a history of how deepcurrent.io behaves over time. Good behavior (low bounces, low complaints, strong engagement) builds trust. Bad behavior (spam traps, high complaints, poor authentication) tanks it. That history sticks with your domain, not the server sending the mail.

The shift to domain reputation started because spammers could easily burn through IPs and buy new ones. Domains are harder to replace (you'd lose your brand, your website, your business email). So mailbox providers started weighing domain reputation more heavily than IP reputation. If you're on a shared IP and someone else misbehaves, your domain reputation protects you. If you switch from Mailchimp to Klaviyo, your domain reputation comes with you. Your new IP starts fresh, but your domain doesn't.

What actually impacts domain reputation: authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC pass rates), engagement (opens, clicks, replies), complaint rates (spam button clicks), bounce rates (especially invalid addresses and spam traps), sending consistency (volume spikes hurt), and email content quality (spam trigger words, broken links, misleading subject lines).

You can check your domain's reputation with our free Blocklist Checker (which catches the worst reputation signals) or by monitoring inbox placement rates over time. If you're suddenly landing in spam after switching ESPs, your domain reputation might've taken a hit from poor authentication or a volume spike. If you're stuck, our SOS hotline is free and we'll walk you through what's breaking.