What is Return Path (Validity) reputation data?

You've probably seen a number somewhere between 0 and 100 next to your sending IP and wondered what it actually means for your inbox placement. That number is your Sender Score, and it comes from Validity, the company that acquired Return Path (now Validity) back in 2019.

Sender Score rates your IP address's reputation on a 0-100 scale. The score draws from a mix of signals: complaint rates, spam trap hits, unknown user rates, and overall sending behavior. It updates on a rolling 30-day window, so a spike in complaints today won't wreck your score overnight, but it will catch up with you within the month.

One thing that trips a lot of senders up: Sender Score and what your mailbox providers actually see are not the same thing. Validity pulls data from its own network of data partners and seed accounts. Gmail, Outlook, and other mailbox providers build their own internal reputation signals from what's happening inside their actual inboxes. Your Sender Score might look healthy while Gmail's internal view tells a completely different story. Always cross-reference Sender Score with Google Postmaster Tools and any feedback loops your ESP gives you access to.

Validity also runs a certification program. If your Sender Score is consistently high (typically 80 or above), you can apply for Validity Certification, which gives you preferential treatment at participating mailbox providers. That can include image rendering by default and bypassing some filtering layers. It's not a shortcut around good sending practices, but it's a real benefit if you've already earned it.

If your score is low, here's where to start:

• Check your complaint rate first. A high complaint rate is the fastest path to a dropping score. If it's above 0.08% anywhere, that's your fire to put out before anything else.
• Look for spam trap hits. Traps in your list drag your score down steadily. If your list is old or sourced from anywhere other than direct opt-ins, traps are likely. A list clean will surface them.
• Pull back volume temporarily. Sending less to your most engaged subscribers while you clean up shows the data network a better complaint-to-delivery ratio.
• Suppress unengaged contacts. People who haven't opened in 90-plus days are pulling your engagement signals down without helping you. Segment them out before your next campaign.

Sender Score is a useful benchmark. It's not the full picture, but a consistently low score is a real warning sign worth investigating. Think of it as one instrument on your dashboard, not the whole cockpit.

If you're not sure why your score dropped or what's behind it, our SOS hotline is free and we'll help you figure out what's actually going on.