What are role-based email addresses (e.g., info@, support@)?

You've probably emailed support@somecompany.com or info@astore.com and never heard back from the same person twice. That's a role-based email address. It's an inbox tied to a job function, not a person.

Common examples: info@, support@, billing@, sales@, admin@, careers@. Multiple team members share the inbox. Emails rotate between handlers. It's useful for distributing work, but it creates deliverability challenges.

Here's the problem for authentication. Role-based addresses make it harder to establish sender reputation. When you send to a role address, you're not building a relationship with one person. You're sending to a rotating group. That's fine for transactional emails (receipts, password resets). It's less ideal for marketing emails. Mailbox providers see role addresses as potentially riskier for complaints and unsubscribes because ownership is unclear.

If you're sending from a role address, authentication becomes even more critical. You need a solid SPF record, a valid DKIM signature, and DMARC alignment to prove you own the domain. If you're sending marketing emails from a role address, consider using a subdomain or a specific sender address instead. Something like newsletter@yourdomain.com builds reputation better than info@yourdomain.com.

If you're sending to role addresses, expect lower engagement. Role addresses get buried under notifications, and your campaign might get lost in the shuffle. Personalization and authentication are your best tools for standing out.

Not sure if role addresses are affecting your delivery or engagement? Our free SPF and DMARC tools can validate your sending domain setup. If your role-address sending is more complex, our SOS team can help you audit your sender configuration.