How do I sign up for Microsoft SNDS?

Microsoft SNDS (Smart Network Data Services) is free and the signup process is fairly quick, though it requires you to prove you control the IP addresses you want data for. Here's how it works.

Step 1: Go to the SNDS portal

Head to sendersupport.olc.protection.outlook.com/snds. You'll need to sign in with a Microsoft account (any Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Microsoft 365 account works).

Step 2: Request access to your IP ranges

Click "Request Access" and enter the IP address or CIDR range you want to monitor. You can enter individual IPs (e.g., 198.51.100.1) or a range (e.g., 198.51.100.0/24).

SNDS needs to verify that you actually own or control those IPs. This is where things can slow down.

Step 3: IP ownership verification

Microsoft verifies ownership by checking your WHOIS registration data. Your IP's WHOIS record needs an Abuse Contact email or a Network Abuse Contact that Microsoft can reach. If you have WHOIS privacy enabled or your registrar's privacy service is masking the contact email, the verification may fail or stall.

If you're on a shared IP, you may not be able to register it in SNDS yourself. In that case, ask your ESP whether they have SNDS access and can share the data with you for your IP ranges.

Step 4: Wait for approval and data

Approval typically comes within a day or two. Once you're in, SNDS provides up to 90 days of historical data, so you can see patterns that predate your registration.

Common blockers

Now if your request stalls or is rejected, the usual causes are: WHOIS privacy settings masking the abuse contact, the IP being registered to a different organization than expected, or using a shared IP that belongs to your ESP rather than to you. In the last case, contact your ESP's deliverability team directly.

Once you have access, the SNDS metrics overview walks through what each data point means and what to do if numbers look bad.