Frequently Asked Questions about Quantitative Requirements
Why is Return Path changing Sender Score Certified Standards?
Return Path is changing the Sender Score Certified Standards to ensure that the program is the highest quality program of its kind, and one that continues to meet the needs of both senders and receivers.
The email industry has changed since the inception of Sender Score Certified nearly 3 years ago. The email industry now has an increased focus on reputation metrics. We have expanded both the type of data used to accredit senders and the breadth of data used to accredit senders. To do so, Return Path is leveraging data made available from our reputation service, Sender Score. The Sender Score reputation service tracks over 45 million mailboxes across over 60 different factors of delivery.
We have conducted extensive data analysis using data from the existing Sender Score Certified sources, data from Sender Score, and data from our receiving partners to profile high quality senders and to identify standards for high quality senders. This is the basis for the new Sender Score Certified Standards.
Are changes to the Standards allowed?
As indicated in the Participating Sender License Agreement, changes to the Standards are allowed where 15 days notice is provided.
Where can I find more information about Sender Score?
Information about the Sender Score reputation service can be found at http://www.senderscore.com.
What standards are changing?
Sender Score Certified Senders are held accountable for compliance with the Email Sender Standards. Both the qualitative and the quantitative aspects of the Email Sender Standards are changing.
What are the new qualitative standards? How are they different from the old qualitative standards?
The notable changes to the qualitative standards are:
RFC Compliant Email: Participating Senders must be compliant with the internet standards established by RFC ("Request for Comment") 2821 and 2822 which describe how email messages must be formatted in order to be processed properly by receiving networks. These RFC’s can be found at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt and http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2822.txt.
Authentication: Senders are now required to publish a Sender ID compliant SPF record for all domains from which email is sent. Participating Senders have until June 8, 2006 to publish their Sender ID record. Over time, Sender Score Certified will also incorporate a standard for Domain Keys/DKIM.
Consent Requirements: There are now consent requirements associated with consent received for peer-to-peer initiated communications. Examples of peer-to-peer initiated communications are e-vites, e-greetings, forwarding of news articles and social networks.
Unsubscribe: There are now unsubscribe requirements associated with peer-to-peer networks.
Responsiveness: Senders who are in violation of standards must respond to the initial inquiry from the Program Administrator within 3 business days and take corrective action within 10 business days.
What are the new quantitative requirements? How are they measured?
The new quantitative requirements are based on SpamCop data, Sender Base data, Sender Score data, and data from our receiver partners. The new quantitative requirements were established after extensive data analysis and subsequent distinctions of senders at the top tier of the elements measured.
Where the requirements were previously applied based on the billing month, the requirements are now based on a rolling 30-day time period.
Complaint Rates: There are complaint rates associated with Hotmail and each of the receivers contributing to the Sender Score reputation database. Complaint rates are assessed on a rolling 30-day average.
Complaint rates are now also designated for volume tiers. As you can see, higher-volume senders have lower allowable complaint rates. Higher volume senders have lower allowable complaint rates because higher volume senders have the potential to cause greater collateral damage to receivers. A small increase in complaint rates for a high volume sender has the potential to generate a significant number of complaints. Consequently, higher volume senders must behave more responsibly to minimize both absolute and relative complaints.
Return Path is unable to reveal the sources of complaint data for Source A and Source B beyond indicating that they are contributors to the Sender Score database.
SpamCop Complaints: SpamCop complaints continue to be based on data from SpamCop and Sender Base. SpamCop complaints are now assessed based on a rolling 30-day average.
Sender Score Unknown User Rate: Senders are responsible for maintaining an Unknown User rate of 10% or less. Unknown User Rate is assessed using Sender Score data and is based on a rolling 30-day average. In the past, senders have self-certified that unknown user rates are compliant, we are now measuring unknown user rates with Sender Score data.
An 'unknown user' or 'no such user' or 'invalid address' is a 550 5.1.1 error message that will appear in your bounce logs. It is the role of all responsible mailers to remove these hard bounces as quickly as possible, and preferably prior to any subsequent mailing.
Sender Score Unsubscribe: Senders are responsible for providing an unsubscribe option in applicable mail, and for ensuring that the unsubscribe channel is functional. In the past, senders have self-certified that they have a functioning unsubscribe.
We now monitor unsubscribe functions and measure whether an unsubscribe function is operating in an effective manner. Specifically, we identify where an unsubscribe option is offered to a recipient, test the unsubscribe function to ensure to it is accessible, working, and results in removal of the recipient from receiving additional email from the sender. Furthermore, with the exception of an unsubscribe confirmation message, email sent to an unsubscribed address after the request to be removed, will impact this score severely.
Sender Score provides the measurement for Unsubscribe functionality in the form of a score. The Unsubscribe Score is based on the last 90 days of observed behavior. Senders must be in the 90th percentile for Unsubscribe score based on a rolling 30-day average. Unsubscribe Scores are on a scale of 0 to 100. The highest score is 100. Sender Score Certified Senders are required to have a score of 90 or higher.
Where you see an indicator of "N/A" means that we do not have sufficient data form the past 90 days to rate your unsubscribe functionality. An "N/A" does not equate to a violation.
SpamCop Spam Trap Hits: SpamCop spam traps continue to be based on data from SpamCop. SpamCop spam trap Hits report on a rolling 30-day time period.
Blacklists/Tier 1 DNSBLs: Senders are allowed 1 listing on a Tier 1 DNSBL during a 30 day period. A listing is defined as a unique occurrence on a Blacklist. Senders listed multiple times on the same blacklist will be assessed based on number of occurrences.
What are Source A and Source B?
Source A and Source B are contributors to the Sender Score database. Source A and Source B are receivers, like Hotmail, that report back mail volume and complaints. Actual sources are confidential and we are not able to disclose them.
As a sender, how do I know if I am compliant with the new quantitative requirements?
You can continue to access your Sender Dashboard to review your compliance with SpamCop data. The Sender Dashboard will eventually be updated to also reflect the new quantitative measures. In the meantime, all senders will receive a daily report via email that shows compliance with the new quantitative requirements.
The report details each of the quantitative measures and how each of your IPs rate against the requirement. This report also provides visual queues to indicate where an IP is at risk of violating a compliance requirement or where an IP has violated a requirement.
How do I change the address to which the report is sent, or add an additional address?
These reports will be sent to the email address associated with your account. If you would like to change this address, or add additional addresses, please contact customercare@senderscorecertified.com.
If you have an assigned Account Representative, your Account Representative will also receive copies of your daily report.
If you participate in Sender Score Certified through a Reseller, your Reseller will receive your daily report. Contact your Reseller if you would like to receive the report directly.
What do the "Good", "Warning", and "Bad" indicators on the report mean?
For each IP and each quantitative measure, there will be an associated indicator of Green/Good, Yellow/Warning, and Red/Bad. Where the measure is coded Green/Good, it means that the IP meets the quantitative requirement. Where the measure is coded Yellow/Warning, it means that the IP is at risk of violating the quantitative requirement, but has not yet violated the requirement. Where the measure is coded Red/Bad, it means that the IP is in violation of the quantitative requirement.
Some of the volume and complaint quantities are very low? Am I held accountable for violations for so low volumes?
Each metric and client will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. In low volume instances we will make exceptions where warranted and applicable. Also, please keep in mind that our reports have automatic settings to indicate compliance, so you will see a red X even where the volume is low. This still requires a review by our Compliance Team to determine if there is a violation.
Why are higher volume senders held to lower acceptable complaint rates?
The prior SpamCop complaint standard was applied on a "one size fits all" basis. This tended to be prohibitive to lower volume senders and less stringent for higher volume sender.
Consequently, Return Path reviewed months of data provided by SpamCop, SenderBase, Hotmail, and Sender Score. We looked at complaint rates by volume sent and found trends in the data that supported having a multi-tiered requirement for complaints.
Further, higher volume senders have lower allowable complaint rates because higher volume senders with poor list practices have the potential to cause greater collateral damage to receivers. A small increase in complaint rates for a high volume sender correlates to a significant number of complaints. Consequently, higher volume senders must behave more responsibly to minimize both absolute and relative complaints.
Does Return Path have any advice for correcting a compliance violation?
Click here for general explanations about compliance issues and recommendations for assessing and correcting compliance violations.
If I am held accountable for complaints generated by my campaigns, shouldn’t Sender Score Certified provide me with the complainers email address so I can remove it from my database?
Sender Score Certified is an accreditation program and not a feedback loop program.
With respect to actual complaint email address, just as the program did not formerly provide the actual complainer address for SpamCop complaints, we do not provide the complaint email address from the additional 3 receivers. We strongly encourage senders to sign-up for feedback loops where they are available from receivers. We provide a list of receiver feedback loops within the document located at http://www.senderscorecertified.com/about/suspension.php.
There are 2 levels of dealing with complaints. The first is to remove the complainer from the list. While that prohibits a particular recipient from complaining further it does not address the root of the complaint. Why did the recipient complain? Good senders also understand their user's experience with their service and respond to problems that are evidenced by complaints, inordinate complaints, or spikes in complaints. We provide more information about understanding and lower complaint rates in the document located at http://www.senderscorecertified.com/about/suspension.php.
Under what circumstances can my IPs be suspended or terminated from the program?
If a sender’s IP is not compliant with any of the quantitative requirements, it is subject to suspension. Excessive suspension can result in removal of all IPs from the program.
Violations of the qualitative standards are subject to removal of the sender from the program.
Can senders track compliance with the quantitative requirements for suspended IPs?
The daily report will show each of your IPs and indicate if the IP is "active" or "disabled". Hotmail data is not provided for disabled IPs, but Sender Score and SpamCop data will continue to be provided.
Can a suspended IP be reinstated?
Yes. Disabled/suspended IPs can be reinstated to the whitelist when measured values have returned to levels of good standard. IPs will be monitored by the Sender Score Certified Compliance team, and IPs that have come back into compliance will be enabled following a review of the data.
Suspensions and reinstatements are manually processed and take approximately 1-2 business days to be processed. Reinstatements are automatic; senders do not need to contact the Compliance Team to have an IP reinstated once it has met all compliance requirements.
As a Reseller of the program, how can I monitor the compliance of the senders that I have referred to the program?
Resellers receive the daily email report for each of their senders. To change the address or add contacts to receive this report, or if you would like your senders to receive this report as well, contact the Sender Score Certified Support Team at customercare@senderscorecertified.com.
Who do I contact if I have questions about the changes or need more information?
Senders who have been assigned an Account Representative can contact their Account Representative with questions.
Senders who do not have an Account Representative can contact the Sender Score Certified Support Team at customercare@senderscorecertified.com.
Information is also available on the Sender Score Certified website at http://www.senderscorecertified.com. Click on the About tab for more information about Standards and for FAQs.