What is content reputation, and how do mailbox providers track it?

Content reputation is the accumulated trust (or distrust) associated with specific content patterns, templates, and sending behaviors—separate from but related to domain and IP reputation. Mailbox providers track patterns across millions of emails, identifying content characteristics that correlate with spam or ham.

Tracked content signals include: URL reputation (are links to trustworthy destinations?), image hosting patterns (shared spam image hosts get flagged), template fingerprints (templates used heavily in spam become toxic), text patterns (phrases and structures commonly appearing in spam), and engagement history with similar content (how recipients respond to this type of email).

Content reputation is invisible but influential. You don't see a "content score" dashboard. But if you clone a template from a spammy source, use images from sketchy hosts, or include links that have appeared in spam campaigns, your email inherits negative signals. Build original content, host images on reputable servers (or your own domain), and avoid shortcuts that might carry hidden reputation baggage.