What’s the impact of domain age and reputation?

Domain age provides a baseline of trust. Mailbox providers are inherently suspicious of brand-new domains because spammers constantly register fresh domains to evade filters. A domain registered years ago with consistent, legitimate use starts ahead of one created last week.

But age without positive sending history means little. A ten-year-old domain that never sent email has no established sending reputation. The first campaigns will still face new-sender scrutiny. Age helps most when combined with years of healthy email activity.

Negative history persists. A domain used for spam carries that reputation even after ownership changes. Acquiring an aged domain doesn't guarantee good standing; due diligence on historical usage matters. Check blocklist history and reputation scores before trusting inherited domains.

An old ship with a clean logbook inspires confidence. An old ship with a history of smuggling gets searched at every port.