The Surprising Impact of Domain TLDs on Email Deliverability

Hey everyone, it's Jesse from Bento here. Today, I want to talk about something that might seem like a small detail, but can have a big impact on your email deliverability: the top-level domain (TLD) of your email address. You know, the part that comes after the dot, like .com, .ai, .io, or .so. It turns out, not all TLDs are created equal when it comes to getting your emails into your subscribers' inboxes.

The Dangers of Country Code TLDs

Recently, a guy named Theo had all of his .gg domains revoked. Why? Because .gg is actually a country code TLD for a place in the British Isles. They didn't like that he was using a U.S. PO box with their country's TLD.

This is a common problem with country code TLDs. Many people don't realize that popular TLDs like .so (Somalia) and .io (British Indian Ocean Territory) are tied to specific countries. If you're not based in those countries, using their TLDs can lead to issues down the line.

The Perils of Vanity TLDs

After losing his .gg domains, Theo moved to .wtf, thinking it would be a funny, memorable choice. But here's the thing: every single Bento customer who has used a .wtf email address has had deliverability issues.

According to Spamhaus, over 40% of the 2,000 .wtf domains they've seen recently are "bad" domains. Many enterprise-level email servers will straight up block vanity TLDs like .wtf. The same goes for many country code TLDs, especially ones that are being misused.

The Rise and Fall of .ai

Another TLD that's become popular lately is .ai. But guess what? We've noticed a lot of inbox placement issues with .ai emails.

As more people register .ai domains and more spammers abuse them, email providers are starting to crack down. It's not uncommon for companies to enforce blanket blocks on .ai emails now.

Stick with the Tried and True

So, what's the solution? Stick with the gold standard TLDs: .com and .net.

If you want to use a vanity domain like yourbrand.wtf for your website, go for it! But for your email sending domain, use something like yourbrand-email.com.

You'll see a drastic improvement in your open and response rates. And if you're a local business, using a country-specific TLD like .co.uk or .com.au is totally fine, as long as you're actually based in that country.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, your email deliverability is too important to risk on a trendy or "fun" TLD. Stick with the tried and true .com and .net, or use a country-specific TLD if it's relevant to your business. Your open rates (and your sanity) will thank you.

Got questions or concerns about your email domain? Come chat with us on Discord. We're always happy to help you troubleshoot and optimize your email strategy. Until next time, happy emailing!