Domain Reputation System
Every sending domain on uSpeedo has an independent reputation level (1–20) that controls its daily sending quota. The higher your level, the more emails you can send per day. Levels are automatically adjusted based on your sending quality metrics — excellent senders are upgraded, poor-quality sends trigger a downgrade.
How to Check Your Domain Reputation
Go to Email Console → Settings to manage all sending domains on your account. Each domain shows its current reputation level and that day's quota usage at a glance, so you can track your progress and spot issues early.
Why Does This Exist?
Email deliverability is a shared resource. When one sender's domain develops a poor reputation, it can affect the IP pools and shared infrastructure that all uSpeedo customers rely on. The reputation system protects everyone by:
- Rewarding good senders with automatic quota increases
- Isolating poor-quality sending before it damages shared infrastructure
- Giving you visibility into exactly what's happening with your domain and why
Reputation Levels and Daily Quotas
Your daily quota resets every day at 00:00 (UTC+8). Unused quota does not carry over.
| Level | Daily Quota | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | Monitor your sending stats closely |
| 2 | 1,000 | Default starting level for new domains |
| 3 | 2,500 | |
| 4 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | 10,000 | |
| 6 | 20,000 | |
| 7 | 40,000 | |
| 8 | 75,000 | |
| 9 | 120,000 | |
| 10 | 200,000 | |
| 11 | 350,000 | |
| 12 | 500,000 | |
| 13 | 800,000 | |
| 14 | 1,200,000 | Maximum level via automatic upgrades |
| 15 | 2,000,000 | Requires enterprise verification |
| 16 | 3,500,000 | |
| 17 | 5,000,000 | |
| 18 | 8,000,000 | |
| 19 | 10,000,000 | |
| 20 | Custom | Contact our sales team |
Automatic upgrades are capped at Level 14. To unlock Level 15 and above, submit an enterprise verification application in the console or contact our team.
Starting Level for New Domains
| Scenario | Starting Level |
|---|---|
| New domain (DNS not verified) | Cannot send |
| New domain (DNS verified) | Level 2 |
| New domain on an account with an existing Level 10+ domain and no downgrades in the past 30 days | Up to Level 5 (automatic) |
How Upgrades Work
An automatic upgrade is triggered at the end of the day when all of the following conditions are met for that day's sends.
Transactional Domains
| Metric | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Emails sent that day | ≥ 300 |
| Quota utilization (sent ÷ daily quota) | ≥ 70% |
| Delivery rate | ≥ 92% |
| Bounce rate | ≤ 3% |
| Spam complaint rate | ≤ 0.15% |
| Open rate | ≥ 15% |
Marketing Domains
| Metric | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Emails sent that day | ≥ 300 |
| Quota utilization (sent ÷ daily quota) | ≥ 70% |
| Delivery rate | ≥ 90% |
| Bounce rate | ≤ 5% |
| Spam complaint rate | < 0.20% |
All conditions must be met simultaneously. Meeting four out of five is not enough — every threshold must be satisfied on the same day.
Tips for Getting Upgraded
- Use your quota. Quota utilization ≥ 70% is a hard requirement. If you have a Level 5 quota (10,000/day) but only send 3,000, you won't qualify even if all other metrics are perfect.
- Clean your list regularly. Sending to stale or invalid addresses drives up bounce rates. Use an email validation service or the BatchVerifyEmail API before large campaigns.
- Make unsubscribing easy. A clearly visible unsubscribe link reduces spam complaints, which is one of the most impactful metrics for upgrade eligibility.
- Warm up gradually. If you've recently raised your sending volume significantly, your delivery and open rates may temporarily dip while inbox providers calibrate your reputation. Steady growth is better than sudden spikes.
How Downgrades Work
A downgrade is triggered immediately when any one of the following conditions is met.
Transactional Domains
| Condition | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Daily sends > 300 and bounce rate | ≥ 5% |
| Daily sends > 300 and delivery rate | ≤ 75% |
| Daily sends > 300 and spam complaint rate | > 0.15% |
| Daily sends > 300 and block rate | ≥ 6% |
| Daily sends > 300 and temporary failure rate | ≥ 10% |
Marketing Domains
| Condition | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Daily sends > 300 and bounce rate | ≥ 8% |
| Daily sends > 300 and delivery rate | ≤ 70% |
| Daily sends > 300 and spam complaint rate | ≥ 0.2% |
Downgrade Magnitude
Each downgrade event reduces your level by exactly 1. For example, a Level 6 domain that triggers a downgrade rule becomes Level 5.
Level 1 special case: If a Level 1 domain triggers a downgrade rule, the system initiates a manual review. Sending is suspended during the review period (up to 3 business days). To request an early review, contact support@mail-uspeedo.com.
Recovering from a Downgrade
Your domain can be automatically upgraded again the very next day if you meet all upgrade criteria. There is no waiting period between a downgrade and a subsequent upgrade — the system evaluates every day's metrics independently.
Focus on these areas after a downgrade:
- Identify the trigger metric. The downgrade notification email tells you exactly which metric crossed the threshold and what the value was.
- Audit your recipient list. Remove invalid, role-based, or unsubscribed addresses. Consider using an email validation service to clean your list before the next send.
- Check your email content. Spam filters are sensitive to misleading subject lines, excessive image-to-text ratios, and missing physical addresses or unsubscribe links.
- Review your sending patterns. Sudden spikes in volume are a common cause of temporary delivery problems. Ramp up gradually.
Temporary Suspension
A temporary suspension is more serious than a downgrade. It takes effect immediately and blocks all outbound sends from the domain.
Transactional Domains — Suspension Triggers
| Condition | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Daily sends > 300 and bounce rate | ≥ 15% |
| Daily sends > 300 and spam complaint rate | ≥ 0.3% |
Marketing Domains — Suspension Triggers
| Condition | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Daily sends > 300 and bounce rate | ≥ 25% |
| Daily sends > 300 and spam complaint rate | ≥ 0.3% |
What Happens During a Suspension
- All API send requests for the domain are rejected.
- The suspension does not expire automatically — you must contact support to request a review.
- Your other sending domains on the same account are not affected.
Lifting a Suspension
- Stop all sends from the affected domain.
- Audit and clean your recipient list — remove every address that could contribute to high bounce or complaint rates.
- Review your email content and sending practices.
- Email support@mail-uspeedo.com with the subject line
Domain Suspension Review Request — yourdomain.com. Include:- The domain name
- A description of what caused the issue
- The corrective steps you have taken
Our team typically responds within 3 business days.
Domain Type: Transactional vs. Marketing
Your domain type determines which set of upgrade, downgrade, and suspension thresholds apply. Transactional standards are slightly stricter because transactional emails (receipts, password resets, notifications) carry a higher expectation of relevance and recipient consent.
| Type | Typical use cases |
|---|---|
| Transactional | Order confirmations, password resets, account alerts, two-factor authentication codes |
| Marketing | Newsletters, promotional campaigns, re-engagement sequences |
You set the domain type when you add the domain in the console. If you need to change it, contact support.
Domain Independence
Each sending domain on your account has its own reputation level, quota, and metric history. A downgrade on one domain does not affect any other domain. Likewise, an excellent reputation on one domain cannot be transferred to another.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why was I downgraded even though I only sent a small number of emails?
A: The downgrade rules only apply when daily sends exceed 300. Smaller volumes are not evaluated. If you received a downgrade notification, your send count exceeded the threshold on that day.
Q: Can I manually request an upgrade?
A: Upgrades up to Level 14 are fully automatic — there is no manual request process for them. If you consistently meet the upgrade criteria, the system will upgrade your domain without any action needed. For Level 15 and above, submit an enterprise verification application in the console.
Q: My metrics look fine in my own analytics tool. Why does uSpeedo show something different?
A: uSpeedo metrics are based on SMTP-layer feedback — delivery confirmations, bounce codes, and feedback loop reports from inbox providers. Third-party analytics tools often measure opens and clicks rather than SMTP events, so the numbers will differ. SMTP-layer data is what inbox providers use to evaluate your reputation, so uSpeedo's figures are the most relevant for deliverability purposes.
Q: Does unused daily quota roll over?
A: No. Each day's quota resets at 00:00 UTC+8 and starts fresh. Unused quota from one day is not added to the next.
Q: I have multiple domains. Can a high-reputation domain share its quota with a lower-level one?
A: No. Quota and reputation are managed per domain and cannot be pooled or transferred between domains.
Q: What's the fastest way to recover from a downgrade?
A: Meet all upgrade criteria on the very next day. There is no cooldown. A domain downgraded today can be upgraded tomorrow if the day's metrics satisfy every threshold.
Need Assistance?
If you need help understanding your domain metrics or resolving a suspension, please email support@mail-uspeedo.com or visit console.uspeedo.com.