Understanding ESP Block Monitoring and Progressive Email Enforcement

Overview

The CRM monitors Email Service Provider (ESP) blocks to safeguard your sender reputation and email deliverability. If mailbox providers reject too many emails from your sub-account, the CRM may issue a warning or temporarily pause email sending. This article explains how ESP block enforcement functions, the meaning of each warning, and steps to take if your email sending is paused.

What is ESP Block Monitoring and Progressive Email Enforcement?

ESP blocks occur when mailbox providers like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo reject emails due to factors such as sender reputation, authentication issues, low engagement, problematic content, or sending behavior. Monitoring these blocks helps protect both your sub-account and the broader email infrastructure used by the CRM.

The CRM’s system automatically reviews ESP block activity at the sub-account level. If block activity exceeds acceptable thresholds, the CRM may send a warning email, temporarily pause email sending, or apply stricter enforcement if problems persist.

Key Benefits of ESP Block Monitoring

• Sender Reputation Protection: Prevents continued sending when mailbox providers are rejecting emails.
• Improved Deliverability: Reduces negative sending signals that can impact inbox placement.
• Early Warning: Alerts users before email sending is temporarily paused.
• Platform Protection: Helps safeguard shared email infrastructure across the CRM.
• Automatic Enforcement: Operates automatically without requiring manual setup.

How ESP Block Enforcement Works

Progressive enforcement provides users with opportunities to correct email sending issues before stricter measures are applied. The process typically begins with a warning and may escalate to temporary sending pauses if ESP block activity continues.

Enforcement may follow this sequence:

1. A warning email is sent when ESP block activity rises above healthy levels.
2. If excessive blocks persist, email sending may be paused for 12 hours.
3. If the issue recurs, email sending may be paused for 24 hours.
4. In future phases, repeated suspensions could lead to permanent suspension of email sending for the affected sub-account.

Warning Email: Risk of Suspension

A warning email is sent when ESP block activity exceeds healthy thresholds. This allows you to review your email setup, sending volume, and contact quality before a pause is enforced.

The warning email may include:

• Your current ESP block rate
• The recommended healthy threshold
• Potential reasons for mailbox provider blocks
• Recommended next steps
• A link to an ESP block resolution guide

12-Hour Temporary Suspension

If excessive ESP blocks continue after the warning, email sending for the sub-account may be paused for 12 hours. Sending resumes automatically after this period.

During the suspension:

• Email sending is temporarily disabled for the affected sub-account.
• A suspension notification email is sent.
• An in-app warning banner may be displayed.
• The banner may indicate when email services are expected to resume.

In-App Suspension Banner

An in-app banner appears within the CRM when email sending is blocked due to a high number of spam blocks from email providers. This helps users quickly identify why sending is unavailable.

The banner may show:

• That email sending is blocked
• The reason for the block
• The expected resume time
• A Learn more button

24-Hour Temporary Suspension

Repeated ESP block issues suggest that the original problem was not fully resolved. A longer suspension provides more time to address the cause before sending resumes.

If ESP block issues recur after the first temporary suspension, email sending may be paused for 24 hours. Use this time to:

• Review email analytics
• Confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are configured correctly
• Reduce send volume
• Send only to engaged contacts
• Clean inactive or low-quality contacts from your lists

Future Enforcement: Permanent Suspension

Permanent enforcement is designed to protect sender reputation and platform-wide deliverability when repeated ESP block issues continue after temporary pauses. Agencies will be notified before permanent enforcement is implemented.

Important: In a future phase, if a sub-account experiences repeated suspension occurrences, email sending capability for that sub-account may be permanently suspended.

How to Prevent ESP Block Enforcement

ESP block enforcement is automatic and requires no setup. To avoid warnings or suspensions, maintain healthy sending practices:

• Confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are configured correctly.
• Send to engaged contacts first.
• Avoid sudden increases in sending volume.
• Remove invalid, inactive, bounced, or unengaged contacts.
• Review email content for spam-like wording, broken links, or misleading subject lines.
• Monitor email analytics and bounce classifications.
• Reduce sending temporarily if ESP blocks increase.

What to Do If Your Email Sending Is Paused

A temporary pause indicates that mailbox providers are rejecting too many emails from your sub-account. Use the pause window to address the underlying issues, such as improving contact quality, verifying authentication settings, and adjusting sending practices to ensure better deliverability when sending resumes.