How to get around AOL email filtering

Every day I get 10+ requests from folks not getting their emails...

[maximillianos]

I'm looking for advice. I have a site that requires new users to validate their email address by receiving an initial password in their mail before they can signin.

My problem: AOL.

Most the time the AOL users never get the email. Apparently some "advanced" spam algorithm over at AOL is filtering my new users registration welcome email.

Any ideas on how to be compliant with AOL? I found some info on their site about best practices:

[postmaster.aol.com...]

Does paying for ($399) and applying to their "Goodmail Systems" work?

Has anyone successfully kept in good graces with AOL?

Thanks for any tips/advice.

[rogerd]

I see a lot of registration emails at aol.com get zapped. Verizon.net seems even worse. You can encourage members to check their spam folder and add your email address as approved; these steps will cut down on the time you spend sorting registration problems.

[maximillianos]

Thanks for the tip. Now that you mention it, I do see some verizon.net folks complain every now and then.

I've submitted a request to AOL to be listed on their "whitelist". We'll see if that goes through.

Thanks again.

[jatar_k]

this thread may help as well
[webmasterworld.com...]

[maximillianos]

Thanks Jatar... good information in that thread.

[JonSimmonds]

If you can edit the template of the email that goes out to new members, that can help

[buksida]

I have exactly the same problem ... also starting to see it with Hotmail and Yahoo now too.

Rather disturbing.

[rogerd]

Some months ago we ran a test to check the percent of registrants in a given time period who hadn't clicked their confirmation link and summed it up by email domain. Verizon.net was the worst at that time, followed by aol.com.

One thing you can try is running a DNSReport on your domain and checking for any mail-related issues.

[maximillianos]

I called and talked to AOL yesterday. They confirmed my IP was not on their block list, but they figure my emails may still be getting filtered by the junkmail program.

I'm still trying to get my application confirmed for their "whitelist".

For now, I've taken to adding custom code to not require email validation from new AOL members on my site... sucks that I have to do that... but I can't stand losing new members over AOL's email filter...

I'll update this thread if I have any success with the whitelist.

Thanks everyone.

[Beagle]

...but they figure my emails may still be getting filtered by the junkmail program.

Very possible. I'm not on AOL or Verizon, but at my day job we're on a high-security virus and junk mail filter. The saving grace is that it keeps the emails in quarantine for a number of days so you can check them - Otherwise we would have lost some important ones based on such things as a "com" in the sender's name.

If people will follow the instructions, the best thing may be to have a notice at registration telling people to make sure you're on their "approved sender" list. Even on our high security setting, if we do that the filter lets everything through from that address.

[edited by: Beagle at 9:40 pm (utc) on Jan. 31, 2007]

[Nick0r]

Good thread. I also have this problem. Apparently users marked the email notifications by my forums 'spam' and now AOL blocks every email to any of my members. This is a massive pain, I can't even turn on email verification at registration because I know AOL users won't be able to use it.

Any solutions?

[rogerd]

Well, you could modify the script to automatically verify AOL members as an immediate fix. It may take some time, but I'd work with AOL to get unblocked.

It is frustrating - I've seen any number of members flag their subscriptions as spam rather than simply cancelling them.