Deliverability FAQ

Quick answers to the deliverability questions that come up again and again. Each answer links to the full article for the details.

How long does domain verification take?

Usually minutes — once your DNS records are actually visible. The wait is almost never Bird; it's DNS propagation. Resolvers cache DNS answers, so a freshly added record can take anywhere from minutes to a day or two to be seen everywhere, depending on your provider and TTL settings.

You don't need to babysit it: Bird re-checks your records automatically — frequently at first, spacing out over roughly the first 72 hours, then daily for as long as the domain is active. The moment the records resolve, the next check verifies the domain. If it's been more than a day, something probably does need fixing — the verification delays article has the four-step checklist (duplicated host names are the classic culprit).

Why can't I send to a particular recipient?

Two common reasons, depending on where you are in your setup:

The address is suppressed. Bird automatically stops sending to addresses that have hard-bounced, unsubscribed, or complained — protecting your reputation from sends that would hurt it. Check the suppression list in your dashboard; the address will show why it's there.
You're on the shared onboarding domain. The shared domain only delivers to verified members of your workspace. If the recipient isn't a workspace member, the send is rejected with an error saying so — verify your own domain to send to anyone (Email sending FAQ).

Do I need to warm up an IP address?

Only if you have a dedicated IP — and Bird handles it for you. New IP addresses have no sending history, so mailbox providers ramp up trust gradually; sending full volume from a cold IP gets mail throttled or junked. With a dedicated IP, Bird warms it automatically over roughly 30 days, gradually increasing how much of your traffic it carries while the shared pool handles the rest.

If you're on the shared IP pool (the default), there's nothing to warm — the pool already has established reputation. Note that your domain builds its own reputation too, so ramping up volume gradually on a new domain is still good practice. Details in the warming article.

Why is my open rate so high (or so low)?

Open rates have been fuzzy ever since Apple Mail Privacy Protection: Apple Mail prefetches tracking pixels for its users, registering "opens" for messages no human looked at. Depending on how much of your audience uses Apple Mail, this inflates open rates substantially — and it makes opens unreliable as an engagement signal in either direction.

Treat opens as a rough trend line, not a truth, and lean on clicks and conversions for real engagement measurement. The Apple Mail privacy article explains the mechanics and what to measure instead.

How do I know if my sender reputation is healthy?

Watch the signals mailbox providers watch: bounce rate, complaint rate, and how your engagement trends over time. Your Metrics page shows these per domain, and external tools (like Google Postmaster Tools for Gmail) show how providers see you. The reputation monitoring article covers which numbers matter, healthy ranges, and where to look when one drifts.

Email sending FAQ — first-send questions: shared domain, From addresses, getting started
Domain verification delays — the troubleshooting checklist
IP & domain warming — how automatic warmup works
Reputation monitoring — the metrics that matter
Apple Mail privacy & open rates — why opens lie
Sending domains — the developer guide to domains and verification